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Posted to user@commons.apache.org by Todd Jonker <tv...@pobox.com> on 2003/06/26 03:10:43 UTC
Re: StringUtils.isEmpty(), isNotEmpty() and stringsa with some
spaces
In general, StringUtils seems to munge up the distinctions between null,
zero-length, and whitespace-only strings. Obviously there is no concrete
definition of what "empty" means. This makes the whole suite of related
methods hard to learn, IMO.
Personally, I think "empty" should mean "zero-length or whitespace-only",
but should not include null. You can't really say that your box is empty if
you have no box at all.
Another appropriate term would be "blank". Perhaps a way to fix all this
would be to deprecate the poorly-defined "empty" methods and replace them
with well-defined "blank" methods.
.T.
On 6/25/03 8:13 AM, scolebourne@btopenworld.com wrote:
> I would tend to agree that it is inconsistent. I can't remember if
> isNotEmpty() was in release 1.0. If it was then changing it makes me
> uncomfortable.
>
> Stephen
>
>> from: =?ISO-8859-1?Q?Reinhard_N=E4gele?= <re...@mgm-edv.de>
>> date: Wed, 25 Jun 2003 11:02:57
>> to: commons-user@jakarta.apache.org
>> subject: Re: StringUtils.isEmpty(), isNotEmpty() and stringsa with some
>> spaces
>>
>> This behavior is specified in the JavaDocs. However, I also think this
>> is not really consistent. Any thoughts?
>>
>> Reinhard
>>
>>
>> Dmitri Ilyin wrote:
>>
>>> Hi,
>>>
>>> if is use isEmpty() method of StringUtils with " " (string with some
>>> spaces) and isNotEmpty() with the same string i get true from both methods,
>>> becouse isEmpty trims the parameter string and isNotEmpty doesn't.
>>>
>>> I think it is not OK.
>>>
>>> regards
>>>
>>> Dmitri
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
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>>> To unsubscribe, e-mail: commons-user-unsubscribe@jakarta.apache.org
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>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
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>
>
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>
>
>
--
A patriot must always be ready to defend his country against its
government. -Edward Abbey, naturalist and author (1927-1989)
Defend our country! Vote Howard Dean 2004
http://www.DeanForAmerica.com/
http://www.MoveOn.org/
[lang] Pre 2.0 - StringUtils.isEmpty(), isNotEmpty() and stringsa with somespaces
Posted by Stephen Colebourne <sc...@btopenworld.com>.
This got raised on the users list.
Since this is a major version release, now would be the time to correct this
problem. (ie. for 2.0)
I propose:
isEmpty() - CHANGE to not trim
isNotEmpty() - no change
isEmptyTrimmed - NEW, does what isEmpty used to
isNotEmptyTrimmed - NEW
This is an incompatable change for isEmpty(), but seems the best solution,
as we appear to define 'empty' as "" elsewhere and refer to trimming
explicitly.
Stephen
----- Original Message -----
From: "Todd Jonker" <tv...@pobox.com>
To: "Jakarta Commons Users List" <co...@jakarta.apache.org>
Sent: Thursday, June 26, 2003 2:10 AM
Subject: Re: StringUtils.isEmpty(), isNotEmpty() and stringsa with
somespaces
> In general, StringUtils seems to munge up the distinctions between null,
> zero-length, and whitespace-only strings. Obviously there is no concrete
> definition of what "empty" means. This makes the whole suite of related
> methods hard to learn, IMO.
>
> Personally, I think "empty" should mean "zero-length or whitespace-only",
> but should not include null. You can't really say that your box is empty
if
> you have no box at all.
>
> Another appropriate term would be "blank". Perhaps a way to fix all this
> would be to deprecate the poorly-defined "empty" methods and replace them
> with well-defined "blank" methods.
>
> .T.
>
>
> On 6/25/03 8:13 AM, scolebourne@btopenworld.com wrote:
>
> > I would tend to agree that it is inconsistent. I can't remember if
> > isNotEmpty() was in release 1.0. If it was then changing it makes me
> > uncomfortable.
> >
> > Stephen
> >
> >> from: =?ISO-8859-1?Q?Reinhard_N=E4gele?=
<re...@mgm-edv.de>
> >> date: Wed, 25 Jun 2003 11:02:57
> >> to: commons-user@jakarta.apache.org
> >> subject: Re: StringUtils.isEmpty(), isNotEmpty() and stringsa with
some
> >> spaces
> >>
> >> This behavior is specified in the JavaDocs. However, I also think this
> >> is not really consistent. Any thoughts?
> >>
> >> Reinhard
> >>
> >>
> >> Dmitri Ilyin wrote:
> >>
> >>> Hi,
> >>>
> >>> if is use isEmpty() method of StringUtils with " " (string with some
> >>> spaces) and isNotEmpty() with the same string i get true from both
methods,
> >>> becouse isEmpty trims the parameter string and isNotEmpty doesn't.
> >>>
> >>> I think it is not OK.
> >>>
> >>> regards
> >>>
> >>> Dmitri
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
> >>> To unsubscribe, e-mail: commons-user-unsubscribe@jakarta.apache.org
> >>> For additional commands, e-mail: commons-user-help@jakarta.apache.org
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>
> >>
> >> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
> >> To unsubscribe, e-mail: commons-user-unsubscribe@jakarta.apache.org
> >> For additional commands, e-mail: commons-user-help@jakarta.apache.org
> >>
> >
> >
> > ---------------------------------------------------------------------
> > To unsubscribe, e-mail: commons-user-unsubscribe@jakarta.apache.org
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> >
> >
> >
>
> --
>
> A patriot must always be ready to defend his country against its
> government. -Edward Abbey, naturalist and author (1927-1989)
>
> Defend our country! Vote Howard Dean 2004
> http://www.DeanForAmerica.com/
> http://www.MoveOn.org/
>
>
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