Assign value to a local variable in a newcommand

Question

I have a tex file with some of my own custom functions, one of which is a switch case function.
Because I use \input to call this file from other documents, I need the output variable to be local. However, I need a local variable to store the output while I iterate through the rest of the loop. Either that or abort the loop and go to the end of the function.

I am using tex maker and pdftex

\usepackage{xparse}
\usepackage{fp}
\usepackage{xstring}
\usepackage{ifthen}
\usepackage{printlen}
\usepackage{listofitems}
\usepackage{forloop}
\usepackage{pgffor}

\NewDocumentCommand\SwitchCase{m m}
{
    \setsepchar{,/-}
    \readlist\Cases{#2}
    \FPadd\CaseCount{\Caseslen}{0}
    \def\out{}
    \foreach \ct in {1,...,\CaseCount}
    {
        \ifthenelse{\equal{#1}{\Cases[\ct ,1]}}
        {
            \def\tmp{\Cases[\ct, 2]}
            %\tmp
            \def\out{\tmp}
        }
        {}
    }
    \out
}

%below is a sample of how this code would work
%not exactly how I would use it, but still valid example

\begin{document}

\SwitchCase{hello}{hel-1,he-2,hello-3,Hello-4}

\end{document}

Given the example, the function should return 3, however when I attempt to set the output variable in the loop, it returns either 0 or nothing.

This function has many possible uses in my documents therefore it has to be vague.

p.s. I apologize if any of the wording is awkward, I am not the best with syntax and word choice.

Answer 1

You can implement the functionality wthout using all the packages here:

\documentclass{article}

\makeatletter
\newcommand\SwitchCase[2]{%
  \def\tmpa{#1}%
  \@for\tmp:=#2\do{\expandafter\zz@switch\tmp\zz@switch}%
 }
 \def\zz@switch#1-#2\zz@switch{%
  \def\tmpb{#1}%
   \ifx\tmpa\tmpb#2\fi}

\makeatother

\begin{document}

\SwitchCase{hello}{hel-1,he-2,hello-3,Hello-4}

\end{document}

Answer 2

It's the usual problem: \foreach cycles are done in a group.

Also, you have to fully expand the replacement text of \tmp (but you don't need it and can define directly \out).

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{xparse}
\usepackage{fp}
\usepackage{xstring}
\usepackage{ifthen}
\usepackage{printlen}
\usepackage{listofitems}
\usepackage{forloop}
\usepackage{pgffor}

\NewDocumentCommand\SwitchCase{m m}
 {%
    \setsepchar{,/-}%
    \readlist\Cases{#2}%
    \foreach \ct in {1,...,\Caseslen}
     {%
        \ifthenelse{\equal{#1}{\Cases[\ct ,1]}}
         {%
            \xdef\out{\Cases[\ct, 2]}
         }
         {}%
     }%
    \out
 }

\begin{document}

\SwitchCase{hello}{hel-1,he-2,hello-3,Hello-4}

\end{document}

This outputs 3.

Beware of unprotected end-of-lines that generate spaces that might not be ignored, depending on the context where the macro is called.

A shorter version using expl3:

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{xparse}

\ExplSyntaxOn
\NewDocumentCommand\SwitchCase{m m}
 {
  \clist_map_inline:nn { #2 }
   {
    \__cdickstein_switchcase_item:nn { #1 } { ##1 }
   }
 }

\cs_new:Nn \__cdickstein_switchcase_item:nn
 {
  \__cdickstein_switchcase_item:nw { #1 } #2 \q_stop
 }

\cs_new:Npn \__cdickstein_switchcase_item:nw #1 #2 - #3 \q_stop
 {
  \str_if_eq:nnT { #1 } { #2 } { \clist_map_break:n { #3 } }
 }
\ExplSyntaxOff

\begin{document}

\SwitchCase{hello}{hel-1,he-2,hello-3,Hello-4}

\end{document}

This stops at the first match.

An expandable version that again stops at the first match.

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{xparse}

\ExplSyntaxOn
\NewExpandableDocumentCommand\SwitchCase{m m}
 {
  \__cdickstein_switchcase:nw { #1 } #2 , , \q_nil
 }

\cs_new:Npn \__cdickstein_switchcase:nw #1 #2 ,
 {
  \tl_if_blank:nTF { #2 }
   {
    \use_none:n
   }
   {
    \__cdickstein_switchcase_item:nw { #1 } #2 \q_stop
    \__cdickstein_switchcase:nw { #1 }
   }
 }
\cs_new:Npn \__cdickstein_switchcase_item:nw #1 #2 - #3 \q_stop
 {
  \str_if_eq:nnT { #1 } { #2 } { #3 \__cdickstein_swithcase_break:w }
 }

\cs_new:Npn \__cdickstein_swithcase_break:w #1 \q_nil {}
\ExplSyntaxOff

\begin{document}

\SwitchCase{hello}{hel-1,he-2,hello-3,Hello-4}

\SwitchCase{x}{x-1,y-2,x-3}

\end{document}