Visual Basic

riced30-Apr-09 7:34

30-Apr-09 7:34

As I thought the file has inconsistent spacing.
This extract is where the problem begins.

  4282023M91.ASM                              ENS. VOLANT MOTEUR
    4282024M1.PRT                             VOLANT D'INERTIE
    1619032M1.PRT                             COURONNE DEMARREUR
4282010M1.PRT                                 --
3786094M93.ASM                                ENS DEMARREUR ISKRA
  3823621M94.PRT                              DEMARREUR ISKRA

Both 4282023M91.ASM and 4282010M1.PRT are at Child level (generation 1) but the number of spaces is 5 and 3.
When the dictionary is populated in GetGeneration() the assumption is that all Child level names will have the same number of spaces in front, and their children will have more spaces. So there is no entry corresponding to 3 spaces.
Also, 3823621M94.PRT is a Grand-Child (generation 2), but has 5 spaces i.e. same as Child so if a look up is done in the dictionary it gets the wrong parent (01260709.ASM instead of 3786094M93.ASM).
I can't think of an easy way to fix this.
How are the files created? Is it possible to ensure that the creation processes produce files with consistent spacing? They don't have to have the same spacing in every file but each file must have consistent spacing for my code to work. Failing that it's back to the drawing board. Smile | :)

Regards
David R

30-Apr-09 11:27

30-Apr-09 11:27

Message Closed

riced30-Apr-09 12:58

30-Apr-09 12:58

If the spacing is inconsistent within a file there is no solution. At least none that I can see.
Without consistent spacing you cannot tell which line is the parent of the current line.
If there were only parent and child lines it would not be a problem, but you have grand-child and great-grand-child lines (and even great-great-grand-child lines).
The problem is that, if you read a line that has less spaces than the previous line, you don't know if the line just read has the same parent as the previous one; it could have the same grand-parent (or great-grand-parent) without having the same parent. Unless the spacing is consistent there is no way to decide whether the two lines have the same parent or just the same grand-parent. I thought you might be able to decide based on whether it is a .ASM or .PRT line but even that's not possible (based on the full file in a previous post).

That's the bad news! Here's the good news. You can remove the spaces by doing something like this in Parent_Child1.

If (generation > 0) Then
   outputLine = parentStack(generation - 1).Trim()
   outputLine = outputLine & Space(40 - outputLine.Length()) & name.Trim()
   sw.WriteLine(outputLine)
   'sw.WriteLine(parentStack(generation - 1) & name) 'ORIGINAL LINE
Else
   'Do you need to do this for lines that have no parent?
   sw.WriteLine(parentStack(generation))
End If

You need to declare outputLine and perhaps adjust the 40 to suit (I used 40 because the longest name I saw in your file was 34 characters).

The only way to solve the problem that I can see is to ensure that the processes that generate the input files use consistent spacing. Alternatively, they use some marker that indicates which generation the line is i.e. parent or child or grand-child.

Regards
David R

vijay24821-May-09 1:06

1-May-09 1:06

Thanks for that piece of code...
It works perfectly...

I will check if anything can be done with the processes that generates the input file...

I will comeback to you, if there are any changes in the generated input file.

Thanks for all the support that you have given me..
I will post my message in the forum,Please reply to that..

Thanks once again for all your support and help...

riced1-May-09 1:23

1-May-09 1:23

Glad to be of help. Smile | :)

I did think of a possible way to deal with the file you posted (i.e. one that fails on 4282010M1.PRT). However, it would only handle that file and no others so not much good. And I've not tried it to see if it does work. Big Grin | :-D

I also noticed these lines earlier in the file.

339168X1.PRT                              --                                VIS H, M8x50, 8.8
339168X1.PRT                              --                                VIS H, M8x50, 8.8
  836322586.PRT                           --                                --
837070289.PRT

The way my code works it would make 339168X1.PRT the parent of 836322586.PRT. If the data is what I think it is this would be wrong - if I'm right about this, the inconsistent spacing starts earlier in the file and so the output is wrong.
Best wishes with the project.

