[RESOLVED] Merge strings and remove overlap

Hi,
I have many strings in a two column text file. The first column is the start position, the second one is the string.
Ex:

Code:

---

41800403 ACTTACTTACCTACTTCCTTCCCCAAGCCCTTTTCCCCTGTTAAACCCCCCCTGCCACACTCCCAACCCCCATCCTTCCTTCAGGGGAGGCTGGCTGCATC
41800409 TTAGCTCCTTGCCCCCCCAAGGCCCTTTGCGCTGGTAACCTCTCCCTGCCACACTCCCAACCCCCATCCTTCCTTCAGGGGAGGCTGGCTGCATCCCCACT
41800426 CAAGGCCCTTTGCGCTGGTAAACTCTCCCTGCCACACTCCCAACCCCCATCCTTCCTTCAGGGGAGGCTGGCTGCATCCCCACTTCCTAGAGTACCTTCCA
41800448 CTCCCCCTGCCACACTCCCAACCCCCATCCTTCTTTCAGGGGAGGCTGGCTGCATCCCCACTTCCTGGAGTACCTTCCCAGATCTCCTGGGACAGGTCAAC
41800458 CACCCTCCCAACCCCCACCCGTCTTTCGGGGGAGGCTGGCTGCATCCCCCTTTCCTGGAGTACCTTCCCAGATCTCCTGGGACAGGTCAACAAACTTAGTC
41800458 CNCGCTCCCAGCCCCCATCCTTCTTTCAGGGGAGGCTGGCTGCATCCCCACTTCCTGGAGTACCTTCCCAGATCTCCTGGGACAGGTCAACAAACTTAGTC
41800459 CCCCGCCCACCCCCCCTCCTTCCGTCAGGGGAGGCTGGCTGCATCCCCACTTCCTGGAGTACCTTCCCAGATCTCCTGGGACAGGTCAACAAACTTAGTCT
41800460 CACCCCCAACCACCACCCGTCCTTCAGGGGAGGCTGGCTGCATCCCCACTTCCTGGAGTACCTTCCCAGATCTCCTGGGACAGGTCAACAAACTTAGTCTC
41800462 CTCCCAACCCCCATCCTTCCTTCAGGGGAGGCTGGCTGCATCCCCACTTCCCGGAGTACCTTCCCAGATCTCCTGGGACAGGTCAACACACTTAGACTCAC
41800464 CCCAACCCCCATCCTTCTTTCAGGGGAGGCTGGCTGCATCCCCACTTCCTGGAGTACCTTCCCAGATCTCCTGGGACAGGTCAACAAACTTAGTCTCACTT
41800464 CCCACCCCCCATCCTGCTTTCAGGGGAGGCTGGCTGCATCCCCACTTCCTGGAGTACCTTCCCAGATCTCCTGGGACAGGTCAACAAACTTAGTCTCACTT
41800467 CACCCCCATCCTTCTTTCAGGGGAGGCTGGCTGCATCCCCACTTCCTGGAGTACCTTCCCAGATCTCCTGGGACAGGTCAACAAACTTAGTCTCACTTTAG
41800476 CTGTCGTGCAGGGGAGGCTGGCTGCATCCCCACTTCCTGGAGTACCTTCCCAGATCTCCTGGGACAGGTCAACAAACTTAGTCTCACTTTAGGTTTTCCAA
41800478 TTCTTTCAGGGGAGGCTGGCTGCATCCCCACTTCCTGGAGTACCTTCCCAGATCTCCTGGGACAGGTCAACAAACTTAGTCTCACTTTAGGTTTTCCAAAT
41800478 TTCTTTCAGGGGAGGCTGGCTGCATCCCCACTTCCTGGAGTACCTTCCCAGATCTCCTGGGACAGGTCAACAAACTTAGTCTCACTTTAGGTTTTCCAAAT

---

The second column contains 100 chars.Obviously these strings have overlapped, if a start position is given and the string length is given.
How to merge them together?
Ex, I want start point is 38781735, end point is 38781900. The string length is 38781900-38781735+1
Thanks.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by zhshqzyc

Hi,
I have many strings in a two column text file. The first column is the start position, the second one is the string.
Ex:

Code:

