Search file for string and append file to it

[Mightymax]

This is a follow on question to a post I made. https://stackoverflow.com/questions/...40628#55340628

I need to search the master document for entities...&CH1.sgm - &CH33.sgm
Mark where they are in the master document and replace the entity call with the matching file "Chapter1.sgm" found in "fnFiles". I can change the file names and entities to anything if that will help.

My code copies the text of a file and appends it to the bottom of the master_document.sgm. But now I need it to be more intelligent. Search the Master document for entity markers, then replace that entity marker with that file contents match. The file number and entity number match up. e.g.(&CH1; and Bld1_Ch1.sgm)

Thank you for all your help. You guys are great

    Private Sub btnImport_Click(sender As Object, e As EventArgs) Handles btnImport.Click
        Dim searchDir As String = txtSGMFile.Text 'Input field from form
        Dim masterFile = "Bld1_Master_Document.sgm"
        Dim existingFileMaster = Path.Combine(searchDir, masterFile)

        'Read all lines of the Master Document
        Dim strMasterDoc = File.ReadAllText(existingFileMaster) '// add each line as String Array.

        '?search strMasterDoc for entities &Ch1.sgm
        '?replace entity name "&Ch1.sgm" with content of file "Bld1_Ch1.sgm" this content if found below
        '? do I use a book mark? Replace function?


        'Get all the sgm files in the directory specified
        Dim fndFiles = Directory.GetFiles(searchDir, "*.sgm")
        'Set up the regular expression you will make as the condition for the file
        Dim rx = New Regex(".*_Ch\d\.sgm")
        Dim ch1 = New Regex(".*_Ch[1]\.sgm")
        'Use path.combine for concatenatin directory together

        'Loop through each file found by the REGEX
        For Each fileNo In fndFiles
            If rx.IsMatch(fileNo) Then
                If ch1.IsMatch(fileNo) Then
                    Dim result = Path.GetFileName(fileNo)
                    'Use path.combine for concatenatin directory together
                    Dim fileToCopy = Path.Combine(searchDir, result)

                    'This is the file we want to copy into MasterBuild but at specific location.
                    'match &ch1.sgm inside strMasterDoc

                    Dim fileContent = File.ReadAllText(fileToCopy)

                    'Search master file for entity match then append all content of fileContent


                    File.AppendAllText(existingFileMaster, fileContent)

                    MessageBox.Show("File Copied")
                End If
            End If
        Next
        Close()
    End Sub

[i00]

Could easily do this with a regex ... but don't know what you mean by this:

The file number and entity number match up. e.g.(&CH1; and Bld1_Ch1.sgm

.. What is the entity number? ... also what is &CH1; vs Bld1_Ch1.sgm ... and should Bld1_Ch1 have an & before it?

Kris

[Mightymax]

&CH1; is the entity placeholder and Bld1_Ch1.sgm is the file with the contents I wan to copy in the master.

Here's the latest in my code. I'm having trouble getting the replace function to work on strMasterDoc.

Imports System
Imports System.IO
Imports System.Linq
Imports System.Text
Imports System.Windows.Forms
Imports System.Text.RegularExpressions


Public Class Form1
    Private Sub btnImport_Click(sender As Object, e As EventArgs) Handles btnImport.Click
        'Add a FolderBrowseDialog to your form designer
        FolderBrowserDialog1.ShowDialog()
        Dim searchDir As String = FolderBrowserDialog1.SelectedPath
        MsgBox("Search Dir " & searchDir)
        Dim existingFileMaster = Path.Combine(searchDir, "Bld1_Master_Document.sgm")
        MsgBox("fOUND MasterBuild file " & existingFileMaster)
        Dim lstFileChanges = CreateList(searchDir)

        'The following method does NOT return an array of lines
        Dim strMasterDoc = File.ReadAllText(existingFileMaster)
        For Each fc In lstFileChanges
            strMasterDoc = strMasterDoc.Replace(fc.OldString, fc.NewString)
        Next
        File.WriteAllText(existingFileMaster, strMasterDoc)
    End Sub

    Private Function CreateList(selectedPath As String) As List(Of FileChanges)
        Dim lstFC As New List(Of FileChanges)
        Dim count As Integer = Directory.GetFiles(selectedPath, "*.sgm").Count-1
        'MsgBox("COUNT  " & count)
        For i = 1 To count
            Dim fc As New FileChanges
            fc.OldString = $"&CH{i};"
            fc.FileName = $"Chapter{i}.sgm"
            fc.NewString = File.ReadAllText(Path.Combine(selectedPath, fc.FileName))
            lstFC.Add(fc)
        Next
        Return lstFC
    End Function
End Class

Public Class FileChanges
        Public Property OldString As String '&CH1.sgm 
        Public Property FileName As String 'Chapter1.sgm
        Public Property NewString As String 'Contents of Chapter1.sgm, the string to insert
    End Class

[Mightymax]

&CH1; is the entity placeholder and Bld1_Ch1.sgm is the file with the contents I want to copy in the master.

