How to fix this string into array using .split() method?

Question

I'm having trouble with JS .split() method in a GAS script. I copy and paste the headers of other google sheet as variable headers (the usual way will be copy and paste). This pasted selection contains some empty and undefined elements. I need to turn this elements in an array. So I split it and use the .filterto clean empty elements. But, when I run the script, the var arrayHeaders remains equal to headers, as if the .split(" ") didn't make any change, this way:

enter image description here

This is my code:

var headers = "STUDENT  Parentage   GRADE   YEAR    DATE    GUIDE";
  var arrayHeaders = headers.split(" ");
//  arrayHeaders = arrayHeaders.filter(function(n){return n});
    Logger.log("headers = " + headers);
    Logger.log("arrayHeaders = " + arrayHeaders);
    Logger.log("arrayHeaders length " + arrayHeaders.length);

    for (var i = 0; i < arrayHeaders.length; i++){      
      var NOME_Cell = sheet.getRange(1, i +1);
      Logger.log("NOME_Cell" + NOME_Cell);
      Logger.log("arrayHeaders[i]" + arrayHeaders[i]);     
      NOME_Cell.setValue(arrayHeaders[i]).setBackgroundRGB(34, 139, 34).setFontSize(font_size).setFontWeight("bold").setFontFamily("Arial");      
         }

If I delete all spaces after paste the string and press space again, then the .split(" ") works well. Before asking this question, I read this other one, but I'm still stucked with what is going wrong here.

Thanks in advance for any help!

Could your headers be tab separated instead of space separated? — Joachim Isaksson, Dec 21 '13 at 20:38
You could just try `var arrayHeaders = headers.split(/[ \t]+/)` — Joachim Isaksson, Dec 21 '13 at 20:58

score 1 · Accepted Answer · answered Dec 21 '13 at 21:06

1

I'm pretty sure your headers variable is not a String. Try this:

var arrayHeaders = headers.toString().split(/[\s\t]+/);

answered Dec 21 '13 at 21:06

Hallvar Helleseth

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Hi, @Hallvar, I make a mistake about my comment that the `.split()` method couldn't be used in that object. I was using it twice! =) – craftApprentice Dec 21 '13 at 21:12
I'll try your suggestion now! – craftApprentice Dec 21 '13 at 21:13
Thanks, `headers.split(/[\s\t]+/)` was the solution. `typeof(headers)`show me that this was a string but the was tab and not spaces between the headers. – craftApprentice Dec 21 '13 at 21:22

score 0 · Answer 2 · answered Dec 21 '13 at 20:45

When you are performing split(""), make sure the words in the string are seperated by samething which are passing to .split() method. Your arrayHeaders is same as the headers.

var headers = "STUDENT Parentage GRADE YEAR DATE GUIDE";
  var arrayHeaders = headers.split(" ");
//  arrayHeaders = arrayHeaders.filter(function(n){return n});
    Logger.log("headers = " + headers);
    Logger.log("arrayHeaders = " + arrayHeaders);
    Logger.log("arrayHeaders length " + arrayHeaders.length);

    for (var i = 0; i < arrayHeaders.length; i++){      
      var NOME_Cell = sheet.getRange(1, i +1);
      Logger.log("NOME_Cell" + NOME_Cell);
      Logger.log("arrayHeaders[i]" + arrayHeaders[i]);     
      NOME_Cell.setValue(arrayHeaders[i]).setBackgroundRGB(34, 139, 34).setFontSize(font_size).setFontWeight("bold").setFontFamily("Arial");      
    }

Here i think, the seperation of header is not same. make sure the seperation of headers are of one space or two spaces or three spaces..

Thanks, @shreedhar. There are 1 and 2 spaces. So I used the 1 space in `.split(" ");`. — craftApprentice, Dec 21 '13 at 20:52

How to fix this string into array using .split() method?

2 Answers2