Regards
David R

vijay24821-May-09 7:27

1-May-09 7:27

Thanks a lot for taking time to check my input file.
Will keep you posting and update you on the future results of the file..

If you don't mind,can you send the code that you think may work only for this particular file?
So that i can cross check and try to change the code if it suits the other files also...

Thanks once again!

riced2-May-09 3:32

2-May-09 3:32

Here's the hack that might work - as I said I've not tested it.

Private Function GetGeneration(ByVal s As String, ByVal resetDict As Boolean) As Integer
   Dim spaceCount As Integer
   Static maxSpaces As Integer = -1
   Static lastGen As Integer = -1
   Static genDict As Dictionary(Of Integer, Integer) = New Dictionary(Of Integer, Integer)

   If (resetDict) Then
      genDict.Clear()
      maxSpaces = -1
      lastGen = -1
   End If

   spaceCount = NbOfCar(s, " ")

   'START Hack that might deal with example file
   If (Not genDict.ContainsKey(spaceCount)) Then
      'Find the number of spaces for top level parent
      Dim gen0Spaces As Integer
      For Each k As Integer In genDict.Keys()
         If genDict(k) = 0 Then
            gen0Spaces = k
         End If
      Next k
      'Clear the dictionary and add gen 0 back since we need to keep it
      genDict.Clear()
      genDict.Add(gen0Spaces, 0)
      maxSpaces = gen0Spaces
      lastGen = 0
   End If
   'END of Hack

   If (spaceCount > maxSpaces) Then
      lastGen += 1
      genDict.Add(spaceCount, lastGen)
      maxSpaces = spaceCount
   End If
   GetGeneration = genDict(spaceCount)
End Function

It will stop the error message but I'm not certain that it will get the correct parent for each input line.

Regards
David R

riced2-May-09 11:50

2-May-09 11:50

Just struck me that I'd put the hack in the wrong place, and I'd not set the dictionary entry for the new spaces. D'Oh! | :doh:

It only needs to be done if an exception is thrown.
Here's the version that might work. Smile | :)

Private Function GetGeneration(ByVal s As String, ByVal resetDict As Boolean) As Integer
   Dim spaceCount As Integer
   Static maxSpaces As Integer = -1
   Static lastGen As Integer = -1
   Static genDict As Dictionary(Of Integer, Integer) = New Dictionary(Of Integer, Integer)

   If (resetDict) Then
      genDict.Clear()
      maxSpaces = -1
      lastGen = -1
   End If

   spaceCount = NbOfCar(s, " ")

   If (spaceCount > maxSpaces) Then
      lastGen += 1
      genDict.Add(spaceCount, lastGen)
      maxSpaces = spaceCount
   End If

   Try
      GetGeneration = genDict(spaceCount)
   Catch
      'START Hack that might deal with example file
         'Find the number of spaces for top level parent
      Dim gen0Spaces As Integer
      For Each k As Integer In genDict.Keys()
         If genDict(k) = 0 Then
            gen0Spaces = k
         End If
      Next k
      'Clear the dictionary and add gen 0 back since we need to keep it
      genDict.Clear()
      genDict.Add(gen0Spaces, 0)
      maxSpaces = gen0Spaces
      lastGen = 0
      'Now add the entry for the 3 space indented line
      genDict.Add(spaceCount, lastGen)
      maxSpaces = spaceCount
      GetGeneration = genDict(spaceCount)
      'END of Hack
   End Try
End Function

Regards
David R

vijay24822-May-09 21:57

2-May-09 21:57

Thanks a lot...
Will check out this code with my input file and let you know...

