Get Tab character in a string read from a txt file

Gabry · 2013-06-17

I have to read from a text file some field in order to import data. The row is separated from tab character. I tryied to use this code:

[char] TabChar := 9;
[string] Tab := Format(TabChar);
[integer] position := StrPos(NomeFile, NomeFile);
[integer] TabPosition := STRPOS(ImportTextSubtring, Tab); // here TabPosition gets always zero (it does not detect the tab in the string)

Then I get the string until the tab as field and I replace the current long string with one without the last one.

ImportTextSubtring := COPYSTR(ImportTextSubtring, ImportTextStartPos);

The issue is that "STRPOS(ImportTextSubtring, Tab)" does not detect "Tab" character in the text. How can I detect the tab field? Or how can I get the separation of the string using a Tab character? The issue is that I use a function which gets the string using an initial fixed postion and a final fixed position.

But if I use a concatenated string using a Tab character, the "StrPos" functions do work:

Tab := 9;
vtab := FORMAT(Tab);
vtest := 'pippoxx' + vtab + 'pippo';
TabPosition := STRPOS(vtest, vtab); // TabPosition gets 8: right!
MESSAGE('The position is: %1', TabPosition);

einsTeIn.NET · 2013-06-17

I would check the import file if the tab character is really character no. 9. Maybe it looks like a tab, but in fact it isn't.

oki · 2013-06-17

Hi,

try the following:

Tab := ' '; // important to initialize string length to 1
Tab[1] := 9; // store tab into this 1-char-string

Oliver

Gabry · 2013-06-17

einsTeIn.NET wrote:

I would check the import file if the tab character is really character no. 9. Maybe it looks like a tab, but in fact it isn't.

Attached a text piece in image jpg format showing invisible characters file to be imported. If I write tab character using ALT+[ASII code number], I will get a different character (that is '○'). But showing all characters (also not visible ones) on text file it appears like an arrow, that is a horizontal tab character.

Can you check the attached file please?

Gabry · 2013-06-17

oki wrote:

Hi,

try the following:

Tab := ' '; // important to initialize string length to 1
Tab[1] := 9; // store tab into this 1-char-string

Oliver

In my code 'Tab' variable is a char. I tried using your code, but it does not change anything: STRPOS returs zero.
Anyway thank you. Do you have any further ideas or insights?

Me_Ontour · 2013-06-17

Hi,

You should Try it with textvariable Length =1 and read the file via a Stream
Then you can Check if your Tab is really ASCII 9

Chris

thegunzo · 2013-06-18

You can try a different method for reading the file.

Here is an example that works for me,

FileName := 'C:\temp\tabtest.txt';
FieldSeparator := '';
FieldDelimiter := '';
FieldSeparator[1] := 9;
CodePage := 'iso-8859-1';
DelimitedClientFileToExcelBuf(FileName,ExcelBuffer,FieldSeparator,FieldDelimiter,CodePage)

OBJECT Codeunit 50000 Import File to Excel Buffer
{
  OBJECT-PROPERTIES
  {
    Date=18.06.13;
    Time=10:15:50;
    Modified=Yes;
    Version List=Dynamics.is;
  }
  PROPERTIES
  {
    OnRun=BEGIN
          END;

  }
  CODE
  {
    VAR
      Text101@1000000002 : TextConst 'ENU=Please select a file name;ISL=Tilgreina verÐur skr arheiti';
      Text102@1000000001 : TextConst 'ENU=File not found;ISL=Skr  er ekki fyrir hendi';
      Text103@1000000000 : TextConst 'ENU=Importing Text File...\\@1@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@;ISL=Les inn textaskr ...\\@1@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@';

    PROCEDURE DelimitedClientFileToExcelBuf@1100408006(FileName@1100408000 : Text;VAR ExcelBuffer@1100408002 : Record 370;FieldSeparator@10000200 : Text[1];FieldDelimiter@1000000005 : Text[1];CodePage@1000000000 : Text[10]);
    VAR
      ClientFile@1000000003 : DotNet "'mscorlib, Version=2.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089'.System.IO.File" RUNONCLIENT;
      ClientFileLines@1000000002 : DotNet "'mscorlib, Version=2.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089'.System.Array" RUNONCLIENT;
      Encoding@1000000001 : DotNet "'mscorlib, Version=2.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089'.System.Text.Encoding" RUNONCLIENT;
      DialogMgt@1000000004 : Codeunit 10000200;
      TextLine@1100408009 : Text[1024];
      ColumnValue@1100408010 : Text[1024];
      Loop@1100408005 : Integer;
      RowNo@1100408007 : Integer;
      ColumnNo@1100408008 : Integer;
    BEGIN
      IF FileName = '' THEN
        ERROR(Text101);

      IF NOT ClientFile.Exists(FileName) THEN
        ERROR(Text102);

      ClientFileLines := ClientFile.ReadAllLines(FileName,Encoding.GetEncoding(CodePage));
      ExcelBuffer.RESET;
      ExcelBuffer.DELETEALL;
      DialogMgt.WindowOpen(Text103);
      DialogMgt.WindowSetTotal(1,ClientFileLines.Length);

      FOR Loop := 0 TO (ClientFileLines.Length - 1) DO BEGIN
        DialogMgt.WindowProcess(1);
        TextLine := ClientFileLines.GetValue(Loop);
        RowNo := RowNo + 1;
        ColumnNo := 1;
        WHILE STRPOS(TextLine,FieldSeparator) > 0 DO BEGIN
          ColumnValue := ExtractFirstPartFromString(TextLine,FieldSeparator,FieldDelimiter);
          ExcelBuffer.INIT;
          ExcelBuffer.VALIDATE("Row No.",RowNo);
          ExcelBuffer.VALIDATE("Column No.",ColumnNo);
          ExcelBuffer."Cell Value as Text" := ColumnValue;
          ExcelBuffer.INSERT;
          ColumnNo := ColumnNo + 1;
        END;
      END;

      DialogMgt.WindowClose;
    END;

    PROCEDURE ExtractFirstPartFromString@1000000001(VAR Text@1000000000 : Text;Separator@1000000001 : Text[1];Delimiter@1000000003 : Text[1]) Token : Text;
    VAR
      Pos@1000000002 : Integer;
    BEGIN
      Pos := STRPOS(Text,Separator);
      IF Pos > 0 THEN BEGIN
        Token := COPYSTR(Text,1,Pos-1);
        IF Pos+1 <= STRLEN(Text) THEN
          Text := COPYSTR(Text,Pos+1)
        ELSE
          Text := '';
      END ELSE BEGIN
        Token := Text;
        Text := '';
      END;
      IF Delimiter <> '' THEN
        IF (COPYSTR(Token,1,1) = Delimiter) AND (COPYSTR(Token,STRLEN(Token),1) = Delimiter) THEN
          Token := COPYSTR(Token,2,STRLEN(Token) - 2);
    END;

    BEGIN
    END.
  }
}

More about this method for reading and writing text files on my blog http://www.dynamics.is/?p=1405

Get Tab character in a string read from a txt file

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