Question

How do I get rid of two Line Breaks in a Row

Asked by: djlurch

I have a text file that I read line by line into a variable. After doing some cleanup on the line I append it to the strFile variable.

What I would like to do is eliminate instances of two carriage returns in a row. I am getting some errors trying to work with LineFeed characters.

Here is my proposed code:

If strLine = VbCrLf and previous_line = VbCrLf Then
      ' don't append it
Else
    strFile = strFile & strLine & VbCrLf
End If

However, the line breaks don't appear to be VbCrLf's. Any help?

Option Explicit 
Call Main() 
Sub Main()
	Dim strFileName, FSO, fileCSV, strFile, strLine, counter
	Dim previous_line
	strFileName = "H:\ac.txt"
	previous_line = "FIRST LINE"
	Call StartMessage(strFileName)
	Set FSO = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
	Set fileCSV = FSO.OpenTextFile(strFileName, 1)
	strFile = ""
	Do Until fileCSV.AtEndOfStream
		strLine = fileCSV.ReadLine & " "
		strLine = GetNewLineValue(strLine)
		strFile = strFile & strLine & vbCrLf
		previous_line = strLine
	Loop
	fileCSV.Close
	Set fileCSV = FSO.OpenTextFile(strFileName, 2)
	fileCSV.Write strFile
	fileCSV.Close	
	Set fileCSV = Nothing
	Set FSO = Nothing
	Call DoneMessage(strFileName)
End Sub 
Sub DisplayContents(s)
	Dim WshShell
	Set WshShell = WScript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
	WshShell.Popup "String: " & ASC(s), 0, "Complete", vbInformation
	Set WshShell = Nothing
End Sub 
Sub StartMessage(strFileName)
	Dim WshShell
	Set WshShell = WScript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
	WshShell.Popup "Starting clean up: " & strFileName, 0, "Complete", vbInformation
	Set WshShell = Nothing
End Sub 
Sub DoneMessage(strFileName)
	Dim WshShell
	Set WshShell = WScript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
	WshShell.Popup "Finished clean up: " & strFileName, 0, "Complete", vbInformation
	Set WshShell = Nothing
End Sub 
Function CapitalizeFirstLetter(passed_string)
	Dim sa, result, counter
	If Len(passed_string) > 0 Then
		sa = Split(passed_string," ")
		For counter = LBound(sa) To UBound(sa)
			sa(counter) = Trim(sa(counter))
			If Len(sa(counter)) > 1 Then
				sa(counter) = UCase(Left(sa(counter),1)) & Right(sa(counter),Len(sa(counter))-1)
			End If
		Next
		CapitalizeFirstLetter = Join(sa)
	Else
		CapitalizeFirstLetter = passed_string
	End If
End Function 
Function GetNewLineValue(s)
	GetNewLineValue = Trim(s & " ")
	GetNewLineValue = Replace(GetNewLineValue,"  "," ")
	GetNewLineValue = Replace(GetNewLineValue,"Po ","PO ")
	GetNewLineValue = Replace(GetNewLineValue,"dj's","DJs")
	GetNewLineValue = Replace(GetNewLineValue,"Dj's","DJs")
	If Len(GetNewLineValue) > 0 Then
		GetNewLineValue = CapitalizeFirstLetter(GetNewLineValue)
	End If
End Function
                                  
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Asked On
2009-11-02 at 13:25:11ID24865256
Tags

VBS VBScript

Topic

VB Script

Participating Experts
2
Points
500
Comments
7

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Answers

 

by: jwarnkenPosted on 2009-11-02 at 13:53:41ID: 25724179

vbCrLf, vbCr, and vbLf are all valid end of line settings

If strLine = VbCrLf 
 Select Case previous_line
  Case VbCrLf 
      ' don't append it
  Case VbCr
      ' don't append it
  Case VbLf 
      ' don't append it
  Case Else
    strFile = strFile & strLine & VbCrLf
 End Select
End If

                                              
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by: djlurchPosted on 2009-11-02 at 14:02:59ID: 25724257

The code still isn't working for the following test case:

Line1
Line2


Line5
Line6

Where line 3 and 4 are blank.

	strFile = ""
	Do Until fileCSV.AtEndOfStream
		strLine = fileCSV.ReadLine & " "
		strLine = GetNewLineValue(strLine)
		If strLine = VbCrLf Then
			Select Case previous_line
			Case vbCrLf 
				' don't append it
			Case VbCr
				' don't append it
			Case VbLf 
				' don't append it
			Case Else
			strFile = strFile & strLine & VbCrLf
			End Select
		Else 
			strFile = strFile & strLine & vbCrLf
		End If		
		previous_line = strLine
	Loop
                                              
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by: djlurchPosted on 2009-11-02 at 14:10:07ID: 25724328

I put some test code to see if it hit the select field. The popup "HERE" is never displayed.

So at no point is strLine equal to VbCrLf, vbCr or vbLf.

Uggh.

 

by: djlurchPosted on 2009-11-02 at 14:10:35ID: 25724331

     Do Until fileCSV.AtEndOfStream
            strLine = fileCSV.ReadLine & " "
            strLine = GetNewLineValue(strLine)
            If strLine = VbCrLf or strLine = vbCr or strLine = vbLf Then
                  Call DisplayContents("HERE!")
                  Select Case previous_line
                  Case vbCrLf
                        ' don't append it
                  Case vbCr
                        ' don't append it
                  Case vbLf
                        ' don't append it
                  Case Else
                  strFile = strFile & strLine & VbCrLf
                  End Select
            Else
                  strFile = strFile & strLine & vbCrLf
            End If            
            previous_line = strLine
      Loop

 

by: rettiseertPosted on 2009-11-02 at 14:14:20ID: 25724362

Hi

I think that since you are using .ReadLine  method you won't get any CrLf. Your cothe should be something like

If Trim(strLine) = "" and Trim(previous_line) = "" Then
      ' don't append it
Else
    strFile = strFile & strLine & VbCrLf
End If

 

by: djlurchPosted on 2009-11-02 at 14:18:12ID: 25724400

Goodness, you are correct. Forest for the trees issue. Here is the correct code:


      Do Until fileCSV.AtEndOfStream
            strLine = fileCSV.ReadLine & " "
            strLine = GetNewLineValue(strLine)
            If strLine = "" And previous_line = "" Then
                  ' don't append it
            Else
                   strFile = strFile & strLine & vbCrLf
            End If
            previous_line = strLine
      Loop

 

by: djlurchPosted on 2009-11-02 at 14:18:31ID: 31649093

Thanks!

20120131-EE-VQP-002

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