# Comma delimited list - how to obtain the length?

It's simple. I have a list like {0,1,54,1,3} as input argument to a command in making. How can I obtain the length of this list? Something like

\length(#1)


where #1 is the list.

My first LaTeX3 answer! Yay! :)

The l3clist package has a lot of built-in commands to deal with comma-separated lists. Here's an attempt:

\documentclass{article}

\usepackage{expl3}
\usepackage{xparse}

\ExplSyntaxOn

\NewDocumentCommand \countItems { m } {
\clist_count:N #1
}

\NewDocumentCommand \countInlineItems { m } {
\clist_count:n {#1}
}

\ExplSyntaxOff

\begin{document}

\def\mylist{0,1,54,1,3}

This list has \countInlineItems{0,1,54,1,3} elements.

And the same list has \countItems{\mylist} elements.

\end{document}


Please note that we have two different usages: one for a stored list (e.g, \mylist) and one for an inline list. Thanks to Joseph for point the flaws in my code. :)

Hope it helps. :)

• Since this is LaTeX3, I won't dare assume that this is ok (although I tested it and it seems to work): A trick I have been using with non-LaTeX3 to have a single macro for these two cases is to ONLY use the one that works on macro defined lists, and do an \edef\TempList{#1} and then use TempList instead of #1. Then the macro is only ever working on a macro defined list, and you don't need to think about which version to call when using it... Perhaps there are inherent problems, but seems to be ok so far. All the solutions I posted using a \foreach in a macro should already do this. – Peter Grill Mar 29 '13 at 18:29
• @PeterGrill You should never use \edef on unknown input in LaTeX2e: use \protected@edef. Even that may be risky, which is why we take care to define the difference between a variable and 'some tokens'. Also, if you want an expandable solution then \edef is out in any form. – Joseph Wright Mar 29 '13 at 18:32
• Shouldn’t the second \countInlineItems be \countItems? – Qrrbrbirlbel Mar 29 '13 at 19:07
• @Qrrbrbirlbel: silly me, I forgot about that! :) Thank you. – Paulo Cereda Mar 29 '13 at 19:14

A loop and a counter:

## Code

\documentclass{article}
\makeatletter
\newcommand*{\length}[1]{%
\@tempcnta\z@
The length of the list #1 is \the\@tempcnta.%
}
\makeatother
\begin{document}
\length{0,1,54,1,3}

\def\mylist{0,1,54,1,3}
\length\mylist
\end{document}


## Output

The length of the list 0,1,54,1,3 is 5.

## Package xstring, counting empty elements

A solution using package xstring. It also counts elements that are empty:

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{xstring}
\newcommand*{\commalength}[1]{%
\StrCount{#1,}{,}%
}
\begin{document}
\verb|{0,1,54,1,3}| has length \commalength{0,1,54,1,3}.

\verb|{,,}| has length \commalength{,,}.
\end{document}


## Package kvsetkeys, counting non-empty elements

The parser \comma@parse of package kvsetkeys removes an optional space before and after an entry and removes empty entries.

\documentclass{article}

\usepackage{kvsetkeys}
\makeatletter
\newcommand*{\commalength}[1]{%
\begingroup
\count@=0 %
\comma@parse{#1}{%
\@gobble
}%
\the\count@
\endgroup
}
\makeatother

\begin{document}
\verb|{0,1,54,1,3}| has length \commalength{0,1,54,1,3}.

\verb|{,,}| has length \commalength{,,}.
\end{document}


Let's try etoolbox.

This use the loop and counter approach.

\documentclass{article}

\usepackage{etoolbox}

\makeatletter
\newcounter{itemcounter}%
\newcommand{\length}[1]{%
\setcounter{itemcounter}{0}%
\renewcommand*{\do}[1]{\stepcounter{itemcounter}\@gobble{##1}}%
\docsvlist{#1}%
\theitemcounter%
}
\makeatother

\begin{document}

The command \@gobble discards its argument.
• Why don't you just do \renewcommand*{\do}[1]{\stepcounter{itemcounter}} when gobble it anyway? – Qrrbrbirlbel Apr 27 '13 at 18:38