<div>
Is the data just a text file or does it have separates? 
 
Your question lacks details about the data format.
</div>

donpick

<div>
what’s the source format for the last ans first names? is every full name in a single string field?
</div>

<div>
The names are in a print file. &nbsp;I have attached a sample print file. &nbsp; 
The conversion program has to be used by ordinary users. &nbsp;They don’t know anything about programming. 
I considered importing all the names into Excel but this company does not use Windows products. &nbsp;Their office software is produced by LibreOffice. &nbsp;Libreoffice does not have the convenient programming interface as Excel does. 
 
If they were using Windows products I would write a vbscript to import the names into Excel and then the names could be in separate cells and I could just interrogate the cells to see if there is relevant data. &nbsp;So if the names were put into cells beginning with column A, then if column A, B , C and D had data in them then I’d know I am dealing a name like 
&nbsp; Hastings Commert Sara Jones &nbsp; 
where the last name is Hastings Commert and the first name is Sara. 
 
But I don’t have the luxury of using Excel. &nbsp; 
My thought was to read each character in the name field, determine when a space occurred and put the information into an array. &nbsp;Then, if one array row had 4 elements in it then I’d know &nbsp;this array row contained a complex name like the one above. 
 
What other ideas can you think of to determine how to recognize a last and first name in the file I have uploaded? 
<a href="https://filedb.experts-exchange.com/incoming/2018/10_w43/1397599/Namefile.txt" target="_blank" class="file-inline" title="Example of the names to be converted to first , last from last, first (2 KB)"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 512 512"><path d="M67.508 468.467c-58.005-58.013-58.016-151.92 0-209.943l225.011-225.04c44.643-44.645 117.279-44.645 161.92 0 44.743 44.749 44.753 117.186 0 161.944l-189.465 189.49c-31.41 31.413-82.518 31.412-113.926.001-31.479-31.482-31.49-82.453 0-113.944L311.51 110.491c4.687-4.687 12.286-4.687 16.972 0l16.967 16.971c4.685 4.686 4.685 12.283 0 16.969L184.983 304.917c-12.724 12.724-12.73 33.328 0 46.058 12.696 12.697 33.356 12.699 46.054-.001l189.465-189.489c25.987-25.989 25.994-68.06.001-94.056-25.931-25.934-68.119-25.932-94.049 0l-225.01 225.039c-39.249 39.252-39.258 102.795-.001 142.057 39.285 39.29 102.885 39.287 142.162-.028A739446.174 739446.174 0 0 1 439.497 238.49c4.686-4.687 12.282-4.684 16.969.004l16.967 16.971c4.685 4.686 4.689 12.279.004 16.965a755654.128 755654.128 0 0 0-195.881 195.996c-58.034 58.092-152.004 58.093-210.048.041z"/></svg>Namefile.txt</a>
</div>

Example of the names to be converted to first , last from last, first

Namefile.txt

<div>
I assume you want to extract and process the &quot;Customer NAME&quot; column of the report? 
 
You won't find any turnkey solution by searching, because the code needs to be customized for that particular report format. To properly process, you need to filter for the interesting lines or (better) concat two successive lines to unwind the report's line wraps. 
 
My suggestion is to use either VBScript or PowerShell (preferred) - both are part of the OS, and there is no need to update or install anything.
</div>

<div>
Mr.Tsioumpris: &nbsp; Thank you for your help. &nbsp;Great idea.
</div>

<div>
Based on that data sample, the vbscript code isn't going to work.. 
Now... since the data sample seems to have fixed size fields, then this should work.. BUT.. (huge caveat).. they *must* be fixed size fields, or this will just mangle what you have.. And if they do end up having variable size fields, then segmenting them will be difficult.. 
 

<pre><code class="code-10 nolinks" id="code-20-42722929-1">$filepath = 'c:\temp\sample.txt'
$OutputFile = 'c:\temp\Updated_Sample.txt'

$OutputData = [System.Collections.ArrayList]::new()

$reader = [System.IO.File]::OpenText($filepath)

while($null -ne ($line = $reader.ReadLine())) {
 if ($line -match '^\s?(\d{6}|\d{5}).*')
 {
 #Data dataline
 $Segment1 = $line.SubString(0,34)
 $Segment2 = $line.SubString(35,16).Trim() #LastName 
 $Segment3 = $line.SubString(51,14).Trim() #First Name
 $Segment4 = $line.SubString(65,1) #Middle Initial or space
 $Segment5 = $line.SubString(66)

 $NewSegment3 = $Segment3.PadRight(14,' ')
 $NewMiddleSegment = $NewSegment3, $Segment2 -join ''
 $NewMiddleSegment = $NewMiddleSegment.PadRight(31,' ')
 
