Tallying specific patterns in a text string using Zapier automation

Other Questions Zapier
1

Hey everyone! I’m trying to figure out how to count certain word patterns in a string using Zapier. I’ve cleaned up the string with the formatter, but I’m stuck on the counting part.

Here’s what I’m working with:

[{FirstName:Alice,LastName:Johnson},{FirstName:Bob,LastName:Williams},{FirstName:Carol,LastName:Davis},{FirstName:Dan,LastName:Brown}]

I want to count how many times ‘FirstName’ appears (which should be 4 in this case).

I’ve looked at word-counting examples, but I can’t get them to work in Zapier’s code action. I’m not a coder, so I’m hoping someone can help me with a simple JavaScript or Python script to use in Zapier.

Any tips or a basic script would be super helpful! Thanks in advance!

2

I’ve tackled similar challenges in Zapier before, and I can offer an alternative approach using Python in the Code action. Here’s a script that should work for your scenario:

input_string = input_data['your_input_variable']
count = input_string.count('FirstName')
output = {'count': count}

This script is straightforward and doesn’t rely on regular expressions, which can be tricky for newcomers. It uses the built-in ‘count’ method of strings, which is efficient and easy to understand.

Remember to replace ‘your_input_variable’ with the actual variable name holding your input string in Zapier. This method is particularly useful when you need to count non-overlapping occurrences of a substring.

Always test your script with various inputs to ensure it behaves as expected in different scenarios.

3

As someone who’s worked extensively with Zapier automations, I can share a simple solution for your pattern counting problem. In Zapier’s Code action, you can use JavaScript to achieve this. Here’s a straightforward script that should do the trick:

const inputString = inputData.yourStringVariable;
const count = (inputString.match(/FirstName/g) || []).length;
return {count: count};

Replace ‘yourStringVariable’ with the actual variable name containing your input string. This script uses a regular expression to find all occurrences of ‘FirstName’ and counts them.

I’ve found this method to be reliable across various Zapier workflows. It’s simple enough for non-coders to implement and modify as needed. Just make sure to test it thoroughly with different input strings to ensure it works consistently in your specific use case.

4

hey emma! i’ve done this b4. try this js snippet in zapier:

const str = inputData.yourString;
const count = str.split(‘FirstName’).length - 1;
return {count};

it’s super simple n works great. just swap ‘yourString’ with ur actual input variable. hope this helps!