Search and replace inside string variable?

Dos anyone know if it is possible to run a find and replace within a string variable?

I have a string variable that holds a string that concantenates a room name, letter and material: Example: Master Bath--A--Eos Acadia.

I am able to remove the spaces from the variable via the "trim" function:

(setq PRINT_CNC_TEXT(trim PRINT_CNC_TEXT "BMA" ))

What I would also like to do is replace the two dashes with a single dash. I tried the following but it didn't work:

(subst '"--" '"-" '("PRINT_CNC_TEXT"))

Is there a way to do this inside the variable as opposed to running a search and replace inside the drawing?

Thank you.

AJS

Try running this on your drawing:

[b][color=RED]([/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]defun[/color][/b] c:repDash  [b][color=RED]([/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]/[/color][/b] ss tStr pos[b][color=RED])[/color][/b]
 [b][color=RED]([/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]vl-load-com[/color][/b][b][color=RED])[/color][/b]
 [b][color=RED]([/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]if[/color][/b] [b][color=RED]([/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]setq[/color][/b] ss [b][color=RED]([/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]ssget[/color][/b] [b][color=#ff00ff]"X"[/color][/b]
                     [b][color=RED]([/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]list[/color][/b] [b][color=RED]([/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]cons[/color][/b] [b][color=#009900]0[/color][/b] [b][color=#ff00ff]"TEXT,MTEXT"[/color][/b][b][color=RED])[/color][/b]
                           [b][color=RED]([/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]cons[/color][/b] [b][color=#009900]1[/color][/b] [b][color=#ff00ff]"*--*"[/color][/b][b][color=RED])[/color][/b]
                           [b][color=RED]([/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]if[/color][/b] [b][color=RED]([/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]getvar[/color][/b] [b][color=#ff00ff]"CTAB"[/color][/b][b][color=RED])[/color][/b]
                             [b][color=RED]([/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]cons[/color][/b] [b][color=#009900]410[/color][/b] [b][color=RED]([/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]getvar[/color][/b] [b][color=#ff00ff]"CTAB"[/color][/b][b][color=RED])[/color][/b][b][color=RED])[/color][/b]
                             [b][color=RED]([/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]cons[/color][/b] [b][color=#009900]67[/color][/b] [b][color=RED]([/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]-[/color][/b] [b][color=#009900]1[/color][/b] [b][color=RED]([/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]getvar[/color][/b] [b][color=#ff00ff]"TILEMODE"[/color][/b][b][color=RED])[/color][/b][b][color=RED])[/color][/b][b][color=RED])[/color][/b][b][color=RED])[/color][/b][b][color=RED])[/color][/b][b][color=RED])[/color][/b][b][color=RED])[/color][/b]
   [b][color=RED]([/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]foreach[/color][/b] x  [b][color=RED]([/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]mapcar[/color][/b] [b][color=DARKRED]'[/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]vlax-ename->vla-object[/color][/b]
                 [b][color=RED]([/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]mapcar[/color][/b] [b][color=DARKRED]'[/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]cadr[/color][/b]
                   [b][color=RED]([/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]ssnamex[/color][/b] ss[b][color=RED])[/color][/b][b][color=RED])[/color][/b][b][color=RED])[/color][/b]
     [b][color=RED]([/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]setq[/color][/b] tStr [b][color=RED]([/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]vla-get-TextString[/color][/b] x[b][color=RED])[/color][/b][b][color=RED])[/color][/b]
     [b][color=RED]([/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]while[/color][/b] [b][color=RED]([/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]setq[/color][/b] pos [b][color=RED]([/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]vl-string-search[/color][/b] [b][color=#ff00ff]"--"[/color][/b] tStr[b][color=RED])[/color][/b][b][color=RED])[/color][/b]
       [b][color=RED]([/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]setq[/color][/b] tStr [b][color=RED]([/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]strcat[/color][/b]
                    [b][color=RED]([/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]substr[/color][/b] tStr [b][color=#009900]1[/color][/b] pos[b][color=RED])[/color][/b] [b][color=RED]([/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]chr[/color][/b] [b][color=#009900]45[/color][/b][b][color=RED])[/color][/b]
                      [b][color=RED]([/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]substr[/color][/b] tStr [b][color=RED]([/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]+[/color][/b] pos [b][color=#009900]3[/color][/b][b][color=RED])[/color][/b][b][color=RED])[/color][/b][b][color=RED])[/color][/b][b][color=RED])[/color][/b][b][color=RED])[/color][/b]
     [b][color=RED]([/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]vla-put-TextString[/color][/b] x tStr[b][color=RED])[/color][/b][b][color=RED])[/color][/b]
   [b][color=RED]([/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]princ[/color][/b] [b][color=#ff00ff]"\n<!> No Text Found <!>"[/color][/b][b][color=RED])[/color][/b][b][color=RED])[/color][/b]
 [b][color=RED]([/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]princ[/color][/b][b][color=RED])[/color][/b][b][color=RED])[/color][/b]

(if (getvar "CTAB") ... shouldn't that always return true? Is there any way for "CTAB" to be nil?

