talemate/docs/user-guide/node-editor/reference/nodes/data-string.md

# String Nodes

String manipulation: formatting, case, join/split, replace, trim, substrings and excerpts. The **Advanced Format** (`{name}` placeholders) and **Jinja2 Format** (`{{ name }}` templates) nodes build strings from dynamic inputs — connect other nodes into their input slots and each connected value becomes a template variable (see [Collector Nodes](../../core-concepts/collector_nodes.md#advanced-format) for the key inference rules).

<!-- glossary:generated - everything below this line is generated by `python -m talemate.game.engine.nodes.tools glossary --write` - do not edit -->


_16 nodes._

| Node | Registry path |
| --- | --- |
| [Advanced Format](#advanced-format) | `data/string/AdvancedFormat` |
| [As String](#as-string) | `data/string/AsString` |
| [Case](#case) | `data/string/Case` |
| [Condensed](#condensed) | `data/string/Condensed` |
| [Excerpt](#excerpt) | `data/string/Excerpt` |
| [Extract](#extract) | `data/string/Extract` |
| [Format](#format) | `data/string/Format` |
| [Join](#join) | `data/string/Join` |
| [Make String](#make-string) | `data/string/Make` |
| [Make Text](#make-text) | `data/string/MakeText` |
| [Replace](#replace) | `data/string/Replace` |
| [Split](#split) | `data/string/Split` |
| [String Check](#string-check) | `data/string/StringCheck` |
| [Substring](#substring) | `data/string/Substring` |
| [Trim](#trim) | `data/string/Trim` |
| [Jinja2 Format](#jinja2-format) | `prompt/Jinja2Format` |

## Advanced Format

`data/string/AdvancedFormat`

Python-style string formatting with dynamic inputs. Uses Python's
.format() syntax - reference variables with single curly braces
({name}); for jinja2 templates ({{ name }}) use the Jinja2 Format node.

Behaves like Format but supports dynamic inputs similar to DictCollector.
Dynamic inputs can be:
- a tuple (key, value)
- a scalar value, in which case the key is derived from the source
socket/node using a best-effort heuristic.

Dynamic inputs: item{i}

**Inputs**

| Input | Type | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `template` | `str` | A format string with placeholders (e.g., "Hello, {name}") |
| `variables` | `dict` | (optional) Optional base dictionary to merge into (dynamic inputs extend/override these) |

This node supports **dynamic inputs** - additional input sockets can be added in the editor as needed, and connected values are collected with key inference (see [Collector Nodes](../../core-concepts/collector_nodes.md)).

**Outputs**

| Output | Type | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `result` | `str` | The formatted string |

**Properties**

| Property | Type | Default | Description |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `template` | `text` | `""` | A format string with placeholders (e.g., "Hello, {name}") |

## As String

`data/string/AsString`

Converts a value to a string

**Inputs**

| Input | Type | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `value` | `any` |  |

**Outputs**

| Output | Type | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `value` | `str` |  |

## Case

`data/string/Case`

Changes string case (upper, lower, title, capitalize)

Converts a string to a different case format, such as uppercase, lowercase,
title case, or capitalized.

**Inputs**

| Input | Type | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `string` | `str` | The string to transform |

**Outputs**

| Output | Type | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `result` | `str` | The transformed string |

**Properties**

| Property | Type | Default | Description |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `operation` | `str` | `"lower"` | Case operation to perform. Choices: `upper`, `lower`, `title`, `capitalize`. |

## Condensed

`data/string/Condensed`

Condenses a string by removing line breaks and extra spaces.

**Inputs**

| Input | Type | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `string` | `str` |  |

**Outputs**

| Output | Type | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `result` | `str` |  |

## Excerpt

`data/string/Excerpt`

Returns an excerpt of a string based on length

Takes the first `length` characters of the string. If the string was
truncated and add_ellipsis is enabled, "..." is appended.

**Inputs**

| Input | Type | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `string` | `str` | The string to excerpt |

**Outputs**

| Output | Type | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `result` | `str` | The excerpt |

**Properties**

| Property | Type | Default | Description |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `length` | `int` | `100` | The length of the excerpt |
| `add_ellipsis` | `bool` | `True` | Whether to add an ellipsis to the end of the excerpt |

## Extract

`data/string/Extract`

Extracts a portion of a string using a left and right anchor

Finds the first valid block between anchors (no nested left_anchor inside).
Falls back to everything after the last left_anchor if no complete block is
found. If the left_anchor does not occur at all, the result is an empty
string.

Examples:
- "<TAG>nested<TAG>value</TAG>" -> "value" (first clean block)
- "<TAG>value</TAG> ... <TAG>other</TAG>" -> "value" (first valid block)
- "<TAG>no closing tag" -> "no closing tag" (fallback)

**Inputs**

| Input | Type | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `string` | `str` | The string to extract from |
| `left_anchor` | `str` | (optional) The left anchor |
| `right_anchor` | `str` | (optional) The right anchor |

**Outputs**

| Output | Type | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `result` | `str` | The extracted substring |

**Properties**

| Property | Type | Default | Description |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `left_anchor` | `str` | `""` | The left anchor |
| `right_anchor` | `str` | `""` | The right anchor |
| `trim` | `bool` | `True` | Whether to trim the result |

## Format

`data/string/Format`

Python-style string formatting with variables

Formats a template string by replacing placeholders with values from a variables dictionary,
using Python's format() string method.

**Inputs**

| Input | Type | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `template` | `str` | A format string with placeholders (e.g., "Hello, {name}") |
| `variables` | `dict` | Dictionary of variable names and values to insert |

**Outputs**

| Output | Type | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `result` | `str` | The formatted string |

## Join

`data/string/Join`

Joins a list of strings with a delimiter

Combines a list of strings into a single string with a specified delimiter between each element.

