How to extract and filter text

Introduction

GridJs includes a Text Extract and Filter command in the toolbar and menubar.

The command opens ModalTextExtractFilter (component/modal_text_extract_filter.js) for the currently selected range. The modal can extract selected character types from cell text, or filter selected character types out of cell text. The implementation recognizes five character types in core/text_extract_filter.js: digit, chinese, english, symbol, and space.

How to use

  1. Select the source cell or range in the worksheet.

  2. Open Text Extract and Filter.

    The command is available from both toolbar and menubar code paths:

    • Toolbar creates textExtractFilterEl with the tag text-extract-filter.
    • Banner adds the same command to the Edit menu.
    • toolbarChange(...) opens the modal with modalTextExtractFilter.show(data, data.selector.range).

  1. Choose the operation.

    The modal provides two operations:

    • Text Extract keeps only selected character types.
    • Text Filter removes selected character types.

  1. Choose the text type.

    When Character is selected, choose one or more character types:

    • Digit
    • Chinese
    • English
    • Symbol
    • Space

    When Number is selected, the code uses digit as the character type.

  2. Choose the destination.

    The modal supports two destination modes:

    • New Location writes the result to the selected destination range.
    • New Worksheet creates a new worksheet and writes the result starting at row 0, column 0.

  3. Start the operation.

    If no character type is selected, the modal shows Select at least one text type. If New Location is selected and no destination range is entered, it shows Select a destination range. If the destination range is invalid, toolbarChange(...) shows Invalid destination range.

  4. Review the result.

    GridJs builds output cells with buildTextExtractFilterCells(...), writes each generated text value to the target cells, updates batch cell operations, resets the sheet, and closes the modal.

JavaScript API

The inspected code does not expose a dedicated public Spreadsheet method for Text Extract and Filter. The behavior is driven by the toolbar or menubar command and internal helper functions.

Relevant functions

Function / Location Description Parameters Returns
TextExtractFilter (component/toolbar/text_extract_filter.js) Creates the toolbar icon item with tag text-extract-filter. None TextExtractFilter instance
ModalTextExtractFilter.show(data, sourceRange) (component/modal_text_extract_filter.js) Opens the modal for a source range and refreshes the preview. data, sourceRange void
ModalTextExtractFilter.getOptions() (component/modal_text_extract_filter.js) Reads operation, text type, selected character types, destination, and destination range from modal inputs. None options object
ModalTextExtractFilter.submit() (component/modal_text_extract_filter.js) Validates options and calls change('ok', { options, sourceRange }). None void
transformTextExtractFilterValue(value, options) (core/text_extract_filter.js) Extracts or filters characters from a single text value. value, options string
buildTextExtractFilterCells({ sourceRange, targetStart, options, getCellText }) (core/text_extract_filter.js) Builds target cell updates for every cell in the selected source range. sourceRange, targetStart, options, getCellText { cells, targetRange }
hasValidTextExtractFilterOptions(options) (core/text_extract_filter.js) Checks whether normalized options contain at least one character type. options boolean

Common Questions

Q: Which character types can Text Extract and Filter process? A: The code defines digit, chinese, english, symbol, and space.

Q: What is the difference between Text Extract and Text Filter? A: extract keeps selected character types, while filter removes selected character types.

Q: What happens when Number is selected? A: normalizeOptions(...) sets the character type to digit.

Q: Can the result be written to a new worksheet? A: Yes. When the destination is newWorksheet, GridJs creates a sheet named from textExtractFilter.newWorksheetName and writes the output starting at row 0, column 0.

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