3-May-09 21:17

Re: IF ELSE or LOOP [modified]

3-May-09 21:17

Message Closed

riced3-May-09 23:02

3-May-09 23:02

That's not unexpected. Smile | :)

The hack was to deal with the big file you sent in a previous post (and as I said I'm not certain it would actually work 100%, even for that file).
If you check the two input files I suspect you'll find that the one that worked has consistent spacing for each generation; the one that failed did not. Or the one that worked had spacing that the hack could deal with.
The problem is that for each file that fails you have to examine the file and find out how the spacing changes, then devise a hack that deals with it (and that may not be possible). That's why consistent spacing is so important.
The hack relies on the file being in two blocks as shown in this edited extract (^ represents space in Generation column).

 Name etc                                            Generation
 01260709.ASM                    unité moteur        ^Parent
     4296458M91.ASM              ENS MOTEUR 74       ^^^^^Child           'Start of first block
     4296454M1.ASM               MOTEUR 74           ^^^^^Child
       BLOC_MOTEUR_SRT2.ASM      --                  ^^^^^^^Grand Child
         832760664_SANS_SRT2.ASM --                  ^^^^^^^^^Great Grand Child
--- removed lots of lines in file -------            
     4282023M91.ASM              ENS. VOLANT MOTEUR  ^^^^^Child
       4282024M1.PRT             VOLANT D'INERTIE    ^^^^^^^Grand Child
       1619032M1.PRT             COURONNE DEMARREUR  ^^^^^^^Grand Child
   4282010M1.PRT                 --                  ^^^Child             'Start of second block
   3786094M93.ASM                ENS DEMARREUR ISKR  ^^^Child
     3823621M94.PRT              DEMARREUR ISKRA     ^^^^^Grand Child
     3786093M1.PRT               --                  ^^^^^Grand Child
     3788193M1.PRT               --                  ^^^^^Grand Child
     3786092M1.PRT               --                  ^^^^^Grand Child
   4292572M1.PRT                 GARANT DE COLLECTE  ^^^Child
--- removed lots of lines in file -------

The first block has 5 spaces for child lines; the second has 3 spaces. When the first line with 3 spaces is found it throws the error that is caught and used to reset the dictionary. If the two blocks had been in reverse order (i.e. 3 space child lines then 5 space child lines) there would be no possible hack.

Regards
David R
---------------------------------------------------------------
"Every program eventually becomes rococo, and then rubble." - Alan Perlis

modified on Monday, May 4, 2009 5:09 AM

3-May-09 23:32

3-May-09 23:32

Message Closed

vijay24823-May-09 23:42

3-May-09 23:42

I found out the reason for the error..;

the error appeared because the of this

Dim parentStack(5) As String

now i have changed to

Dim parentStack(10) As String

because there may be generations more than 5...

Thank David for all your support and help...

Vijay

riced3-May-09 23:45

3-May-09 23:45

You beat me to it!
I'd just set it to 5 as being reasonable and meant to mention it before as a possible problem. Smile | :)

Regards
David R
---------------------------------------------------------------
"Every program eventually becomes rococo, and then rubble." - Alan Perlis

3-May-09 23:53

3-May-09 23:53

Message Closed

riced4-May-09 0:45

Re: IF ELSE or LOOP [SOLVED]

4-May-09 0:45

I'd do something like this

outputLine = parentStack(generation - 1).Trim()
outputLine = outputLine & Space( 40 - outputLine.Length()) & name.Trim()
outputLine = outputLine & Space( 80 - outputLine.Length()) & desF.Trim()
outputLine = outputLine & Space(120 - outputLine.Length()) & desAF.Trim()
etc....
sw.WriteLine(outputLine)

Where you need to change the 80, 120 to suit your spacing.
The secret is to build the output line a bit at a time then write it out.
This way of doing it is inefficient because the outputLine variable is constantly being recreated (because strings are immutable).
If that proves a problem because of performance, take a look at StringBuilder in the help system or any VB.Net book.

Regards
David R
---------------------------------------------------------------
"Every program eventually becomes rococo, and then rubble." - Alan Perlis

vijay24824-May-09 1:33