Convert String to clean file-name

Question

When I extract PlotLabel from my List of plots using

PlotLabel /. AbsoluteOptions[plotList[[1]], PlotLabel]

I get strings like

"M vs. \!\(\*SubscriptBox[\(n\), \(sync\)]\) - Dutycycle: 20%"
  (* or *)
"M vs. Subscript[n, sync] - Dutycycle: 20%"

Now I want to export this list of plots in such a way, that the file-name is related to the PlotLabel that I extracted before.

How can I make this string suitable for a filename, including:

?

A result could look like

"M_vs_nsync_-_Dutycycle_20"

StringReplace may be useful http://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/StringReplace.html — ktm, Nov 09 '16 at 15:25

score 4 · Accepted Answer · edited Apr 13 '17 at 12:55

4

EDIT:

With the more messy form of the string:

str = "M vs. \!\(\*SubscriptBox[\(n\), \(sync\)]\) - Dutycycle: 20%"

one can use the function deSubscript by glS (thanks to Mr.Wizard):

deSubscript[string_] := StringReplace[string,
  "\!\(\*SubscriptBox[\(" ~~ Shortest[x__] ~~ "\), \(" ~~ 
    Shortest[y__] ~~ "\)]\)" :> x <> y
  ]

to get

str1 = deSubscript[str]

"M vs. nsync - Dutycycle: 20%"

and then proceed with

StringReplace[str1, {" " -> "_", "%" -> "", "." -> "", ":" -> ""}]

"M_vs_nsync_-_Dutycycle_20"

edited Apr 13 '17 at 12:55

Community

answered Nov 09 '16 at 15:29

corey979

looks good, but see my edited question: I seem to actually get another string than I pasted here before: "M vs. \!\(\*SubscriptBox[\(n\), \(sync\)]\) - Dutycycle: 20%". I'm a little lost in InputForm, FullForm, ... – DPF Nov 09 '16 at 15:34
And that's another reason why you'll hear here a mantra "don't use subscripts" - when you want to work with them further, they mess things up. – corey979 Nov 09 '16 at 15:41
Well at least now, i start hearing it. Ok, I'll get rid of the subscripts. Would you mind adding , ":" -> "", "." -> "" to your StringReplace? – DPF Nov 09 '16 at 15:45
Now the answer is complete and works with the messy strings as well. – corey979 Nov 09 '16 at 15:57

1 Answers1