How do you multiply blank spaces in javascript for use in ActiveX FSO Write() method

Question

For instance:

var a = " ";
var b = "";
b = a * 8;
alert(b +"this far to the right");

Note: I don't want to use &nbsp since ActiveX FSO will be used to write to a text file not html file. So it needs to be spaces only:

More thorough detail of what I'm trying to achieve:

I'm trying to get ActiveX FSO to write to a text file from an HTML order form once form is submitted it then proceeds to write up the order to a text file. The text file needs to be in certain format for Microsoft Dynamics to accept as an import sale.

Like this below shown as: customer code spaces item code spaces quantity spaces:

import.txt minus the string length with the slots = remaining spaces to fill.

C242299A *4 white spaces* 2890 *12 white spaces* 20 *6 white spaces*
[------------][----------------][--------]
12 char slots    16 char slots   8 char slots

write.js will create this import.txt file (this is the part I need help on)

var customercode = document.getElementById("customercode").value;
var itemcode = document.getElementById("itemcode").value;
var quantity = document.getElementById("quantity").value;

var fso = new ActiveXObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject");
var s = fso.OpenTextFile(path+"import.txt",8,true,0);
//customer code string length must be measured to determine remaining spaces 
//to fill before item code can be entered.
//you only have 12 character slots before the next string "item code" can be entered
var remainingSpaces = "";
remainingSpaces = 12 - customercode.length;
spacefill1 = " " * remainingspaces;
remainingSpaces = 16 - itemcode.length;
spacefill2 = " " * remainingSpaces;
remainingSpaces = 8 - quantity.length;
spacefill3 = " " * remainingSpaces;
s.WriteLine(customercode+spacefill1+itemcode+spacefill2+quantity+spacefill3);

Supposed to create a text file that looks like this:

  C242299A      2890       20

which will then be imported to Microsoft Dynamics.

But problem is it doesn't multiply the spaces it regards the spaces as 0/null :( Jquery solution welcomed.

Answer 1

To repeat a certain character multiple times use:

var max = 8;//times to repeat
var chr = "a";//char to repeat

console.log(new Array(max + 1).join(chr));//aaaaaaaa

Note that if you do this with spaces, they will mostly compact into a single one (but they are there).

You can use the <pre> tag to show every single white space (demo)

Answer 2

With newer JS, you can use String.prototype.repeat() along with template literals to achieve this.

const MAX_NUMBER_OF_SPACES = 5;
const EXAMPLE_TEXT = 'Hello World!';

for (let i = 0; i < MAX_NUMBER_OF_SPACES; i++) {
  console.log(`${' '.repeat(i)}${EXAMPLE_TEXT}`);
}