 $WriteLine = $Segment1, $NewMiddleSegment, $Segment4, $Segment5 -join ''
 }
 else
 {
 $WriteLine = $line
 }
 [void]$OutputData.Add($WriteLine)
}
Set-Content -Path $OutputFile -Value ($OutputData -join &quot;`r`n&quot;)
</code></pre>
 
Using your sample data, here is what got output from it: 

<pre><code class="code-10 nolinks" id="code-20-42722929-2">[RP00151] Recalls Recall List DATE 9/28/2018 
JOHN LP GRANGER TIME 11:41 
USER - RENEE PAGE 1 
====================================================================================================================================
 
PAT REM # DATE Cust# Customer NAME PHONE # REMIND # REMIND NAME CS 
====================================================================================================================================
102266 04/01/18 26233 MARIA DEL CARMDEL RIO JAUREGUI 999 999 9999 5 BOX SPRING 2 0
102271 04/01/18 29172 LUIS SOTO 999 999 9999 5 BOX SPRING 2 0
102272 04/01/18 25671 NAZIR PAMPLIN 999 999 9999 5 BOX SPRING 2 0
102273 04/01/18 28392 SEYED MAHBAZ A 999 999 9999 5 BOX SPRING 2 0
102274 04/01/18 28395 IRIS CIOSI 999 999 9999 5 BOX SPRING 2 0
102275 04/01/18 27882 SHERMAN LIN 999 999 9999 5 BOX SPRING 2 0
102276 04/01/18 I11655 VALERIE FOLEY E 999 999 9999 5 BOX SPRING 2 0
102277 04/01/18 28378 ALMA MARIE HUSO 999 999 9999 5 BOX SPRING 2 0
102278 04/01/18 I11610 KELLIE BLISH A 999 999 9999 5 BOX SPRING 2 0
102279 04/01/18 I5550 CAROL ENGEN L 999 999 9999 5 BOX SPRING 2 0
102280 04/01/18 28333 VIDA MOVAHEDI MOGHADA 999 999 9999 5 BOX SPRING 2 0
102281 04/01/18 28402 BRANDI BANKS N 999 999 9999 5 BOX SPRING 2 0
102282 04/01/18 23950 MELANIE HATCH SLINGWINE 999 999 9999 5 BOX SPRING 2 0
 94382 04/04/18 I12239 JULIANNE PARSLEY 5 BOX SPRING 2 0
101902 04/01/18 22275 WINI SEETHARAMAIAHASH 999 999 9999 5 BOX SPRING 2 0
</code></pre>
 
Just remember.. this is based on fixed size fields, and swapping the first/middle and lastname sections.. If that doesn't meet your requirements, then it'll need to be adjusted. &nbsp;I'm sure this could be done with vbscript, but that will take some work. &nbsp; 
 
Coralon
</div>

<div>
<div class="content wysiwyg-content">
My computer operating system is Windows 7 pro . &nbsp; 
 
I am trying unsuccessfully to find code in Github. &nbsp;I need help using the search feature. &nbsp;Yes, I have searched Experts-Exchange first before posting this message. &nbsp;I guess I just don’t know what key words to enter. 
 
I have to write a program to switch last name, first name to first name, last name. &nbsp;I am not a coding expert. &nbsp;I was hoping to find some vbscript code which would perform the task. &nbsp;I have to deal with all kinds of names. &nbsp;In the data I have to convert &nbsp;there are names with 3 elements like: 
 
Joe Jones Hopkins 
 
Then there are people who have just one name. &nbsp; 
And there are people with suffixes like Jr and III . &nbsp;Example Joe Jones jr. &nbsp;etc. 
 
Please explain in detail how you would use Github search to find suitable code to do the above. &nbsp;I would prefer vbscript but Python code would be suitable also. 
 
Or may be there is an Experts-Exchange article which would help. 
 
Thank you for your help.
</div>
</div>

My computer operating system is Windows 7 pro .  

I am trying unsuccessfully to find code in Github.  I need help using the search feature.  Yes, I have searched Experts-Exchange first before posting this message.  I guess I just don’t know what key words to enter.

I have to write a program to switch last name, first name to first name, last name.  I am not a coding expert.  I was hoping to find some vbscript code which would perform the task.  I have to deal with all kinds of names.  In the data I have to convert  there are names with 3 elements like:

Joe Jones Hopkins

Then there are people who have just one name.  
And there are people with suffixes like Jr and III .  Example Joe Jones jr.  etc. 

Please explain in detail how you would use Github search to find suitable code to do the above.  I would prefer vbscript but Python code would be suitable also.

Or may be there is an Experts-Exchange article which would help.

Thank you for your help.

Help Searching for code using Github - I have searched Experts Exchange and not found any suitable information

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