Here's the latest in my code. I'm having trouble getting the replace function to work on strMasterDoc.

Imports System
Imports System.IO
Imports System.Linq
Imports System.Text
Imports System.Windows.Forms
Imports System.Text.RegularExpressions


Public Class Form1
    Private Sub btnImport_Click(sender As Object, e As EventArgs) Handles btnImport.Click
        'Add a FolderBrowseDialog to your form designer
        FolderBrowserDialog1.ShowDialog()
        Dim searchDir As String = FolderBrowserDialog1.SelectedPath
        MsgBox("Search Dir " & searchDir)
        Dim existingFileMaster = Path.Combine(searchDir, "Bld1_Master_Document.sgm")
        MsgBox("fOUND MasterBuild file " & existingFileMaster)
        Dim lstFileChanges = CreateList(searchDir)

        'The following method does NOT return an array of lines
        Dim strMasterDoc = File.ReadAllText(existingFileMaster)
        For Each fc In lstFileChanges
            strMasterDoc = strMasterDoc.Replace(fc.OldString, fc.NewString)
        Next
        File.WriteAllText(existingFileMaster, strMasterDoc)
    End Sub

    Private Function CreateList(selectedPath As String) As List(Of FileChanges)
        Dim lstFC As New List(Of FileChanges)
        Dim count As Integer = Directory.GetFiles(selectedPath, "*.sgm").Count-1
        'MsgBox("COUNT  " & count)
        For i = 1 To count
            Dim fc As New FileChanges
            fc.OldString = $"&CH{i};"
            fc.FileName = $"Chapter{i}.sgm"
            fc.NewString = File.ReadAllText(Path.Combine(selectedPath, fc.FileName))
            lstFC.Add(fc)
        Next
        Return lstFC
    End Function
End Class

Public Class FileChanges
        Public Property OldString As String '&CH1.sgm 
        Public Property FileName As String 'Chapter1.sgm
        Public Property NewString As String 'Contents of Chapter1.sgm, the string to insert
    End Class

[Inferrd]

&CH1; is the entity placeholder and Bld1_Ch1.sgm is the file with the contents I want to copy in the master.

You could use a regex search to find all the matches for the entity placeholders in the master file.

You can use the same regex search to capture the entity digits, and use those digits to build the name of the file that corresponds to the entity place holder (i.e. &CH1; uses file Bld1_Ch1.sgm, and &CH63; uses file Bld1_Ch63.sgm, and so on).

Then create a StringBuilder from the contents of the master file.Loop through the regex matches that were found and use the StringBuilder's Replace method to replace each of the regex matches (i.e. the &CH###; entities) with the contents of the corresponding Bld1_Ch###.sgm file.

[Mightymax]

I'm afraid I wouldn't know how to do that. I'm comfortable with regular expressions but very new to VB.NET. Is this something you'd be willing to work with me on?

[Inferrd]

I'm afraid I wouldn't know how to do that. I'm comfortable with regular expressions but very new to VB.NET. Is this something you'd be willing to work with me on?

Happy to try.

Based on my understanding (which could be wrong) of what you have described so far and your original code, this is what I had in mind:

Private Sub btnImport_Click(sender As Object, e As EventArgs) Handles btnImport.Click
    'Add a FolderBrowseDialog to your form designer
    FolderBrowserDialog1.ShowDialog()
    Dim searchDir As String = FolderBrowserDialog1.SelectedPath
 
    Dim masterFileName = "Bld1_Master_Document.sgm"
    Dim newMasterFileName = "Bld1_New_Master_Document.sgm"   ' file name of output file
 
    Dim existingMasterFilePath = Path.Combine(searchDir, masterFileName)
    Dim newMasterFilePath = Path.Combine(searchDir, newMasterFileName)
 
