[RESOLVED] automated copy and paste

[adam786]

i want to create a program with has a timer, which is changeable i.e timer cam be manually changed and when the timer is up it copies a value from a text box to a label.

e.g. if timer is set to 1 min and when timer is up it copies the value in text box 1 to label1, and it keeps looping until it reaches 5 min.

the value/data in the text box is linked to a external file.

any ideas?

[si_the_geek]

Is this what you mean?

lblLabel.Caption = txtTextbox.Text

[adam786]

what i mean is if i have a timer and set the timer to e.g. 1 min and if 1min is up it will copy first line of a text box and the next time the second line and so on. when teh form loads i want it to load a txt file which hold the data.

[si_the_geek]

Well here's one way to do it:

Static intLineNum as Integer
Dim strLines() as String
  strLines = Split(txtTextbox.Text, vbNewLine)
  If  UBound(strLines) > intLineNum Then intLineNum = 0
  lblLabel.Caption = strLines(intLineNum)
  intLineNum = intLineNum + 1

If you don't know how to load a file, see the Files section of our Classic VB FAQs (in the FAQ forum, which is shown near the top of our home page)

[adam786]

one question where would i insert that coding?

[adam786]

currently i am using this timer

Private Sub Form_Load()
lblwarning.Visible = False
    Timer1.Interval = 970
    Hours = 0
    Minutes = 0
    Seconds = 0
    time = 0
  Show vbModeless
  Refresh
end sub

Private Sub lbltime_Change()
    If lbltime.Caption < "00:00:16" Then
        lblwarning.Visible = True
    Else
        lblwarning.Visible = False
    End If
    If lbltime.Caption = "00:00:00" Then
        MsgBox "hello"
        lblwarning.Visible = False
        Text11.Text = ""
        Text12.Text = ""
        Text11.Locked = False
        Text12.Locked = False
        cmdStart.Enabled = True
    End If
    If lblwarning.Visible = True Then
    lbltime.ForeColor = &HFF&
    Else
    lbltime.ForeColor = &H80000012
    End If
End Sub

Private Sub Timer1_Timer()
Timer1.Enabled = False
    If (Format$(time, "hh") & ":" & Format$(time, "nn") & ":" & Format$(time, "ss")) <> "00:00:00" Then 'Counter to continue loop until 0
        time = DateAdd("s", -1, time)
        lbltime.Visible = False
        lbltime.Caption = Format$(time, "hh") & ":" & Format$(time, "nn") & ":" & Format$(time, "ss")
        lbltime.Visible = True
        Timer1.Enabled = True
    Else
        'Turn off timer, set off alarm, and enable reset.
        Timer1.Enabled = False
        
    End If

End Sub

Private Sub Mydisplay()
'This code is common to all three text boxes so I
'put it in it's own sub.

'Extract the numbers from the text boxes by using
'the Val() statement.
    Minutes = Val(Text11.Text)
    Seconds = Val(Text12.Text)
'Convert variables to time format
    time = TimeSerial(Hours, Minutes, Seconds)
'Display the converted time variable in label 1
    lbltime.Caption = Format$(time, "hh") & ":" & Format$(time, "nn") & ":" & Format$(time, "ss")
End Sub

Private Sub cmdClose_Click()
Unload Me
End Sub

Private Sub cmdpause_Click()
If Timer1.Enabled = True Then
Timer1.Enabled = False
Me.Caption = "Timer - Paused..."
Command1.Visible = True
cmdpause.Visible = False
Command1.SetFocus
cmdStart.Enabled = False
Else
End If
End Sub

Private Sub cmdStart_Click()
Text11.Locked = True
Text12.Locked = True
lblwarning.Visible = False
Timer1.Enabled = True
Me.Caption = "Timer"
cmdStart.Enabled = False
End Sub
Private Sub cmdStop_Click()
    cmdStart.Enabled = True
      Text11.Text = ""
      Text12.Text = ""
      Text11.Locked = False
      Text12.Locked = False
      cmdpause.Visible = True
      Command1.Visible = False
End Sub

[si_the_geek]

Well you want it to happen when a Timer reaches its Interval, so put it into the TimerName_Timer event.

