how to convert column names to a list of strings

[#1]

Hi,

I would like to convert column names to strings but I do not know how.

dt = Open( "$SAMPLE_DATA/Decathlon.jmp" );

col_names = dt << Get Column Names();

Show(col_names);

this leads to

col_names = {Name, Country, Score, Name("100m"), Long Jump, Shot Put, High Jump, Name("400m"), Name("100m hurdles"), Discus, Pole Vault, Javelin, Name("1500m")};

I would like to have something like this instead:

col_names = {"Name", "Country", "Score", "100m", "Long Jump", "Shot Put", "High Jump", "400m", "100m hurdles", "Discus", "Pole Vault", "Javelin", "1500m"};

Any idea?

Thank you for your help!

[#2]

Thank you for your answer.

Unfortunately your code returns

{Empty()}

[#3]

I had some issues with the Community software, and you may have got an incomplete version. At any rate, the code there now gives me (JMP Pro 13.1 on a Mac):

{:height, :weight}

[#4]

Thanks you for the quick feedback.

I use JMP Pro 12.2.0. That might be the reason why our results differ

[#5]

It's possible the expression for the Graph Builder saved script has changed, and if so, the way the script is parsed would need to be changed accordingly. I don't have that version installed so can't easily check.

But you should be able to use the general appoach.

[#6]

col_str = dt << Get Column Names( "String" ); works in JMP 13.



For JMP 12, use col_str = dt << Get Column Names( "String" );

As Ian suggested.

[#7]

Since your stated purpose is to have the same colors from Graph Builder apply to other graphs, could you use the Column Properties - Value Colors to accomplish what you want?

[#8]

suppose I have a single column name as a variable, how would I make that column name into a string? E.g. a user dialog selects a column, I want that column name as a string. Thanks.

[#9]

the below will assign a string value of a columns name, for the first selected column in the current active data table.

dt = current data table();
theName = ((dt<<get selected columns)[1]) << get name;

[#10]

I have the opposite problem. I need to convert a string list to a column name list.
I have a list of column names as strings, {"col1", "col2", "col3"}
I want to group those columns but that function needs the list to look like this:

dt << Group Columns("ColGroup", {:col1, :col2, :col3});

I've tried many permutations of eval, evapexpr and column but have not found the correct one.

[#11]

This works:

dt = current data table();
col_list = {"Column 1", "Column 2", "Column 3"};

dt << Group Columns("ColGroup", col_list);