substring() in User Macro?

[Guenter Huber]

I d like to e.g. make version numbers dynamic dependent on space.

Currently they are only semi-dynamic with

#if ($space.key=="MY55")5.5#elseif ($space.key=="MY50")5#else <MacroError_VersionNotDefined>#end

With a substring() func this could be dynamic!
Takers?
Thanks
G.

[Guenter Huber · Accepted solution]

As I neither get a professional answer here nor on the Velocity mailing list (at least not yet and you are bugging me to close the case) the workaround I see is via a variable;

## @noparams
#set($len = $space.key.length() - 2)
$space.key.substring($len)

[Eddie Webb]

User macros are coded in Velocity, that means both velocity specific and java methods will work.

#set($ver = $spaceKey.substring($spaceKey.length-2,2))

$ver

will be 55 or 50 depending.

See more methods to manipulate a Java String http://docs.oracle.com/javase/6/docs/api/java/lang/String.html

[Guenter Huber]

Thanks, Eddie
for the pointers to Velocity and Java.
They helped me iron out most kinks.
Here is code that actually works:

## @noparams
#set($len = $space.key.length() - 2)
\$space.key.length(): $len <br>
\$space.key.substring(\$len): $space.Key.substring($len)

It contains some nice Velocity features like escaped $s, etc.

What cost me a lot of time is

$space.Key.substring($space.key.length() - 2)

I have no idea why this construct doesn t work, while the variable as argument does.