Split String into smaller Strings by length variable

Question

I'd like to break apart a String by a certain length variable.
It needs to bounds check so as not explode when the last section of string is not as long as or longer than the length. Looking for the most succinct (yet understandable) version.

Example:

string x = "AAABBBCC";
string[] arr = x.SplitByLength(3);
// arr[0] -> "AAA";
// arr[1] -> "BBB";
// arr[2] -> "CC"

Answer 1

Easy to understand version:

string x = "AAABBBCC";
List<string> a = new List<string>();
for (int i = 0; i < x.Length; i += 3)
{
    if((i + 3) < x.Length)
        a.Add(x.Substring(i, 3));
    else
        a.Add(x.Substring(i));
}

Though preferably the 3 should be a nice const.

Answer 2

You need to use a loop:

public static IEnumerable<string> SplitByLength(this string str, int maxLength) {
    for (int index = 0; index < str.Length; index += maxLength) {
        yield return str.Substring(index, Math.Min(maxLength, str.Length - index));
    }
}

Alternative:

public static IEnumerable<string> SplitByLength(this string str, int maxLength) {
    int index = 0;
    while(true) {
        if (index + maxLength >= str.Length) {
            yield return str.Substring(index);
            yield break;
        }
        yield return str.Substring(index, maxLength);
        index += maxLength;
    }
}

2^nd alternative: (For those who can't stand while(true))

public static IEnumerable<string> SplitByLength(this string str, int maxLength) {
    int index = 0;
    while(index + maxLength <= str.Length) {
        yield return str.Substring(index, maxLength);
        index += maxLength;
    }

    yield return str.Substring(index);
}

Answer 3

It's not particularly succinct, but I might use an extension method like this:

public static IEnumerable<string> SplitByLength(this string s, int length)
{
    for (int i = 0; i < s.Length; i += length)
    {
        if (i + length <= s.Length)
        {
            yield return s.Substring(i, length);
        }
        else
        {
            yield return s.Substring(i);
        }
    }
}

Note that I return an IEnumerable<string>, not an array. If you want to convert the result to an array, use ToArray:

string[] arr = x.SplitByLength(3).ToArray();

Answer 4

Here's what I'd do:

public static IEnumerable<string> EnumerateByLength(this string text, int length) {
    int index = 0;
    while (index < text.Length) {
        int charCount = Math.Min(length, text.Length - index);
        yield return text.Substring(index, charCount);
        index += length;
    }
}

This method would provide deferred execution (which doesn't really matter on an immutable class like string, but it's worth noting).

Then if you wanted a method to populate an array for you, you could have:

public static string[] SplitByLength(this string text, int length) {
    return text.EnumerateByLength(length).ToArray();
}

The reason I would go with the name EnumerateByLength rather then SplitByLength for the "core" method is that string.Split returns a string[], so in my mind there's precedence for methods whose names start with Split to return arrays.

That's just me, though.

Answer 5

Using Batch from MoreLinq, on .Net 4.0:

public static IEnumerable<string> SplitByLength(this string str, int length)
{
    return str.Batch(length, String.Concat);
}

On 3.5 Concat need an array, so we can use Concat with ToArray or, new String:

public static IEnumerable<string> SplitByLength(this string str, int length)
{
    return str.Batch(length, chars => new String(chars.ToArray()));
}

It may be a bit unintuitive to look at a string as a collection of characters, so string manipulation might be proffered.

Answer 6

    private string[] SplitByLength(string s, int d)
    {
        List<string> stringList = new List<string>();
        if (s.Length <= d) stringList.Add(s);
        else
        {
            int x = 0;
            for (; (x + d) < s.Length; x += d)
            {
                stringList.Add(s.Substring(x, d));
            }
            stringList.Add(s.Substring(x));
        }
        return stringList.ToArray();
    }

Answer 7

    private void button2_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
    {
        string s = "AAABBBCCC";
        string[] a = SplitByLenght(s,3);
    }

    private string[] SplitByLenght(string s, int split)
    {
        //Like using List because I can just add to it 
        List<string> list = new List<string>();

                    // Integer Division
        int TimesThroughTheLoop = s.Length/split;


        for (int i = 0; i < TimesThroughTheLoop; i++)
        {
            list.Add(s.Substring(i * split, split));

        }

        // Pickup the end of the string
        if (TimesThroughTheLoop * split != s.Length)
        {
            list.Add(s.Substring(TimesThroughTheLoop * split));
        }

        return list.ToArray();
    }

Answer 8

Yet another slight variant (classic but simple and pragmatic):

class Program
{
    static void Main(string[] args) {
        string msg = "AAABBBCC";

        string[] test = msg.SplitByLength(3);            
    }
}

public static class SplitStringByLength
{
    public static string[] SplitByLength(this string inputString, int segmentSize) {
        List<string> segments = new List<string>();

        int wholeSegmentCount = inputString.Length / segmentSize;

        int i;
        for (i = 0; i < wholeSegmentCount; i++) {
            segments.Add(inputString.Substring(i * segmentSize, segmentSize));
        }

        if (inputString.Length % segmentSize != 0) {
            segments.Add(inputString.Substring(i * segmentSize, inputString.Length - i * segmentSize));
        }

        return segments.ToArray();
    }
}