---

41800403 ACTTACTTACCTACTTCCTTCCCCAAGCCCTTTTCCCCTGTTAAACCCCCCCTGCCACACTCCCAACCCCCATCCTTCCTTCAGGGGAGGCTGGCTGCATC
41800409 TTAGCTCCTTGCCCCCCCAAGGCCCTTTGCGCTGGTAACCTCTCCCTGCCACACTCCCAACCCCCATCCTTCCTTCAGGGGAGGCTGGCTGCATCCCCACT
41800426 CAAGGCCCTTTGCGCTGGTAAACTCTCCCTGCCACACTCCCAACCCCCATCCTTCCTTCAGGGGAGGCTGGCTGCATCCCCACTTCCTAGAGTACCTTCCA
41800448 CTCCCCCTGCCACACTCCCAACCCCCATCCTTCTTTCAGGGGAGGCTGGCTGCATCCCCACTTCCTGGAGTACCTTCCCAGATCTCCTGGGACAGGTCAAC
41800458 CACCCTCCCAACCCCCACCCGTCTTTCGGGGGAGGCTGGCTGCATCCCCCTTTCCTGGAGTACCTTCCCAGATCTCCTGGGACAGGTCAACAAACTTAGTC
41800458 CNCGCTCCCAGCCCCCATCCTTCTTTCAGGGGAGGCTGGCTGCATCCCCACTTCCTGGAGTACCTTCCCAGATCTCCTGGGACAGGTCAACAAACTTAGTC
41800459 CCCCGCCCACCCCCCCTCCTTCCGTCAGGGGAGGCTGGCTGCATCCCCACTTCCTGGAGTACCTTCCCAGATCTCCTGGGACAGGTCAACAAACTTAGTCT
41800460 CACCCCCAACCACCACCCGTCCTTCAGGGGAGGCTGGCTGCATCCCCACTTCCTGGAGTACCTTCCCAGATCTCCTGGGACAGGTCAACAAACTTAGTCTC
41800462 CTCCCAACCCCCATCCTTCCTTCAGGGGAGGCTGGCTGCATCCCCACTTCCCGGAGTACCTTCCCAGATCTCCTGGGACAGGTCAACACACTTAGACTCAC
41800464 CCCAACCCCCATCCTTCTTTCAGGGGAGGCTGGCTGCATCCCCACTTCCTGGAGTACCTTCCCAGATCTCCTGGGACAGGTCAACAAACTTAGTCTCACTT
41800464 CCCACCCCCCATCCTGCTTTCAGGGGAGGCTGGCTGCATCCCCACTTCCTGGAGTACCTTCCCAGATCTCCTGGGACAGGTCAACAAACTTAGTCTCACTT
41800467 CACCCCCATCCTTCTTTCAGGGGAGGCTGGCTGCATCCCCACTTCCTGGAGTACCTTCCCAGATCTCCTGGGACAGGTCAACAAACTTAGTCTCACTTTAG
41800476 CTGTCGTGCAGGGGAGGCTGGCTGCATCCCCACTTCCTGGAGTACCTTCCCAGATCTCCTGGGACAGGTCAACAAACTTAGTCTCACTTTAGGTTTTCCAA
41800478 TTCTTTCAGGGGAGGCTGGCTGCATCCCCACTTCCTGGAGTACCTTCCCAGATCTCCTGGGACAGGTCAACAAACTTAGTCTCACTTTAGGTTTTCCAAAT
41800478 TTCTTTCAGGGGAGGCTGGCTGCATCCCCACTTCCTGGAGTACCTTCCCAGATCTCCTGGGACAGGTCAACAAACTTAGTCTCACTTTAGGTTTTCCAAAT

---

---

I have a question about the text you quoted there. If the first column is the starting position and the second column is 100 characters from that point, then why are some of the index positions resulting in different data in column two? Also this doesn't seem to always be the case if you notice the final two entries are identical.

It is possible. If two entries are identical, we can ignore one of them. Actually the data should be pre-processed, the same entires in raw data should be removed first.

We can overwrite the data with the later one since there are data error/mismatch in the experiments.

I thought I would give it a whirl. If I understand you correctly, no matter what, the latest entry of a given index is to overwrite a previous one with the same index. With this code, it will get the difference between the first line and second and cut a portion of the first line the length of the difference and repeat this until the end of the file.

I also verified this manually, so if it comes out incorrect, I misunderstood what you were asking.

