Writing to Text File - Need to Escape Quotes

I can't seem to get the correct syntax for this:

Code:

---

objTmpWriter.WriteLine("C:\Program Files\7-Zip\7z.exe a C:\xampp\htdocs\out\" & _
                              Form1.UniqueIDNum & ".zip c:\0\downtime.pdf")

---

I write this to a batch file which is then run with Process.Start but of course it will not run "Program Files" unless I get the quotes around it. Doubling on the quotes doesn't seem to work correctly either.

Sorry about this...the instruction said to use double quotes, when in reality I needed to use triple quotes....translation, "Short circuit between the seat and the keyboard."

Code:

---

objTmpWriter.WriteLine("""C:\Program Files\7-Zip\7z.exe"" a C:\xampp\htdocs\out\" & _
                              Form1.UniqueIDNum & ".zip c:\0\downtime.pdf")

---

Do you mean because of the space? Try the shortname "Progra~1". Still works up including win8 as a shortcut to Program Files.

On the other hand, if you need to use quotes, Try generating a string first, and then passing it to your function... that way you can debug the output string before processing it.

Do you mean because of the space? Try the shortname "Progra~1". Still works up including win8 as a shortcut to Program Files.

On the other hand, if you need to use quotes, Try generating a string first, and then passing it to your function... that way you can debug the output string before processing it.

EDIT: darn, I need to trust my instincts more... I had already typed "try triple quotes", but I couldn't test it right so I thought I had misremembered. But I wasn't testing with a function call and that threw off my test. Anyways, congrats on figuring it out!

odd, somehow it got reposted when I edited it. Sorry about that.

Try

Code:

---

Dim CommandText = <X>"C:\Program Files\7-Zip\7z.exe" a C:\xampp\htdocs\out\<%= Form1.UniqueIDNum %>.zip c:\0\downtime.pdf</X>.Value

---

Also try this (not my code)

Code:

---

Imports Microsoft.Win32
Public Enum ZipOverWriteOptions
    ''' <summary>
    ''' Overwrite
    ''' </summary>
    ''' <remarks></remarks>
    ''' <summary>
    ''' Skip
    ''' </summary>
    ''' <remarks></remarks>
End Enum
Public Class My7Zip
    Public Property OverWriteOption As ZipOverWriteOptions = ZipOverWriteOptions.aoa
    ''' <summary>
    ''' File to extract files from
    ''' </summary>
    ''' <value></value>
    ''' <returns></returns>
    ''' <remarks></remarks>
    Public Property ArchiveFileName As String = ""
    ''' <summary>
    ''' Password for ArchiveFileName
    ''' </summary>
    ''' <value></value>
    ''' <returns></returns>
    ''' <remarks></remarks>
    Public Property Password As String = ""
    ''' <summary>
    ''' Path to extract Archive File contents
    ''' </summary>
    ''' <value></value>
    ''' <returns></returns>
    ''' <remarks></remarks>
    Public Property Destination As String
    Private mExecutablePath As String = ""
    ''' <summary>
    ''' Location of 7 Zip executable
    ''' </summary>
    ''' <value></value>
    ''' <returns></returns>
    ''' <remarks></remarks>
    Public ReadOnly Property ExecutablePath As String
        Get
            Return mExecutablePath
        End Get
    End Property
    Private mExecutable As String = ""
    ''' <summary>
    ''' 7 Zip executable name
    ''' </summary>
    ''' <value></value>
    ''' <returns></returns>
    ''' <remarks></remarks>
    Public ReadOnly Property Executable As String
        Get
            If mExecutable.Contains("\") Then
                Return mExecutable
            Else
                Return IO.Path.Combine(mExecutablePath, mExecutable)
            End If
        End Get
    End Property
    Public Property Recurse As Boolean = True
    Private mIsInstalled As Boolean = True
    ''' <summary>
    ''' Is 7 Zip installed
    ''' </summary>
    ''' <value></value>
    ''' <returns></returns>
    ''' <remarks></remarks>
    Public ReadOnly Property IsInstalled As Boolean
        Get
            Return mIsInstalled
        End Get
    End Property
    Private Sub GetExecutablePath()
        Dim reg As RegistryKey
        reg = Registry.LocalMachine.OpenSubKey("SOFTWARE\7-Zip", False)
        If reg IsNot Nothing Then
            mExecutablePath = reg.GetValue("Path").ToString
            mIsInstalled = IO.File.Exists(Executable)
        Else
            mIsInstalled = False
        End If
    End Sub
    Private mReturnCode As Int32 = 0
    Public ReadOnly Property ReturnCode As Int32
        Get
            Return mReturnCode
        End Get
    End Property
    ''' <summary>
    ''' Use hardcoded 7-Zip executable file name
    ''' </summary>
    ''' <remarks></remarks>
    Public Sub New()
        mExecutable = "7z.exe"
        GetExecutablePath()
    End Sub
    ''' <summary>
    ''' Specify executable or executable with path
    ''' </summary>
    ''' <param name="ExecutableName"></param>
    ''' <remarks></remarks>
    Public Sub New(ByVal ExecutableName As String)
        mExecutable = ExecutableName
        If Not ExecutableName.Contains("\") Then
            GetExecutablePath()
        Else
            mExecutablePath = IO.Path.GetDirectoryName(ExecutableName)
        End If
    End Sub
    Public Function Extract() As Boolean
        Dim RecurseArchive As String = If(Me.Recurse, "-r", "-r-")
        Dim OverWriteOption As String = " -" & Me.OverWriteOption.ToString
        Dim Result As Boolean = False
        Dim startInfo As New ProcessStartInfo(Me.Executable)
        startInfo.WindowStyle = ProcessWindowStyle.Hidden