**Inputs**

| Input | Type | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `strings` | `list` | List of strings to join |
| `delimiter` | `str` | (optional) Character(s) to insert between each string (optional; a literal "\n" is treated as a newline) |

**Outputs**

| Output | Type | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `result` | `str` | The joined string |

**Properties**

| Property | Type | Default | Description |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `delimiter` | `str` | `" "` | Character(s) to insert between each string |

## Make String

`data/string/Make`

Creates a string

Creates a string with the specified value.

**Outputs**

| Output | Type | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `value` | `str` | The created string value |

**Properties**

| Property | Type | Default | Description |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `value` | `str` | `""` | The string value to create |

## Make Text

`data/string/MakeText`

Same as make string but will be rendered with a multiline text editor

**Outputs**

| Output | Type | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `value` | `str` | The created string value |

**Properties**

| Property | Type | Default | Description |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `value` | `text` | `""` | The string value to create |

## Replace

`data/string/Replace`

Replaces occurrences of a substring with another

Searches for all occurrences of a substring and replaces them with a new string.

**Inputs**

| Input | Type | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `string` | `str` | The original string |
| `old` | `str` | Substring to find and replace |
| `new` | `str` | Replacement string |

**Outputs**

| Output | Type | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `result` | `str` | The string after replacements |

**Properties**

| Property | Type | Default | Description |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `old` | `str` | `""` | Substring to find and replace |
| `new` | `str` | `""` | Replacement string |
| `count` | `int` | `-1` | Maximum number of replacements to make (-1 for all occurrences) |

## Split

`data/string/Split`

Splits a string into a list based on a delimiter

Divides a string into multiple parts using a specified delimiter.

**Inputs**

| Input | Type | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `string` | `str` | The string to split |
| `delimiter` | `str` | (optional) Character(s) to use as the split point (optional; a literal "\n" is treated as a newline) |

**Outputs**

| Output | Type | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `parts` | `list` | List of string parts after splitting |

**Properties**

| Property | Type | Default | Description |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `delimiter` | `str` | `" "` | Character(s) to use as the split point |
| `max_splits` | `int` | `-1` | Maximum number of splits to perform (-1 for all possible splits) |

## String Check

`data/string/StringCheck`

Checks if a string starts with, ends with, or contains a substring

Tests whether a string starts with, ends with, contains, or exactly equals a substring,
with optional case sensitivity. An empty (or unset) string always yields False,
regardless of mode.

**Inputs**

| Input | Type | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `string` | `str` | The string to check |
| `substring` | `str` | The substring to look for |

**Outputs**

| Output | Type | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `result` | `bool` | Boolean result of the check |

**Properties**

| Property | Type | Default | Description |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `substring` | `str` | `""` | Default substring to check for |
| `mode` | `str` | `"contains"` | Check operation to perform. Choices: `startswith`, `endswith`, `contains`, `exact`. |
| `case_sensitive` | `bool` | `True` | Whether the check should be case-sensitive |

## Substring

`data/string/Substring`

Extracts a portion of a string using indices

Extracts a substring from the original string using start and end indices.

**Inputs**

| Input | Type | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `string` | `str` | The source string |
| `start` | `int` | Starting index (optional) |
| `end` | `int` | Ending index (optional) |

**Outputs**

| Output | Type | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `result` | `str` | The extracted substring |

**Properties**

| Property | Type | Default | Description |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `start` | `int` | `0` | Starting index. Min: 0. |
| `end` | `int` | `None` | Ending index. Min: 0. |

## Trim

`data/string/Trim`

Removes characters from start/end of string

Removes specified characters from the beginning, end, or both ends of a string.
By default, it removes whitespace if no specific characters are provided.

**Inputs**

| Input | Type | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `string` | `str` | The string to trim |
| `chars` | `str` | (optional) Character(s) to remove (optional, defaults to whitespace; a literal "\n" is treated as a newline) |

**Outputs**

| Output | Type | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `result` | `str` | The trimmed string |

**Properties**

| Property | Type | Default | Description |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `mode` | `str` | `"both"` | Trim mode. Choices: `left`, `right`, `both`. |
| `chars` | `str` | `None` | Character(s) to remove |

## Jinja2 Format

`prompt/Jinja2Format`

Renders a jinja2 template string using Prompt's template environment,
providing access to all Prompt globals, filters, and template features.
Reference variables with double curly braces: {{ name }}.

Variables come from the connected inputs: every dynamic input becomes a
template variable. Connect any node output to a dynamic input slot and
the variable name is inferred from the source node's name / key /
attribute (falling back to the socket name), or connect a (key, value)
tuple from Make Key-Value Pair to name it explicitly. The optional
variables dict is merged in first; dynamic inputs extend/override it.

Dynamic inputs: item{i} - each connected value becomes a template variable

**Inputs**

| Input | Type | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `template` | `str` | The jinja2 template string to render |
| `variables` | `dict` | (optional) Optional base dictionary of template variables (dynamic inputs extend/override these) |
| `scope` | `str` | (optional) Optional agent scope (e.g., "director") for template includes |

This node supports **dynamic inputs** - additional input sockets can be added in the editor as needed, and connected values are collected with key inference (see [Collector Nodes](../../core-concepts/collector_nodes.md)).

**Outputs**

| Output | Type | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `result` | `str` | The rendered string |

**Properties**

| Property | Type | Default | Description |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `template` | `text` | `""` | A jinja2 template string (e.g., "Hello, {{ name }}") |