text_helpers.go

Overview

The text_helpers.go file provides utility functions for text manipulation within the util package. Currently, it contains a single function focused on formatting strings by centering them within a specified width. This utility is useful for producing visually aligned text outputs, for example in console UIs, logs, or formatted reports.

The file's scope is limited to string centering; however, it is designed in a modular way that allows easy extension with additional text-related helper functions.

Functions

CenterString

func CenterString(s string, w int) string

Description

CenterString centers a given string s within a field of width w by padding it with spaces on both sides. If the available width w is less than or equal to the length of the string, the original string is returned without truncation or padding.

Parameters

• s string: The input string to be centered.

• w int: The total width of the output string including the original string and padding spaces.

Returns

• string: A new string where the original string s is padded with spaces on the left and right to achieve centering within width w.

Usage Example

input := "Hello"
width := 11
result := CenterString(input, width)
// result == "   Hello   "

In this example, the string "Hello" is centered in an 11-character wide field, resulting in three spaces on each side.

Implementation Details

• The function calculates the total number of spaces needed (sw) by subtracting the length of the input string from the desired width.

• It divides the spaces into left (lw) and right (rw) padding. When the total spaces are odd, the right side gets the extra space.

• It uses strings.Repeat to generate the padding spaces and concatenates them around the original string.

This simple approach ensures the text is visually centered even if the width is larger than the string length.

Interactions with Other Parts of the System

The text_helpers.go file is a utility module and does not directly interact with complex system components or data structures. However, it can be leveraged by other packages or components that require formatted text output, such as:

• Logging or reporting modules that format console output.

• UI components that display textual data in a fixed-width layout.

• Any other feature where text alignment enhances readability or presentation.

Because it is defined under the util package, it serves as a reusable helper without dependencies on other internal packages or external libraries beyond the Go standard library (strings).

Visual Diagram

flowchart TD
CenterString -->|calls| strings.Repeat
CenterString -->|input| s[string]
CenterString -->|input| w[int]
CenterString -->|output| centeredString[string]

The diagram shows the CenterString function as the main operation in this file. It takes inputs s (string) and w (integer width), internally calls strings.Repeat twice to generate left and right padding, and returns the centered string as output.

This file is focused on a single, straightforward utility function aimed at centering text within a fixed-width field, providing foundational support for text formatting needs elsewhere in the system. For related formatting or text manipulation functionality, other utility files or libraries may be referenced.