# llParseStringKeepNulls

*LSL function*

```lsl
list list llParseStringKeepNulls(string src, list separators, list spacers);
```

- `string src`: Source string to parse.
- `list separators`: A list of up to 8 strings representing separators to be discarded.
- `list spacers`: A list of up to 8 strings representing spacers to be preserved in the list.

- Returns: `list`
- Energy: 10

Breaks the string src into a list of substrings, discarding separators and keeping spacers, while preserving empty null values (unlike llParseString2List). separators and spacers accept up to 8 string entries each.

Returns a [list](https://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/list) that is **src** broken into a list, discarding **separators**, keeping **spacers**, keeping any null values generated.

```lsl title="How to use" frame="terminal"
list result = llParseStringKeepNulls("", [], []);
```

## Specification

The behavior is identical to that for [llParseString2List](/functions/llParseString2List/), except blank strings found in the list are kept. This is useful when parsing a list that contains values that can be null or empty (and subsequently removing the nulls would upset the distribution of data and the element indexes).

`llParseStringKeepNulls("", ["~"], [])` will return \[""\]

## Caveats

- Only the first 8 **separators** and first 8 **spacers** will be used any extras will be ignored.
- All **separators** and **spacers** must be strings, all other types will be ignored.
- **separators** take precedent over **spacers**. The string is parsed from start to finish, each position is compared against the **separators** then **spacers** before moving onto the next position. The first match is the one that is returned. Using the list \["A", "AB"\] will always act with "A" and never "AB".
- Duplicate or irrelevant **separators** or **spacers** count towards the limits and slow down parsing.
- All entries in the return are typed as string. Use explicit typecasting on [llList2String](/functions/llList2String/) to convert the values into other types. Do not rely upon the implicit typecasting of the other llList2\* functions (as they typically return a default value).
- Remember to capture the result of the operation with a variable, unless you are planning to act directly on the results.

## Examples

<details open>
<summary>Example 1</summary>

```lsl collapse={1-10}
default
{
    state_entry()
    {
        // This will say:
        // <A><crazy><fox><.><Saw><the><moon><.><.>
        string my_string = "A crazy fox.  Saw the moon..";
        list my_list = llParseString2List(my_string,[" "],["."]);
        llOwnerSay("<" + llDumpList2String(my_list,"><") + ">");

        // This will say:
        //  <A><crazy><fox><.><><><Saw><the><moon><.><><.><>
        my_list = llParseStringKeepNulls(my_string,[" "],["."]);
        llOwnerSay("<" + llDumpList2String(my_list,"><") + ">");
    }
}
```

</details>

## Helper functions

**Replacement functions without or very large separator/spacer count limits**

- [ParseString2List](https://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/ParseString2List) — Functions exactly the same as [llParseString2List](/functions/llParseString2List/) and [llParseStringKeepNulls](/functions/llParseStringKeepNulls/).
- [separateWords](https://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Separate_Words) — Functions the same as [llParseString2List](/functions/llParseString2List/) unless certain preconditions are not met.

<table>
</table>

## See also

### Functions

- [llParseString2List](/functions/llParseString2List/)
- [llDumpList2String](/functions/llDumpList2String/)
- [llCSV2List](/functions/llCSV2List/)
- [llList2CSV](/functions/llList2CSV/)

---

*Source: [LlParseStringKeepNulls](https://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/LlParseStringKeepNulls) on the Second Life Wiki. Content from the Second Life Wiki article LlParseStringKeepNulls (revision 1194430, 2015-01-22), CC BY-SA 3.0.*

---

From lsl.dev: https://lsl.dev/functions/llParseStringKeepNulls/