Convert a block code to text in elixir

Questions / Help
1

Hi Friends, how can convert a block code to string in elixir?

For example, I have a list like this:

list = [
  {:phoenix, "~> 1.6.6"},
  {:sourceror, "~> 0.11.1"},
  {:mishka_installer, git: "https://github.com/mishka-group/mishka_installer.git"}
]

now I want to convert it like this:

"""
[
  {:phoenix, "~> 1.6.6"},
  {:sourceror, "~> 0.11.1"},
  {:mishka_installer, git: "https://github.com/mishka-group/mishka_installer.git"}
]
"""

It is not a `ex` file or sth which I can be able to use `File.read`, it is like a query from database and I need to convert.

I tried to use `Macro.to_string(quote(do: list))`, but it converts the list like this

```elixir
iex(10)> Macro.to_string(quote(do: list))
"list"

not the list of tuples.

Thank you in advance

2

Kernel.inspect:

iex(12)> list = [
...(12)>   {:phoenix, "~> 1.6.6"},
...(12)>   {:sourceror, "~> 0.11.1"},
...(12)>   {:mishka_installer, git: "https://github.com/mishka-group/mishka_installer.git"}
...(12)> ]
[
  phoenix: "~> 1.6.6",
  sourceror: "~> 0.11.1",
  mishka_installer: [
    git: "https://github.com/mishka-group/mishka_installer.git"
  ]
]
iex(13)> Kernel.inspect list
"[phoenix: \"~> 1.6.6\", sourceror: \"~> 0.11.1\", mishka_installer: [git: \"https://github.com/mishka-group/mishka_installer.git\"]]"
iex(14)>

Depending on what you plan to do with the string, you might also consider erlang’s term_to_binary/1,2.

1 Like
3

Be aware though, that inspect does produce a readable form of the data, but it’s not guaranteed to be executable/not failing code.

1 Like
4

Thank both of you @7stud @LostKobrakai .
Actually, I am using this lib: GitHub - doorgan/sourceror: Utilities to manipulate Elixir source code and I need to convert a list of tuples to string.

like this:

"""
[
  {:phoenix, "~> 1.6.6"},
  {:sourceror, "~> 0.11.1"},
  {:mishka_installer, git: "https://github.com/mishka-group/mishka_installer.git"}
]
"""
|> Sourceror.parse_string!()

Based on its documents, parse_string supports a binary block of code

Update:

It changes the list of tuples, I know it is both of the are same

[
  phoenix: "~> 1.6.6",
  sourceror: "~> 0.11.1",
  mishka_installer: [
    git: "https://github.com/mishka-group/mishka_installer.git"
  ]
] 
==
[
  {:phoenix, "~> 1.6.6"},
  {:sourceror, "~> 0.11.1"},
  {:mishka_installer, git: "https://github.com/mishka-group/mishka_installer.git"}
]

but I do not know it is going to be a problem for the thing I need?

If you have an opinion, I would be very grateful if you could tell me
Thank you in advance.