Help with str_pad

[jwhite68]

I am trying to simply pad a string with spaces (to the right) so that the total length of the string is 125 characters.

 

$detail2="ab";
$descr = str_pad($detail2,125,' ');
echo 'descr=' . $descr . 'end';

 

If I run this, then the padding does not pad the string with spaces.  However, if I change the ' '  to a '-' it correctly pads with hyphens.  So it suggests the syntax is correct - but maybe there is an issue padding with blank spaces?  I did try without the 3rd argument on the str_pad too, as it should be if you just want to pad with spaces, but that doesnt work either.  Am I missing some quirky setting in PHP?

[taith]

more then likely no... html shrinks 2 spaces into 1... so you put 125 spaces, and it would only show one... you'd need to use  

[jwhite68]

Any idea how. If I just put &nbsp in the str_pad function, it fails.

[taith]

$detail2="ab";
$descr = str_pad($detail2,125,' ');
echo 'descr=' . $descr . 'end';

[kenrbnsn]

Try this:

<?php
$descr = str_replace('~',' ',str_pad($detail2,125,'~')); // just use some character you know isn't in your string
?>

 

Ken

[taith]

ken's right... as it pads upto the # of chars... mybad.... so it may pad  &ns

which wouldnt work... str_replace it in

[jwhite68]

Strangely, taith, this is not producing the perfect result.  Its not following the pad characters Ive asked for.

 

$detail2 = "this is a test";
$descr = str_pad($detail2,125, " ");
echo 'descr=' . $descr . 'end';

 

If you run this test you get this result:

 

this is a test                  &nbenddate

 

So its not padding the number of characters asked for, and its appending &nb in ther string. Weird..

[jwhite68]

Thanks Ken. Your code is working.  But I am baffled why such a seamingly simple task needs this more complicated solution.  I dont see why str_pad alone cant cut it?

[taith]

because... str_pad() increases by exact numeric value... so if it needs to crop 4 characters on, it'd add &nbs... not  ... if it needs 2... it'd add &n... both of which, wouldnt work...

[jwhite68]

The problem with &nbsp is that it adds unicode characters - and since I am encoding this string, I need it to be a single ASCII space. Any ideas on an alternative?

[jwhite68]

I found the solution.  Need <pre> tags as shown below:

 

$descr = '<pre>' . str_replace('~',chr(32),str_pad($detail2,125,'~')) . '</pre>'; 

 

What a scary and complicated way to have to do something so seemingly straight forward.

[taith]

ya... browsers are picky... lol