Add String.get_symbol_substrings and Tex.get_symbol_substrings

manimlib/mobject/svg/string_mobject.py

@@ -561,7 +561,10 @@ class StringMobject(SVGMobject, ABC):
         return self.select_parts(selector)[index]
 
     def substr_to_path_count(self, substr: str) -> int:
-        return len(re.sub(R"\s", "", substr))
+        return len(re.sub(r"\s", "", substr))
+
+    def get_symbol_substrings(self):
+        return list(re.sub(r"\s", "", self.string))
 
     def select_unisolated_substring(self, pattern: str | re.Pattern) -> VGroup:
         if isinstance(pattern, str):

manimlib/mobject/svg/tex_mobject.py

@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ class Tex(StringMobject):
                 isolate = [isolate]
             isolate = [*isolate, *tex_strings]
 
-        tex_string = " ".join(tex_strings)
+        tex_string = (" ".join(tex_strings)).strip()
 
         # Prevent from passing an empty string.
         if not tex_string.strip():
@@ -222,6 +222,15 @@ class Tex(StringMobject):
             log.warning(f"Estimated size of {tex} does not match true size")
         return num_tex_symbols(substr)
 
+    def get_symbol_substrings(self):
+        pattern = "|".join((
+            # Tex commands
+            r"\\[a-zA-Z]+",
+            # And most single characters, with these exceptions
+            r"[^\^\{\}\s\_\$\\\&]",
+        ))
+        return re.findall(pattern, self.string)
+
     def make_number_changable(
         self,
         value: float | int | str,