Swift 4:
extension String {
/// the length of the string
var length: Int {
return self.characters.count
}
/// Get substring, e.g. "ABCDE".substring(index: 2, length: 3) -> "CDE"
///
/// - parameter index: the start index
/// - parameter length: the length of the substring
///
/// - returns: the substring
public func substring(index: Int, length: Int) -> String {
if self.length <= index {
return ""
}
let leftIndex = self.index(self.startIndex, offsetBy: index)
if self.length <= index + length {
return self.substring(from: leftIndex)
}
let rightIndex = self.index(self.endIndex, offsetBy: -(self.length - index - length))
return self.substring(with: leftIndex..<rightIndex)
}
/// Get substring, e.g. -> "ABCDE".substring(left: 0, right: 2) -> "ABC"
///
/// - parameter left: the start index
/// - parameter right: the end index
///
/// - returns: the substring
public func substring(left: Int, right: Int) -> String {
if length <= left {
return ""
}
let leftIndex = self.index(self.startIndex, offsetBy: left)
if length <= right {
return self.substring(from: leftIndex)
}
else {
let rightIndex = self.index(self.endIndex, offsetBy: -self.length + right + 1)
return self.substring(with: leftIndex..<rightIndex)
}
}
}
you can test it as follows:
print("test: " + String("ABCDE".substring(index: 2, length: 3) == "CDE"))
print("test: " + String("ABCDE".substring(index: 0, length: 3) == "ABC"))
print("test: " + String("ABCDE".substring(index: 2, length: 1000) == "CDE"))
print("test: " + String("ABCDE".substring(left: 0, right: 2) == "ABC"))
print("test: " + String("ABCDE".substring(left: 1, right: 3) == "BCD"))
print("test: " + String("ABCDE".substring(left: 3, right: 1000) == "DE"))
Check https://gitlab.com/seriyvolk83/SwiftEx library. It contains these and other helpful methods.