        If Me.Password.Length > 0 Then
            startInfo.Arguments = <X>e "<%= Me.ArchiveFileName %>" -p"<%= Me.Password %>" -o"<%= Me.Destination %>" <%= RecurseArchive %><%= OverWriteOption %></X>.Value
        Else
            startInfo.Arguments = <X>e "<%= Me.ArchiveFileName %>" -o"<%= Me.Destination %>" <%= RecurseArchive %><%= OverWriteOption %></X>.Value
        End If

        Dim TheProcess = Process.Start(startInfo)
        While Not TheProcess.HasExited
            Application.DoEvents()
        End While

        mReturnCode = TheProcess.ExitCode
        Result = mReturnCode = 0

        Return Result
    End Function
End Class

---

Usage

Code:

---

Public Class Form1
    Private Sub Button1_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Button1.Click
        Dim Extraction As New My7Zip()
        If Extraction.IsInstalled Then
            Extraction.ArchiveFileName = "C:\Backups\ReadCSV.7z"
            Extraction.Password = "password"
            Extraction.Destination = "C:\Test7"
            Extraction.OverWriteOption = ZipOverWriteOptions.aoa
            If Not Extraction.Extract() Then
                MessageBox.Show("Failed to extract data, error code " & Extraction.ReturnCode.ToString)
            Else
                MessageBox.Show("Done")
            End If
        End If
    End Sub
End Class

---

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Vladamir

Sorry about this...the instruction said to use double quotes, when in reality I needed to use triple quotes....translation, "Short circuit between the seat and the keyboard."

Code:

---

objTmpWriter.WriteLine("""C:\Program Files\7-Zip\7z.exe"" a C:\xampp\htdocs\out\" & _
                              Form1.UniqueIDNum & ".zip c:\0\downtime.pdf")

---

---

A literal double quote is escaped with another double quote. That's why it requires 3 double quotes at the beginning of your string: the 1st one is to to indicate this is a string, the 2 following it is for a literal double quote and its escape character. In those cases where literal quotes present in a string, I find it's less confusing to build the string using string.format function.