Create Number from String

[bortiquai]

How can you convert a string into a "Number", such that it always is the same result?

So, if you have the String: 142ST-12A, after "Converting" it you would end up with a number (all digits are 0-9)?

so my vision is:

Dim OrigStr as String = 142ST-12A
Dim NewNum as Long

NewNum = SomeConversionThing(OrigStr)

Thanks

 

[.paul.]

Dim OrigStr as String = 142ST-12A

what number are you hoping to get from OrigStr?

 

[Solitaire]

Extract numeric digits from string

This will extract all numeric digits from a string and ignore all other characters. Input of string is in TextBox1; output in TextBox2:


Private Sub Button1_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Button1.Click
Dim message, ch As String, msg As String = ""
message = TextBox1.Text
For x As Integer = 1 To message.Length()
ch = message.Chars(x - 1)
If ch >= "0" And ch <= "9" Then
msg = msg & ch
End If
Next x
TextBox2.Text = msg
End Sub

 

[bortiquai]

Because the Original string may have non-numeric characters, and I don't want to remove them.

Basically, i am trying to create a unique "number" or ID. Using information that makes the id unique, i end up with an id that is very long - like more than 20 digits. I am trying to find a way to convert this into a string that is still unique, but much shorter - like 10 or so digits.

I have seen some code generators, or key generators that no mater what you enter, it gives you a string that is always x characters long, and the original string can be numbers, letters or non-alpha Numeric.

so that if you enter ABC123, you end up with an ID that is x characters long, and every time you enter ABC123 it is the same result. And if you enter 123456789ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ!@#$%^&*() it is still only x characters long.

Also, the order of the character string would matter. so ABC123 would generate a different ID than 123ABC.

Any ideas on how to do this?

 

[JohnH]

This is typically what hashing algorithms do, there are several functionalities for this in the .Net Framework. For example you can call GetHashCode method on a string.

 

[bortiquai]

Yes, that is what I ended up with, and so far this seems to be working for what I need. Thanks for the the replies.