codesamples/Ruby/indepcites.rb

# Author: Esty Thomas
# License: GPL v3.0

# If the list of authors will return a search term 
# under 2048 characters, indep() will use this
# which simply returns a string of the format
# author:'name 1' OR author:'name 2' etc
def indep_short(authl)
    authors=authl.join("' OR author:'")
    authors="author:'"+authors+"'"
    return authors
end

# If the list of authors will return a search term
# over 2048 characters, indep() will use this
# which recursively splits the list until each
# separate output term will be under 2048 characters
# and returns them in an array.
# It's not the prettiest hack but it will do until
# I start figuring out how to make this into a browser
# extension or something.
def indep_long(authl)
    half = (authl.length/2).floor
    authl1 = authl.take(half)
    authl2 = authl.drop(half)
    authors1 = "author:'"+authl1.join("' OR author:'")+"'"
    authors2 = "author:'"+authl2.join("' OR author:'")+"'"
    if (authors1.length>2048) && (authors2.length<2048)
        return [indep_long(authl1), authors2] #split authl1
    elsif (authors1.length<2048) && (authors2.length>2048)
        return [authors1, indep_long(authl2)] #split authl2
    elsif (authors1.length>2048) && (authors2.length>2048)
        return [indep_long(authl1), indep_long(authl2)] #split both
    else
        return [authors1, authors2]
    end
end

# only use 'sort' when you have an author list like this:
# "Last, First, First Last, First Last, and First Last"
# it will give you the author list back like this:
# "First Last, First Last, First Last, First Last"
# so you can put it into 'indep'
def sort(auth) 
    authl = auth.split(", ")
    authl[1] = authl[1] + " " + authl[0]
    authl = authl.drop(1)
    last = authl[-1]
    lastl = last.split(" ")
    lastnew = lastl.drop(1).join(" ")
    authl[-1] = lastnew
    return authl.join(", ")
end

# this will give you search terms you can use in Google Scholar
# use this for author lists like this:
# "First Last, First Last, First Last, First Last"
# If the list starts "Last, First" and ends "and First Last"
# put it into 'sort' and use the result
def indep(auth)
    authl = auth.split(", ")
    if (auth.length+9+(authl.length-1)) < 2048
        return indep_short(authl)
    else
        return indep_long(authl)
    end
end