Also, couldn't you use (vl-string-subst) instead of (strcat)?

Sorry if I'm asking too many questions, I only just started getting into VLA like.. last week.. it's very new to me and I'm learning a lot, and quickly.

Great idea about using vl-string-subst, with so many VL functions, you sometimes forget a few

[b][color=RED]([/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]defun[/color][/b] c:repDash  [b][color=RED]([/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]/[/color][/b] ss tStr[b][color=RED])[/color][/b]
 [b][color=RED]([/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]vl-load-com[/color][/b][b][color=RED])[/color][/b]
 [b][color=RED]([/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]if[/color][/b] [b][color=RED]([/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]setq[/color][/b] ss [b][color=RED]([/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]ssget[/color][/b] [b][color=#ff00ff]"X"[/color][/b]
                     [b][color=RED]([/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]list[/color][/b] [b][color=RED]([/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]cons[/color][/b] [b][color=#009900]0[/color][/b] [b][color=#ff00ff]"TEXT,MTEXT"[/color][/b][b][color=RED])[/color][/b]
                           [b][color=RED]([/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]cons[/color][/b] [b][color=#009900]1[/color][/b] [b][color=#ff00ff]"*--*"[/color][/b][b][color=RED])[/color][/b]
                           [b][color=RED]([/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]if[/color][/b] [b][color=RED]([/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]getvar[/color][/b] [b][color=#ff00ff]"CTAB"[/color][/b][b][color=RED])[/color][/b]
                             [b][color=RED]([/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]cons[/color][/b] [b][color=#009900]410[/color][/b] [b][color=RED]([/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]getvar[/color][/b] [b][color=#ff00ff]"CTAB"[/color][/b][b][color=RED])[/color][/b][b][color=RED])[/color][/b]
                             [b][color=RED]([/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]cons[/color][/b] [b][color=#009900]67[/color][/b] [b][color=RED]([/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]-[/color][/b] [b][color=#009900]1[/color][/b] [b][color=RED]([/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]getvar[/color][/b] [b][color=#ff00ff]"TILEMODE"[/color][/b][b][color=RED])[/color][/b][b][color=RED])[/color][/b][b][color=RED])[/color][/b][b][color=RED])[/color][/b][b][color=RED])[/color][/b][b][color=RED])[/color][/b][b][color=RED])[/color][/b]
   [b][color=RED]([/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]foreach[/color][/b] x  [b][color=RED]([/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]mapcar[/color][/b] [b][color=DARKRED]'[/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]vlax-ename->vla-object[/color][/b]
                 [b][color=RED]([/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]mapcar[/color][/b] [b][color=DARKRED]'[/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]cadr[/color][/b]
                   [b][color=RED]([/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]ssnamex[/color][/b] ss[b][color=RED])[/color][/b][b][color=RED])[/color][/b][b][color=RED])[/color][/b]
     [b][color=RED]([/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]setq[/color][/b] tStr [b][color=RED]([/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]vla-get-TextString[/color][/b] x[b][color=RED])[/color][/b][b][color=RED])[/color][/b]
     [b][color=RED]([/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]while[/color][/b] [b][color=RED]([/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]vl-string-search[/color][/b] [b][color=#ff00ff]"--"[/color][/b] tStr[b][color=RED])[/color][/b]
       [b][color=RED]([/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]setq[/color][/b] tStr [b][color=RED]([/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]vl-string-subst[/color][/b] [b][color=#ff00ff]"-"[/color][/b] [b][color=#ff00ff]"--"[/color][/b] tStr[b][color=RED])[/color][/b][b][color=RED])[/color][/b][b][color=RED])[/color][/b]
     [b][color=RED]([/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]vla-put-TextString[/color][/b] x tStr[b][color=RED])[/color][/b][b][color=RED])[/color][/b]
   [b][color=RED]([/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]princ[/color][/b] [b][color=#ff00ff]"\n<!> No Text Found <!>"[/color][/b][b][color=RED])[/color][/b][b][color=RED])[/color][/b]
 [b][color=RED]([/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]princ[/color][/b][b][color=RED])[/color][/b][b][color=RED])[/color][/b]

As for the CTAB, R14 didn't have it.

Ah, I see I see.. wow, that's a job itself, trying to make it all backwards compatible. I never did use R14.. just how different is it from, say, 2004, or 2008? I'd imagine it must at least have VL, but that it wouldn't have "ctab"...

Ah, I see I see.. wow, that's a job itself, trying to make it all backwards compatible. I never did use R14.. just how different is it from, say, 2004, or 2008? I'd imagine it must at least have VL, but that it wouldn't have "ctab"...

Good point, I suppose the IF statement isn't required here as R14 didn't have VL either - I just keep the ssget code as a set block of code and copy it when I need it... need to look over it more in the future.

Thank you very much!

No probs, happy to help