 
    'Read all text of the Master Document
    'and create a StringBuilder from it.
    'All replacements will be done on the
    'StringBuilder as it is more efficient
    'than using Strings directly
    Dim strMasterDoc = File.ReadAllText(existingMasterFilePath)
    Dim newMasterFileBuilder As New StringBuilder(strMasterDoc)
 
    'Create a regex with a named capture group.
    'The name is 'EntityNumber' and captures just the
    'entity digits for use in building the file name
    Dim rx = New Regex("&CH(?<EntityNumber>\d+?);")
    Dim rxMatches = rx.Matches(strMasterDoc)
 
    For Each match As Match In rxMatches
        Dim entity = match.ToString
        'Build the file name using the captured digits from the entity in the master file
        Dim entityFileName = $"Bld1_Ch{match.Groups("EntityNumber")}.sgm"
        Dim entityFilePath = Path.Combine(searchDir, entityFileName)
        'Check if the entity file exists and use its contents
        'to replace the entity in the copy of the master file
        'contained in the StringBuilder
        If File.Exists(entityFilePath) Then
            Dim entityFileContents As String = File.ReadAllText(entityFilePath)
            newMasterFileBuilder.Replace(entity, entityFileContents)
        End If
 
    Next
 
    'write the processed contents of the master file to a different file
    File.WriteAllText(newMasterFilePath, newMasterFileBuilder.ToString)
 
End Sub

Note that I'm writing the contents of the updated master file to a different file. If you wish, you can overwrite the original file just as you were doing in your original code.

If there's anything you don't understand, please ask.

[Mightymax]

Happy to try.

Based on my understanding (which could be wrong) of what you have described so far and your original code, this is what I had in mind:

Private Sub btnImport_Click(sender As Object, e As EventArgs) Handles btnImport.Click
    'Add a FolderBrowseDialog to your form designer
    FolderBrowserDialog1.ShowDialog()
    Dim searchDir As String = FolderBrowserDialog1.SelectedPath
 
    Dim masterFileName = "Bld1_Master_Document.sgm"
    Dim newMasterFileName = "Bld1_New_Master_Document.sgm"   ' file name of output file
 
    Dim existingMasterFilePath = Path.Combine(searchDir, masterFileName)
    Dim newMasterFilePath = Path.Combine(searchDir, newMasterFileName)
 
 
    'Read all text of the Master Document
    'and create a StringBuilder from it.
    'All replacements will be done on the
    'StringBuilder as it is more efficient
    'than using Strings directly
    Dim strMasterDoc = File.ReadAllText(existingMasterFilePath)
    Dim newMasterFileBuilder As New StringBuilder(strMasterDoc)
 
    'Create a regex with a named capture group.
    'The name is 'EntityNumber' and captures just the
    'entity digits for use in building the file name
    Dim rx = New Regex("&CH(?<EntityNumber>\d+?);")
    Dim rxMatches = rx.Matches(strMasterDoc)
 
    For Each match As Match In rxMatches
        Dim entity = match.ToString
        'Build the file name using the captured digits from the entity in the master file
        Dim entityFileName = $"Bld1_Ch{match.Groups("EntityNumber")}.sgm"
        Dim entityFilePath = Path.Combine(searchDir, entityFileName)
        'Check if the entity file exists and use its contents
        'to replace the entity in the copy of the master file
        'contained in the StringBuilder
        If File.Exists(entityFilePath) Then
            Dim entityFileContents As String = File.ReadAllText(entityFilePath)
            newMasterFileBuilder.Replace(entity, entityFileContents)
        End If
 
    Next
 
    'write the processed contents of the master file to a different file
    File.WriteAllText(newMasterFilePath, newMasterFileBuilder.ToString)
 
End Sub

Note that I'm writing the contents of the updated master file to a different file. If you wish, you can overwrite the original file just as you were doing in your original code.

If there's anything you don't understand, please ask.

Thank you I'll look through this right now! I really appreciate this.

[Mightymax]

Happy to try.

