{strlen:string}

Description

Returns the length of a string, the AA counterpart of PHP strlen. The result is the number of BYTES, not characters - so a multi-byte UTF-8 character (an accented letter, an em-dash, an emoji) counts as the 2, 3 or 4 bytes it occupies, not as one. Whitespace counts and the argument is NOT trimmed, so leading and trailing spaces add to the length. A missing or empty argument returns 0. Use it to test a field for emptiness, enforce a length limit, or drive a condition on content.

Parameters

string required default (empty)

The text whose byte length you want. It is taken literally and is not trimmed, so spaces and any other whitespace count. A field getter or a nested expression can supply the value; the result is always the number of bytes, not characters.

Examples

test{strlen:hello}

Expected5

Actual5

Counts the bytes in a literal string. The five ASCII letters of hello are five bytes.

test{strlen:}

Expected0

Actual0

A missing or empty argument returns 0. This is the basis for an empty-field test.

test{strlen: hi }

Expected6

Actual6

The argument is not trimmed, so the two leading and two trailing spaces are counted along with the two letters: six bytes in total.

virtual{strlen:café}

Expected5 (4 characters, 5 bytes)

Actual5

strlen counts bytes, not characters. The word cafe written with an e-acute is c, a, f and then the accented e, which UTF-8 stores as two bytes - so the byte length is 5 even though a reader sees 4 characters. Use mb-strlen-style counting only if you need character counts. (Marked illustrative because the accented input cannot be stored reliably in this docs field.)

test{math:{strlen:abcd}+{strlen:xyz}}

Expected7

Actual7

The numeric result drops straight into math and other calculations. Here four bytes plus three bytes is seven.

test{ifeq:{strlen:}:0:empty:has content}

Expectedempty

Actualempty

A real-world use: branch on whether a value has any content. When the length is 0 the field is empty. Replace the empty argument with a field getter to test a real field.

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