Name function...help!!!

[brendalisalowe]

This is the data I can have:

Johnson, Tom G
Johnson Tom G
Johnson Tom

This is the function I have so far:

Function MiddleName(ByVal WholeName As String) As String
Dim arr() As String
Dim MName As String
Dim pos As Integer

WholeName = Replace(WholeName, ",", " ")
arr = Split(WholeName, " ")
pos = WholeName.IndexOf(" ")

If pos > 0 Then
MiddleName = " " + arr(2) + " "
Else
MiddleName = ""
End If
Return MiddleName

End Function

It gets the middle name, but if there is no middle name it gives me an error. How can I fix that? Please help!

Brenda

[cphoenixc]

Johnson, Tom G
Johnson Tom G
Johnson Tom

' (wholename is johnson, tom g)
Function MN(ByVal WholeName As String) As String
 
   Dim index As Integer
   Dim temp As String
 
   index = wholename.IndexOf(" ")
   temp = wholename.Substring(index, wholename.Length - index)
 
   ' MsgBox(temp)
   ' index = "Tom G".IndexOf(" ")
   ' MsgBox(index)
 
   index = temp.IndexOf(" ")
 
   If index <> 0 Then
       MN = temp.Substring(index, wholename.Length - index)
   Else
        MN = ""
   End If
End Function

Now why this doesn't work is beyond me (first tried it in a while loop, then rewrote to check)...

It doesn't work because; index = temp.indexof(" ") returns 0, while it should return 3! If you remove this line and put back in the lines which are now commented out it shows that;
temp = "Tom G"
index = 3

Baffles me....

Although I don't like it, this does work;

Function MiddleName(ByVal WholeName As String) As String
 
   Dim arr() As String
   Dim MName as String
 
   wholename = Replace(wholename, ",", "")
   arr = Split(wholename, " ")
 
   Try
       MName = " " + arr(2) + " "
   Catch ex As Exception
       MName = ""
   End Try
   
   return MName
 
End Function

[mendhak]

Can't we do a UBound check?

Function MiddleName(ByVal WholeName As String) As String
 
        Dim arr() As String
        Dim MName As String
 
        wholename = Replace(wholename, ",", "")
        arr = Split(wholename, " ")
 
        'MessageBox.Show(UBound(arr).ToString)
        If UBound(arr) = 2 Then
            MName = " " + arr(1) + " "
        Else
            MName = ""
        End If
 
 
        
        Return MName
 
    End Function

Or am I following bad practice here?

[HumePeabody]

I agree with mendhak, check the upper bound of your arr variable. If it is 1 (then you have two names only, and no middle name). If it is >1, then the middle name will be in index 2 (arr(2)) as you have in your code.

The reason you get an error is that you are asking for in index that doesn't exist when there is no middle initial/name.

Hume

[cphoenixc]

Didn't like the try/catch myself, but couldn't solve it before, this should work, although calling this function with;

dim temp(3) as string
temp = MiddleName("Johnson, Tom G")

Gives a error with option strict on, I don't get that cuz as far as I can see I assign an array to an array, it works nonetheless.

Function MiddleName(ByVal WholeName As String) As Array
        Dim ReturnArray(3) As String
        Dim arr() As String
        Dim MName As String
 
 
        arr = Split(Replace(WholeName, ",", ""), " ")
        Select Case arr.Length
            Case 1
                ReturnArray(0) = arr(0)
                ReturnArray(1) = ""
                ReturnArray(2) = ""
            Case 2
                ReturnArray(0) = arr(0)
                ReturnArray(1) = arr(1)
                ReturnArray(2) = ""
            Case 3
                ReturnArray(0) = arr(0)
                ReturnArray(1) = arr(1)
                ReturnArray(2) = arr(2)
            Case Else
                ReturnArray(0) = ""
                ReturnArray(1) = ""
                ReturnArray(2) = ""
        End Select
 
        Return ReturnArray
End Function