Function to Expand Partial Names

I coded this up when I was doing my own custom mods to SMP and I thought I might as well contribute something to this here fine-looking community.

Code:

    public String expandName(String Name) {
        int m = 0;
        String Result = "";
        for (int n = 0; n < getServer().getOnlinePlayers().length; n++) {
            String str = getServer().getOnlinePlayers()[n].getName();
            if (str.matches("(?i).*" + Name + ".*")) {
                m++;
                Result = str;
            }
            if (str.equalsIgnoreCase(Name))
                return str;
        }
        if (m == 1)
            return Result;
        if (m > 1) {
            return null;
        }
        if (m < 1) {
            return Name;
        }
        return Name;
    }

I'm totally new to the whole "plugin" thing so feel free to correct any errors in interaction with Bukkit you see.

 

You could make it slightly faster by having it return null as soon as m==2.

Code:

    public String expandName(String Name) {
        int m = 0;
        String Result = "";
        for (int n = 0; n < getServer().getOnlinePlayers().length; n++) {
            String str = getServer().getOnlinePlayers()[n].getName();
            if (str.matches("(?i).*" + Name + ".*")) {
                m++;
                Result = str;
                if(m==2) {
                    return null;
                }
            }
            if (str.equalsIgnoreCase(Name))
                return str;
        }
        if (m == 1)
            return Result;
        if (m > 1) {
            return null;
        }
        if (m < 1) {
            return Name;
        }
        return Name;
    }

Ofc, if there are rarely ever double matches, then the cost of the check to see if m==2 might cost more.

 

This is an excellent little function and very useful, but could someone explain

Code:

if (str.matches("(?i).*" + Name + ".*"))

I am completely lost on that.

EDIT: Particularly the "(?i).*" part, that's what's got me.

 

That's redundant. The if (m < 1) block needs to go away.

 

It seems like it checks if str contain whatever Name is.

I am not good at regex, but as far I can tell the "(?i)" should be unnecessary.

 

place the
if (str.equalsIgnoreCase(Name))
return str;part inside the previcus loop, because if the expression not matcher, how could the strings be equals to each other, this saves some little time

 

An over 1 year old bump. ferrybig - I'm pretty sure this was either resolved already, or the OP simply doesn't care anymore. I doubt he was waiting, holding his breath for a year for that answer.

Locked.