Find string in text file & insert numbers beside each match (in the order they were found)

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Hello
With VBScript I would like to find a string inside a text file then insert a number beside it. The numbers being the order each match was found.

Find string = xyz
For 1st match insert number 1 = xyz 1
For 2nd match insert number 2 = xyz 2
For 3rd match insert number 3 = xyz 3

I couldn't find any examples of something like this so hope someone can help. Thank You. :)

Posted 19-Dec-14 23:01pm

dalbrwn

Updated 19-Dec-14 23:02pm

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OriginalGriff · Answer 1 · 2014-12-19T23:20:00

Solution 1

In order to insert anything in a text file, you have to copy the file up to that point, add the new data, then copy the rest of the file.

So read the file (either completely, or in blocks) and find the first string (if you are doing this in blocks, write the blocks up to that point as you go). Then write the new stuff, and keep going to the end of the file.

Posted 19-Dec-14 23:20pm

OriginalGriff

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dalbrwn 20-Dec-14 5:36am

Thanks for the info, am a little confused :). I can find and replace. I was trying to do it by finding a string then replacing it with the string and the number in which the match occurred.

Just haven't been able to figure out how to insert a number beside each match. The numbers should be in the order each match was found. I tried Count , but the best result was getting it to write the last match number next to the last match found.

OriginalGriff 20-Dec-14 5:54am

How are you doing the find and replace at the moment?

dalbrwn 20-Dec-14 10:44am

I can replace text easily enough. Just can't get the numbers correctly added. The latest I got was a message box for each match with it's count number (1 for the 1st, 2 for the 2nd etc). But when writing to the file it writes the total number of matches beside each. So if there were 8 matches found it writes 8 beside each instead of 1 for the 1st, 2 for the 2nd etc.

OriginalGriff 20-Dec-14 11:29am

So how are you doing the replace? string.Replace? Regex? IndexOf and Substring?
Or something else?

dalbrwn 20-Dec-14 12:05pm

Hi :) RegExp for the replace. But not really sure what I'm doing and if possible this way. Seemed to be getting somewhere so I have kept trying. And just can't find any examples for something like this to try another way.

OriginalGriff 20-Dec-14 12:13pm

Regex - could be good news.
I don't use VBScript any more (and it's a long time since I did) but "modern" Regex processing allows for a MatchEvaluator method to be called - which will let you replace the matched text with a variable string - but a quick check of VBScript Regex doesn't appear to include that.
It does however have an Execute method
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/yfy6y4h1(v=vs.84).aspx
which returns a collection of matches - each match describes the start index and length of the match: which means that if you use a loop to process them, you can use substring to "break" your input around the text and insert your new stuff, allowing a variable replacement string including your number. (If you work from the end of the collection to the start it'll be easier, because you aren't changing the offsets for teh other ones).

See what I mean?

dalbrwn 20-Dec-14 16:09pm

That's the execute I'm using.
I had a look at the sub and index. Makes little sense but sounds like that could be it. I'll look for some more examples. Thanks so much. :)

OriginalGriff 20-Dec-14 16:42pm

You're welcome!

dalbrwn 21-Dec-14 12:01pm

I'm having a lot of trouble. Anyone have an example script with a substring that does something similar to this and writing back into the file? I did get a count next to each match one time, but it removed the rest of the file and put them on one line.

OriginalGriff 21-Dec-14 12:17pm

It's pretty simple: all you need are two substrings each time.
substring1 is the data up to (but not including) the index of the match.
substring2 is the data from (the index plus the length of the match) to the end of the data.
Then the becomes substring1 plus the new data including the number plus substring2

As I say, I haven't used VBScript in a long time, but it's only three lines of code per match! :laugh:
What did you try?

dalbrwn 21-Dec-14 14:34pm

Hi thanks. I actually haven't got anywhere with the substring. Some I tried to merge with mine looked good but I have no idea if any were the right thing. They were all different.

Do you have a link on the substring I need so I can check what to look for and try? Maybe improve my searches. Thanks. :)

OriginalGriff 21-Dec-14 14:59pm

Mid would do both:
http://www.w3schools.com/vbscript/func_mid.asp
Or there are Left and Right which do, well, exactly what you expect :laugh:
http://www.w3schools.com/vbscript/vbscript_ref_functions.asp

Find string in text file & insert numbers beside each match (in the order they were found)

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Find string in text file & insert numbers beside each match (in the order they were found)

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