asked on

Removing comments (#) from text file

I need to remove comments from a text file, the are all preceded by a # and followed by a carrage return, so basicly all i need to do is file and instance of the # symbol in a variable i've loaded and then delete everything up until it reaches a carrage return, then continue to look for other occurances of # and remove them...here is an example of the file

# change the information
      layer_select layer 11; select rowend; detail_edit 1 shade            ##item1
      layer_select layer 1; select rowend; detail_edit 1 shade      ## item2
      layer_select layer 3; select rowend; detail_edit 1 shade      ## item3

#begin section2

thanks guys

Shauli

Where do you want the results, in a new text file?
What do you want to do with the preceding lines, such as "# change the information" do you want to ignore them altogether?

S

Shauli

If the answer to question 1 is yes, and to question 2 is no then:

Private Sub Command1_Click()
Dim myLine As String, mySplit() As String
Open "C:\Documents and Settings\Shauli.MOBILE\My Documents\test.txt" For Input As #1
Open "C:\Documents and Settings\Shauli.MOBILE\My Documents\final.txt" For Output As #2
Do Until EOF(1)
Line Input #1, myLine
mySplit = Split(myLine, "##", -1)
If UBound(mySplit) > 0 Or Left(myLine, 1) = "#" Then
If mySplit(0) <> "" Then
Print #2, Trim(mySplit(0))
End If
End If
Loop
Close #2
Close #1
End Sub

S

bernie1774

ASKER

Yes the final results are to be output to a text file, but yes i want to ignore (and delete the comment lines all together). so

##begin
program_code_is_here #comment

would be output to the final text file as

program_code_is_here

ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION

Mike Tomlinson

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Shauli

Idle, the comments at the end of the line are being taken care of by the split.

Run mu code with the sample code above

S

Shauli

If you want to get rid of those lines as well then:

Private Sub Command1_Click()
Dim myLine As String, mySplit() As String
Open "C:\Documents and Settings\Shauli.MOBILE\My Documents\test.txt" For Input As #1
Open "C:\Documents and Settings\Shauli.MOBILE\My Documents\final.txt" For Output As #2
Do Until EOF(1)
Line Input #1, myLine
mySplit = Split(myLine, "##", -1)
If UBound(mySplit) > 0 Then
If mySplit(0) <> "" Then
Print #2, Trim(mySplit(0))
End If
End If
Loop
Close #2
Close #1
End Sub

S

Shauli

Sorry, one correction:

Private Sub Command1_Click()
Dim myLine As String, mySplit() As String
Open "C:\Documents and Settings\Shauli.MOBILE\My Documents\test.txt" For Input As #1
Open "C:\Documents and Settings\Shauli.MOBILE\My Documents\final.txt" For Output As #2
Do Until EOF(1)
Line Input #1, myLine
mySplit = Split(myLine, "#", -1)
If UBound(mySplit) > 0 Then
If mySplit(0) <> "" Then
Print #2, Trim(mySplit(0))
End If
End If
Loop
Close #2
Close #1
End Sub

S

bernie1774

ASKER

that last script is cutting out all but one section of the code for some reason, and also padding it with formatting...if you like i can send you the file i'm working with and you can try it yourself, just give me your email (you can email if you dont want to post it i'm bernie@nyclubkid.com ) thanks

Mike Tomlinson

Did you try my version?

...or you can use this modified version of Shauli's last post:

Private Sub Command1_Click()
Dim myLine As String, mySplit() As String
Open "C:\Documents and Settings\Shauli.MOBILE\My Documents\test.txt" For Input As #1
Open "C:\Documents and Settings\Shauli.MOBILE\My Documents\final.txt" For Output As #2
Do Until EOF(1)
Line Input #1, myLine
mySplit = Split(myLine, "#", -1)
If mySplit(0) <> "" Then
Print #2, Trim(mySplit(0))
End If
Loop
Close #2
Close #1
End Sub

(Shauli, if there isn't a "#" in the string then Ubound = 0. You were only outputting if Ubound >0)

Shauli

Idle :) you didn't see my correction were I did exactly what you just posted.

S

Mike Tomlinson

Actually, I took out this conditional in your last submission:

If UBound(mySplit) > 0 Then

becuase if there isn't a "#" in the string (meaning there was no comment on that line) then the statement

mySplit = Split(myLine, "#", -1)

will result in an array with only one element at Index 0 and the conditional was only allowing the output if Ubound was greater than zero.

~IM

Shauli

Well, the example of the file above states a comment at the end of each and every line.

S