String str_pad functionUsing the string function str_pad we can pad one input string upto some given length or pad using another string. If no second string is given then the input string is padded by blank space. We can even specify which side of the string the padding is to be done. Let us first see the syntax of str_pad function
str_pad ( input_string, length, pad_string, pad_type)
The last two arguments are optional. If the length specified is less than the input string length the input string is returned. If pad_type is returned then accordingly the string is padded at left, right or both sides. The pad_type can have values like
STR_PAD_LEFT
STR_PAD_RIGHT or
STR_PAD_BOTH
By default it is set to STR_PAD_RIGHT.
Let us try some examples
echo str_pad("plus2net.com",15,"*");
//output: plus2net.com***
echo str_pad("plus2net.com",15,"*",STR_PAD_LEFT);
//output: ***plus2net.com
echo str_pad("plus2net.com",15,"*",STR_PAD_BOTH);
//output: *plus2net.com**
This function is useful when some data is to be formatted upto some length. We want the blank space after the input is to be blanked or marked with some chars like ---- . Another example is where we are displaying data in rows and wants all records to perfectly align in left and right. Here if all data are not of equal length we can pad them and keep all in one line. The extra space can be formatted as per requirement.
Here is another example of str_pad function
Welcome--------
to-------------
Plus2net.com---
ASP------------
Section--------
to-------------
learn----------
web------------
programing-----
The code for the above is here
$str="Welcome to Plus2net.com ASP Section to learn web programing";
$ar=split(" ",$str);
while (list ($key, $val) = each ($ar)) {
echo str_pad($val,15,"-",STR_PAD_RIGHT);
echo "<br>";
}
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