Based on my understanding (which could be wrong) of what you have described so far and your original code, this is what I had in mind:

Private Sub btnImport_Click(sender As Object, e As EventArgs) Handles btnImport.Click
    'Add a FolderBrowseDialog to your form designer
    FolderBrowserDialog1.ShowDialog()
    Dim searchDir As String = FolderBrowserDialog1.SelectedPath
 
    Dim masterFileName = "Bld1_Master_Document.sgm"
    Dim newMasterFileName = "Bld1_New_Master_Document.sgm"   ' file name of output file
 
    Dim existingMasterFilePath = Path.Combine(searchDir, masterFileName)
    Dim newMasterFilePath = Path.Combine(searchDir, newMasterFileName)
 
 
    'Read all text of the Master Document
    'and create a StringBuilder from it.
    'All replacements will be done on the
    'StringBuilder as it is more efficient
    'than using Strings directly
    Dim strMasterDoc = File.ReadAllText(existingMasterFilePath)
    Dim newMasterFileBuilder As New StringBuilder(strMasterDoc)
 
    'Create a regex with a named capture group.
    'The name is 'EntityNumber' and captures just the
    'entity digits for use in building the file name
    Dim rx = New Regex("&CH(?<EntityNumber>\d+?);")
    Dim rxMatches = rx.Matches(strMasterDoc)
 
    For Each match As Match In rxMatches
        Dim entity = match.ToString
        'Build the file name using the captured digits from the entity in the master file
        Dim entityFileName = $"Bld1_Ch{match.Groups("EntityNumber")}.sgm"
        Dim entityFilePath = Path.Combine(searchDir, entityFileName)
        'Check if the entity file exists and use its contents
        'to replace the entity in the copy of the master file
        'contained in the StringBuilder
        If File.Exists(entityFilePath) Then
            Dim entityFileContents As String = File.ReadAllText(entityFilePath)
            newMasterFileBuilder.Replace(entity, entityFileContents)
        End If
 
    Next
 
    'write the processed contents of the master file to a different file
    File.WriteAllText(newMasterFilePath, newMasterFileBuilder.ToString)
 
End Sub

Note that I'm writing the contents of the updated master file to a different file. If you wish, you can overwrite the original file just as you were doing in your original code.

If there's anything you don't understand, please ask.

Thank you I'll look through this right now! I really appreciate this.

[Mightymax]

I loaded the code and wasn't able to get it to work. The newMasterFileBuilder copies the existing master file. The rxMatches finds "&Ch1; &Ch2; &Ch3; &Ch4; &Ch5; &Ch6; &Ch7; &Ch8;" But then nothing happens. It doesn't go into the For Loop.

[Mightymax]

entity number is a place holder for a file. It's called out as &Name;. It's not the same as Ch1.sgm, that's the file the entity is referencing

[Inferrd]

I loaded the code and wasn't able to get it to work. The newMasterFileBuilder copies the existing master file. The rxMatches finds "&Ch1; &Ch2; &Ch3; &Ch4; &Ch5; &Ch6; &Ch7; &Ch8;" But then nothing happens. It doesn't go into the For Loop.

If rxMatches does find &Ch1; through &Ch8;, then rxMatches.Count should = 8 and the For loop must be entered. Place a breakpoint on the line For Each match As Match In rxMatches then step through the code and see what happens.

entity number is a place holder for a file. It's called out as &Name;. It's not the same as Ch1.sgm, that's the file the entity is referencing

So the corresponding files are named 'Ch1.sgm' and not 'Bld1_Ch1.sgm' ?

[Mightymax]

No corresponding file names are "Bld1_Ch1.sgm". But the "Bld1" is a unique identifier and will change with each group of file processed.

[Mightymax]

I put the break point at the for each loop it never makes it past the for line. The rxMatches variable contains the whole strMasterDoc file not just the &Ch1; entities.

I am unfamiliar with how your checking your regex I've never seen the use of <name> in a regex statement before. Can you please explain?

[Mightymax]

OH IT WORKED! THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!


QUESTION:
I am unfamiliar with how your checking your regex I've never seen the use of <name> in a regex statement before. Can you please explain?

[Mightymax]

So the corresponding files are named 'Ch1.sgm' and not 'Bld1_Ch1.sgm' ?

The file name will always have a unique prefix to it. I thought I could put a wild card before Ch but this didn't work.

Dim entityFileName = $".*?_Ch{match.Groups("EntityNumber")}.sgm"

But this didn't work. How would I get the code to recognize the prefix?

Thank you for all your help and patience
Maxine

[Mightymax]

So the corresponding files are named 'Ch1.sgm' and not 'Bld1_Ch1.sgm' ?

The file name will always have a unique prefix to it. I thought I could put a wild card before Ch but this didn't work.

Dim entityFileName = $".*?_Ch{match.Groups("EntityNumber")}.sgm"

But this didn't work. How would I get the code to recognize the prefix?

Thank you for all your help and patience
Maxine