[Code Doc]

Here's some code that might help simplify things:

Dim LineNum As Integer, StrLines() As String
Private Sub Form_Load()
Open "MyTextFile.txt" For Input As #1
Text1.Text = Input$(LOF(1), #1)
StrLines = Split(Text1.Text, vbNewLine)
ReDim Preserve StrLines(UBound(StrLines))
Label1.Caption = vbNullString
Timer1.Interval = 60000
End Sub

Private Sub Timer1_Timer()
If LineNum <= UBound(StrLines) Then
    Label1.Caption = StrLines(LineNum)
    LineNum = LineNum + 1
End If
End Sub

Every minute a new line is copied and pasted to the label's caption based on what is in the text box. The text box displays what is in the text file. I'll let you add the rest of the controls and code to reset the timer to display what you want after LineNum reaches 5.

[adam786]

thanks the coding helped, one last question how do i link a slider to the timer i.e so if i move the slider up it adjusts the timer, and is it possible to add more than one slider to the program and possibly loop i.e slider 1 first then 2 and so on.

[Code Doc]

thanks the coding helped, one last question how do i link a slider to the timer i.e so if i move the slider up it adjusts the timer, and is it possible to add more than one slider to the program and possibly loop i.e slider 1 first then 2 and so on.

Not sure you want to do that. That would complicate things may drive the user crazy. For example, if you move the slider and adjust the timer at the same time, what lines from the text box get skipped or written to the label when the timer is supposed to be controlling the text display?

[adam786]

ok i understand what you are saying. on the other hand how would i make the timer inervals relate or link to a slider?

[Code Doc]

ok i understand what you are saying. on the other hand how would i make the timer inervals relate or link to a slider?

Dim LineNum As Integer, StrLines() As String
Const MaxInterval = 60000 ' 60 seconds

Private Sub Form_Load()
Open "MyTextFile.txt" For Input As #1
Text1.Text = Input$(LOF(1), #1)
StrLines = Split(Text1.Text, vbNewLine)
Close
ReDim Preserve StrLines(UBound(StrLines))
Label1.Caption = vbNullString
Timer1.Interval = MaxInterval ' Once per minute
End Sub

Private Sub Slider1_Scroll()
' Once per minute to once every 5.45 seconds peak speed
Timer1.Interval = MaxInterval / (Slider1.Value + 1)
End Sub

Private Sub Timer1_Timer()
If LineNum <= UBound(StrLines) Then
    Label1.Caption = StrLines(LineNum)
    LineNum = LineNum + 1
End If
End Sub

The interval changes as you move the slider, starting at slowest speed. You have to get through the previous interval setting before the next one goes into affect. I think you can probably live with that.

[adam786]

OK i tried to run your code and it gives me an error message

run timer error 53
file not found

and it also highlights the following code

Open "mytextfile.txt" For Input As #1

the label, text box, timer and scroll are all set to what is in the coding.

[adam786]

is it possible to change the intervals i.e increase them?

[Code Doc]

OK i tried to run your code and it gives me an error message

run timer error 53
file not found

and it also highlights the following code

Open "mytextfile.txt" For Input As #1

the label, text box, timer and scroll are all set to what is in the coding.

Adam, just build a sample textfile with a bunch of lines using Notepad with the file name "MyTextFile.txt" and save it to the VB6 subdirectory. Or, change "MyTextFile.txt" to the name of a text file that you already have assembled for the project.

I believe you are close to the maximum interval for a timer control. To increase that to a longer delay is feasible but would require some fancier code. I cannot imagine why it would it take longer than one minute for a user to read one line of a typical text file.

Perhaps you need a Previous command button that takes the user immediately back to the previous line if it advances to the next line too quickly and a Next command button that advances the use to the next line immediately. In short, allow the user to have some control of the speed in addition the automatic timer advance and the slider.

Finally, I recommend that you examine and report what the objective of this project is before you proceed any further on it with this forum.