search if NSString contains value

Question

I have some string value which constructed from a few characters , and i want to check if they exist in another NSString, without case sensitive, and spaces .

Example code :

NSString *me = @"toBe" ;
NSString *target=@"abcdetoBe" ;
//than check if me is in target.

Here i will get true because me exist in target . How can i check for such condition ?

I have read How do I check if a string contains another string in Objective-C? but its case sensitive and i need to find with no case sensitive..

possible duplicate of http://stackoverflow.com/q/5739071/148357 — Antonio, Feb 23 '14 at 14:03
Have a look at NSScanner class [link](https://developer.apple.com/library/ios/documentation/cocoa/reference/foundation/classes/NSScanner_Class/Reference/Reference.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/20000159-scanString_intoString_). You can set the scanner to be case insensitive and then use the scanString:intoString: method. — Bamsworld, Feb 23 '14 at 14:03
In the link you provided there is an answer for case insensitive search `-rangeOfStringoptions:NSCaseInsensitiveSearch` — Emmanuel, Feb 23 '14 at 14:08
possible duplicate of [How do I check if a string contains another string in Objective-C?](http://stackoverflow.com/questions/2753956/how-do-i-check-if-a-string-contains-another-string-in-objective-c) — Emmanuel, Feb 23 '14 at 14:09

zaph · Accepted Answer · 2014-02-23T15:09:59.680

Use the option NSCaseInsensitiveSearch with rangeOfString:options:

NSString *me = @"toBe" ;
NSString *target = @"abcdetobe" ;
NSRange range = [target  rangeOfString: me options: NSCaseInsensitiveSearch];
NSLog(@"found: %@", (range.location != NSNotFound) ? @"Yes" : @"No");
if (range.location != NSNotFound) {
    // your code
}

NSLog output:

found: Yes

Note: I changed the target to demonstrate that case insensitive search works.

The options can be "or'ed" together and include:

NSCaseInsensitiveSearch
NSLiteralSearch
NSBackwardsSearch
NSAnchoredSearch
NSNumericSearch
NSDiacriticInsensitiveSearch
NSWidthInsensitiveSearch
NSForcedOrderingSearch
NSRegularExpressionSearch

score 2 · Answer 2 · edited Feb 23 '14 at 23:09

2

-(BOOL)substring:(NSString *)substr existsInString:(NSString *)str {
    if(!([str rangeOfString:substr options:NSCaseInsensitiveSearch].length==0)) {
        return YES;
    }

    return NO;
}

usage:

NSString *me = @"toBe";
NSString *target=@"abcdetoBe";
if([self substring:me existsInString:target]) {
    NSLog(@"It exists!");
}
else {
    NSLog(@"It does not exist!");
}

edited Feb 23 '14 at 23:09

zaph

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answered Feb 23 '14 at 14:15

Jonathan Gurebo

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The method fails for `target = @"toBeabcdetobe"` and `target = @"abcdetob"`, you need to compare against `NSNotFound`. Also the code fails to compile. Hint: Get "CodeRunner" (from AppStore) to verify code. – zaph Feb 23 '14 at 15:18
I changed it to length – Jonathan Gurebo Feb 23 '14 at 19:58
I have used the code before.... I also use the bool (not BOOL) object all the time- – Jonathan Gurebo Feb 23 '14 at 21:39
The Apple docs for rangeOfString:options: state: "Returns {NSNotFound, 0} if aString is not found or is empty (@"")." Sure length is working but it is best practice to use the convention that is documented and well understood. Also bool will work but the convention for Objective-C is BOOL. From this [SO answer](http://stackoverflow.com/a/544250/451475): You can use the (C99) bool type, but all of Apple's Objective-C frameworks and most Objective-C/Cocoa code uses BOOL, so you'll save yourself headache if the typedef ever changes by just using BOOL. – zaph Feb 23 '14 at 22:33
ok, I have never really understand the bool vs BOOL. Im going to use BOOL in the future. Thanks for helping – Jonathan Gurebo Feb 23 '14 at 22:36

score 1 · Answer 3 · answered Aug 06 '14 at 06:52

As with the release of iOS8, Apple added a new method to NSStringcalled localizedCaseInsensitiveContainsString. This will exactly do what you want:

Swift:

let string: NSString = "ToSearchFor"
let substring: NSString = "earch"

string.localizedCaseInsensitiveContainsString(substring) // true

Objective-C:

NSString *string = @"ToSearchFor";
NSString *substring = @"earch";

[string localizedCaseInsensitiveContainsString:substring]; //true

search if NSString contains value

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