Question

is it possible to create a set of variables from a list of values using a closure??
the reason for asking this is to create some recursive functionality based on a list of (say) two three four or five parts
The code here of course doesn’t work but any pointers would be helpful.then

def longthing = 'A for B with C in D on E'
//eg shopping for 30 mins with Fiona in Birmingham on Friday at 15:00
def breaks = [" on ", " in ", "with ", " for "]
def vary = ['when', 'place', 'with', 'event']

i = 0
line = place = with = event = ""
breaks.each{
shortline = longthing.split(breaks[i])
longthing= shortline[0]
//this is the line which obviously will not work
${vary[i]} = shortline[1]
rez[i] = shortline[1]
i++
 }
return place + "; " + with + "; " + event
// looking for answer of D; C; B

EDIT>>

Yes I am trying to find a groovier way to clean up this, which i have to do after the each loop

len = rez[3].trim()
if(len.contains("all")){
len = "all"
} else if (len.contains(" ")){
len = len.substring(0, len.indexOf(" ")+2 )
}
len = len.replaceAll(" ", "")
with = rez[2].trim()
place = rez[1].trim()
when = rez[0].trim()
event = shortline[0]

and if I decide to add another item to the list (which I just did) I have to remember which [i] it is to extract it successfully

This is the worker part for then parsing dates/times to then use jChronic to convert natural text into Gregorian Calendar info so I can then set an event in a Google Calendar

Answer 1

How about:

def longthing = 'A for B with C in D on E'
def breaks = [" on ", " in ", "with ", " for "]
def vary = ['when', 'place', 'with', 'event']
rez = []
line = place = with = event = ""

breaks.eachWithIndex{ b, i ->
  shortline = longthing.split(b)
  longthing = shortline[0]
  this[vary[i]] = shortline[1]
  rez[i] = shortline[1]
}
return place + "; " + with + "; " + event