How to assert if any string in a list of strings is contained in the Actual string

Question

I have the following strings:

       Actual       |   Expected
"The Actual String" | "The"
                    | "Actual"
                    | "String"
                    | "Other string"
                    |    ...

I need to create a method that will Assert that any of the Expected strings is contained in the actual string, something like this:

[TestClass]
public class UnitTest
{
    [TestMethod]
    public void TestMethod()
    {
        //Assertion Passed
        AssertContainsString("The Actual String", "The"); 

        //Assertion Passed
        AssertContainsString("The Actual String", "Something", "Actual"); 

        //Assertion Failed
        AssertContainsString("The Actual String", "Something", "Something Else"); 
    }

    public void AssertContainsString(string actual, params string[] expected)
    {

    }
}

I tried the CollectionAssert.Contains method but it didn't work. Is there a quick method I can use without iterating into the expected strings?

how about split actual string into words and then use `CollectionAssert.Contains`? — ie., Jun 13 '12 at 11:56

score 2 · Answer 1 · edited Jun 28 '13 at 16:15

2

I think it's possible to use this "StringAssert.Contains(actualString,containsubstring);" in all Framework .NET

edited Jun 28 '13 at 16:15

Robert Longson

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answered Jun 28 '13 at 14:39

Fadel Donatien

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Not only does this already have an accepted answer from a year ago, but the OP also indicated that `StringAssert.Contains` did not work in his or her case. – valverij Jun 28 '13 at 14:58

score 1 · Accepted Answer · edited Jun 13 '12 at 12:52

1

It returns true if all the values of expected array is found in actual variable:

bool foundall = expected.Except(actual.Split(' ')).Count()==0;

Return true even if just one value is contained in the actual string:

bool ans = expected.Except(actual.Split(' ')).Count() != expected.Length;

edited Jun 13 '12 at 12:52

answered Jun 13 '12 at 11:56

Romil Kumar Jain

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Thank you, but none of your suggestions worked. Every time the result is 'false'. – chaliasos Jun 13 '12 at 12:06
@Schaliasos, it returns true if all the values of expected array is found in actual variable. Do you want to return true if any of the string in expected is available in actual. – Romil Kumar Jain Jun 13 '12 at 12:18
I want to return true even if just one value is contained in the actual string. – chaliasos Jun 13 '12 at 12:19
@Schaliasos, try my second option, it will do your job. – Romil Kumar Jain Jun 13 '12 at 12:28

Steve · Answer 3 · 2012-06-13T15:10:59.463

An extension method for the string class?

    public static bool AnyIn(this string s, params string[] values)
    {
        return values.Any(x => s.Contains(x));
    }

callable in this way:

    string test = "The actual string";
    if(test.AnyIn("The") == true)   // success
    ...
    if(test.AnyIn("The", "actual", "string") == true)   // success
    ...
    if(test.AnyIn("The", "actual", "value") == true)   // success
    ...
    if(test.AnyIn("some", "value") == true)   // fail

or also

    System.Diagnostics.Debug.Assert(test.AnyIn("some", "value"), "No expected string found"); // fail

of course put the extension method inside a static class
Tried also in Visual Studio 2010 Console Application

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;
using System.Text;

namespace ConsoleApplication2
{
    class Program
    {
        static void Main()
        {
            string test = "The actual string";

            // Prints False
            bool result = test.AnyIn("other", "value");
            Console.WriteLine(result.ToString()); 

            // Prints True
            result = test.AnyIn("other", "The");
            Console.WriteLine(result.ToString()); 

            //  No Assert dialog here 
            System.Diagnostics.Debug.Assert(test.AnyIn("other", "The"), "No expected values found");

            //  Big Assert dialog here with message "No expected values found"
            System.Diagnostics.Debug.Assert(test.AnyIn("other", "The"), "No expected values found");

        }

    }

    static class ext
    {
        public static bool AnyIn(this string s, params string[] values)
        {
            return values.Any(x => s.Contains(x));
        }
    }
}

EDIT:

The problem with different case could be resolved changing the extension in this way

public static bool AllIn(this string s, params string[] values)     
{         
     return values.Any(x => s.IndexOf(x + " ", StringComparison.CurrentCultureIgnoreCase) >= 0);     
}

but, to prevent false positives when one of expected strings is embedded inside the actual string you need to add a space at the end of the actual string

string test = "The actual string ";  // notice the extra space added at the end

But it fails when calling it like `test.AnyIn("other","The")` — chaliasos, Jun 13 '12 at 12:27
I am testing it with Visual Studio. it returns false if the 1st string in `values` is not contained in the `test` — chaliasos, Jun 13 '12 at 12:45
@Schaliasos, At this point, just out of curiosity, I have tested also in VS2010 with a Console application and works as expected. Something is off here. Could you post your test code? — Steve, Jun 13 '12 at 13:06
The 2nd way `System.Diagnostics.Debug.Assert` is passing but if I try to assign the result into a variable it is false — chaliasos, Jun 13 '12 at 13:20
@Schaliasos, oh well, I don't know, just updated my answer but I don't have your results. — Steve, Jun 13 '12 at 13:29
I am sorry, I had copy/paste your code before you changed it and I had that `return values.All(x => s.Contains(x));` instead of `Any`. Thank you very much for being patient with me. It works fine, thank you. — chaliasos, Jun 13 '12 at 13:51
@Schaliasos no problem. It's my fault because I had not understood your question at the beginning. Just as a side note. Have you noticed that every answer given fails if the string _case_ is different ("the" doesn't match "The") — Steve, Jun 13 '12 at 14:04

General Grey · Answer 4 · 2012-06-13T12:38:20.973

1

if you did

if (actual.Split(' ').Contains(expected)) return true;

but I think you would still need to iterate the expected's

foreach (string ex in expected)
{
    if (actual.Split(' ').Contains(ex)) return true;
}

EDIT as per Gene S comment

expected.Any(ex => actual.Split(' ').Contains(ex))

use the sugar if you want to, but there is no processor savings, it just makes it harder to read.

edited Jun 13 '12 at 12:38

answered Jun 13 '12 at 12:02

General Grey

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1

I assumed as much, but why would you want to avoid it. Do you expect to have hundreds of objects to iterate through? if there is a cleaner way of doing it, it will simply be a syntax sugar type thing. From the computers point of view(processor), there is no way to compare things without iterating through them and comparing them – General Grey Jun 13 '12 at 12:15
2

If you want the syntactical sugar you can do this... "expected.Any(ex => actual.Split(' ').Contains(ex))"...but in the end the compiler will compile this down to a loop. – Gene S Jun 13 '12 at 12:27
@K'Leg Well, I really thought it might exist a faster way than the `foreach` because I want to use in Load Testing where each unit test will call the method with many expected strings. – chaliasos Jun 13 '12 at 12:36
@GeneS That is what I was getting it doesn't matter how yuo tell the compiler to do it, it will iterate through it the same way. – General Grey Jun 13 '12 at 12:37
@K'Leg Right, I was agreeing with your statement. Just decided to provide the "syntactical sugar" function you referred to, in case someone was curious. – Gene S Jun 13 '12 at 16:48

How to assert if any string in a list of strings is contained in the Actual string

4 Answers4