Let me know if something doesn't result how you want it.

Code:

---

Imports System.IO
Public Class Form1
    Private Sub Button1_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Button1.Click
        Debug.WriteLine("-")
        Dim DnaIndex, DnaData As New List(Of String)
        Dim resultParts As New List(Of String)
        Dim myReader As StreamReader = New StreamReader("H:\dna.txt")
        Using myReader
            Do While myReader.Peek <> -1
                Dim parts() As String = Split(myReader.ReadLine, " "c)

                If DnaIndex.Contains(parts(0)) Then
                    DnaData.RemoveAt(DnaIndex.IndexOf(parts(0)))
                    DnaData.Add(parts(1))
                Else
                    DnaIndex.Add(parts(0))
                    DnaData.Add(parts(1))
                End If
            Loop
        End Using

        Dim NewStr As String = Nothing
        For line As Integer = 0 To DnaIndex.Count - 1
            Dim difference As Integer
            Dim linedata As String = DnaData(line)
            If line = DnaIndex.Count - 1 Then
                resultParts.Add(linedata)
            Else
                difference = CInt(DnaIndex(line + 1)) - CInt(DnaIndex(line))
                resultParts.Add(Mid(linedata, 1, difference))
            End If
        Next

        NewStr = String.Concat(resultParts.ToArray)
        Debug.WriteLine(NewStr)
    End Sub
End Class

---

Oh, and NewStr is the result. "ACTTACTTAGCTCCTTGCCCCCCCAAGGCCCTTTGCGCTGGTAAACTCCCCCTGCCCCACTCCCCACCCCCATCTTTCTTTCAGGGGAGGCTGGCTGCA TCCCCACTTCCTGGAGTACCTTCCCAGATCTCCTGGGACAGGTCAACAAACTTAGTCTCACTTTAGGTTTTCCAAAT"

What output are you expecting from the data you showed in post #1?

Thank you anyway.

did skor13's answer solve the problem?

Well I suppose it did as it's listed as resolved. If you planned to use this in more specific range, I hadn't put in any code to terminate at a specific point. It will end with copying the last line completely. If you wanted to make a change there, where I have "resultParts.add(linedata)" you would want to cut off characters from there as that is the final line of the string.

Edit: Updated it to have start and end positions. It will display up to the end position - 1.

Code:

---

Imports System.IO
Public Class Form1
    Private Sub Button1_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Button1.Click

        Debug.WriteLine(MergeDna("E:\dna.txt", 0, 41800478 + 105))

    End Sub

    Function MergeDna(ByVal FileLocation As String, ByVal StartPosition As Integer, ByVal EndPosition As Integer) As String
        Dim DnaIndex, DnaData As New List(Of String)
        Dim resultParts As New List(Of String)
        Dim myReader As StreamReader = New StreamReader(FileLocation)
        Using myReader
            Do While myReader.Peek <> -1
                Dim parts() As String = Split(myReader.ReadLine, " "c)

                If DnaIndex.Contains(parts(0)) Then
                    DnaData.RemoveAt(DnaIndex.IndexOf(parts(0)))
                    DnaData.Add(parts(1))
                Else
                    DnaIndex.Add(parts(0))
                    DnaData.Add(parts(1))
                End If
            Loop
        End Using

        Dim firstIndex As Integer = CInt(DnaIndex(0))

        Dim NewStr As String = Nothing
        For line As Integer = 0 To DnaIndex.Count - 1
            Dim difference As Integer
            Dim linedata As String = DnaData(line)
            If line = DnaIndex.Count - 1 Then
                resultParts.Add(linedata)
            Else
                difference = CInt(DnaIndex(line + 1)) - CInt(DnaIndex(line))
                resultParts.Add(Mid(linedata, 1, difference))
            End If
        Next
        If (StartPosition - firstIndex + 1) < 0 Then
            Debug.WriteLine("Start value is out of range. Setting to start from beginning.")
            Dim NewStart As Integer = 0
            NewStr = (Mid(String.Concat(resultParts.ToArray), NewStart + 1, EndPosition - StartPosition))
        Else
            NewStr = (Mid(String.Concat(resultParts.ToArray), StartPosition - firstIndex + 1, EndPosition - StartPosition))
        End If
        Return NewStr
    End Function
End Class

---