[Solved] swapping characters

[Realm]

I will try to explain what I need best I can,

lets say

$string = "Hello @visitor, last time you visited us, you were reading @page, what topic would you like to read about today?"

I need to convert this string to

$string = "Hello" & $visitor & ", last time you visited us, you were reading" & $page & "what topic would you like to read about today?"

I was looking at StringRegExpReplace, but could not figure out how to get it the way i need it

I'm reading the first string from a txt file, so if it is easier, or possible, to modify the txt file first, that is ok too.

NVM I found a fix, but is there a better way than this?

$string = "Hello @visitor, last time you visited us, you were reading @page, what topic would you like to read about today?"
$string = StringReplace($string, '@visitor', ' " & $visitor & "')
$string = StringReplace($string, '@page', ' " & $page & "')
MsgBox(0, "New string is", $string)

Edited April 30, 2010 by Realm

[Melba23]

Realm,

My attempt at an SRE:

$sText = '"Hello @visitor, last time you visited us, you were reading @page, what topic would you like to read about today"'

$sNewtext = StringRegExpReplace(StringRegExpReplace($sText, "(?i)(?U)(\x20@visitor)", '" & $visitor & "'), "(?i)(?U)(\x20@page)", '" & $page & "')

MsgBox(0, "Changed", $sNewtext)

OK, I see you have found a way with StringReplace - normally SREs are much faster than the String* functions, but a lot depends on the size of your file.

And whichever way you choose, I would recommend reading in the whole file, changing the text and then rewriting it. Doing it line-by-line will probably take longer, and be more error-prone.

M23

[Fulano]

Here's my take on it (I lifted everything but the regex from Melba )

$sText = '"Hello @visitor, last time you visited us, you were reading @page, what topic would you like to read about today"' 
$sNewtext = StringRegExpReplace($sText, "@([A-z0-9]+)", '" & $\1 & "')
MsgBox(0, "Changed", $sNewtext)

[Realm]

Ok I tried this, but its not working, what am I doing wrong?

this is 3 samples from my ini

[Messages]

welcome=Hello @visitor, last time you visited us, you were reading @page, what topic would you like to read about today?

thanks=Thank you for buying @book. @visitor, Come back anytime we are open 24/7.

buybalmsg=@visitor, your balance is: @buynumber Gold.

this is a snippet i coded to just read them and see how it works, but it don't

$var = IniReadSection("C:\Temp\myfile.ini", "Messages")
If @error Then
    MsgBox(4096, "", "Error occurred, probably no INI file."
Else
    $sNewtext = StringRegExpReplace(StringRegExpReplace($var, "(?i)(?U)(\x20@visitor)", '" & $visitor & "'), "(?i)(?U)(\x20@page)", '" & $page & "', & _
    & "(?i)(?U)(\x20@book)", '" & $book & "', "(?i)(?U)(\x20@buynumber)", '" & $buynumber & "')
    For $i = 1 To $sNewtext[0][0]
    MsgBox(4096, "", "Key: " & $sNewtext[$i][0] & @CRLF & "Value: " & $sNewtext[$i][1])
    Next
EndIf

What I ultimately need this to do is to read all the messages into Global variables, so they can be called randomly throught the script. The Global variables are the same as the in keys such as ini file key 'Welcome' = Global variable $welcome

Sorry the error i get is in the StringRegExpReplace, says error in expresion

Edited April 30, 2010 by Realm

[Melba23]

Fulano,

I am so glad there are people around here who actually understand these blasted things!

As I have said many times before (and no doubt will many times more) these RegExes are the hardest thing I have ever tried to learn*.

M23

* With regard to computers, of course.

[Realm]

Fulano,

I am so glad there are people around here who actually understand these blasted things!

As I have said many times before (and no doubt will many times more) these RegExes are the hardest thing I have ever tried to learn*.

M23

* With regard to computers, of course.

I Second that motion

[Melba23]

Realm,

Our posts crossed.

You cannot just add different parts to the StrngRegExpReplace like that.

I see you are using an ini file - that simplifies things a bit. So, stealing from Fulano (I just know he will not mind! ):

$sIniFile = "Realm.ini" ; this is the text you gave us above

$aLines = IniReadSection($sIniFile, "Messages")

For $i = 1 To $aLines[0][0]

    $aLines[$i][1] = StringRegExpReplace($aLines[$i][1], "@([A-z0-9]+)", '" & $\1 & "')

Next

IniWriteSection($sIniFile, "Messages", $aLines)

I think that will do the trick.

M23

[Fulano]

Np, just takes a special kind of crazy

[Realm]

Fulano, thanks, I got it now

Global $welcome = IniRead("C:\Temp\myfile.ini", "Messages", "welcome", "NotFound")
Global $thanks = IniRead("C:\Temp\myfile.ini", "Messages", "thanks", "NotFound")
Global $buybalmsg = IniRead("C:\Temp\myfile.ini", "Messages", "welcome", "NotFound")

$sNewtext = StringRegExpReplace($welcome , "@([A-z0-9]+)", '" & $\1 & "')
MsgBox(0, "Changed", $sNewtext)

$sNewtext = StringRegExpReplace($thanks , "@([A-z0-9]+)", '" & $\1 & "')
MsgBox(0, "Changed", $sNewtext)

$sNewtext = StringRegExpReplace($buybalmsg , "@([A-z0-9]+)", '" & $\1 & "')
MsgBox(0, "Changed", $sNewtext)

works like a charm, and not as messy as i thought it would end up

[Melba23]

Realm,

But you have not seen my last post yet!

M23

[jchd]

AutoItSetOption('ExpandVarStrings', 1)

It won't work with @xyz (reserved for macros) but will work for (flat) variables.

$visitor = 'Realm'

$page = 'http://www.autoitscript.com/autoit3/docs/functions/AutoItSetOption.htm'

$string = "Hello $visitor, last time you visited us, you were reading $page what topic would you like to read about today?"

will evaluate the way you whish without fuss.

[Spiff59]

I wonder if you might be better off using something like "@@" as your keyword delimiter in case you ever want to include an actual "@" in the text of your messages (for instance, an email address).

Edited April 30, 2010 by Spiff59

[Fulano]

I wonder if you might be better off using something like "@@" as your keyword delimiter in case you ever want to include an actual "@" in the text of your messages (for instance, an email address).

Good point!

[Realm]

Realm,

Our posts crossed.

You cannot just add different parts to the StrngRegExpReplace like that.

I see you are using an ini file - that simplifies things a bit. So, stealing from Fulano (I just know he will not mind! ):

$sIniFile = "Realm.ini" ; this is the text you gave us above

$aLines = IniReadSection($sIniFile, "Messages")

For $i = 1 To $aLines[0][0]

    $aLines[$i][1] = StringRegExpReplace($aLines[$i][1], "@([A-z0-9]+)", '" & $\1 & "')

Next

IniWriteSection($sIniFile, "Messages", $aLines)

I think that will do the trick.

M23

Your Right I did'nt see it, I tested it, I like it, but I will change the iniwrite to another file location/name, so that it does not conflict with the config script that modifies it

Thanks

[jchd]

Are you bound with @ character or can you use the ExpandVars option?

[Realm]

I wonder if you might be better off using something like "@@" as your keyword delimiter in case you ever want to include an actual "@" in the text of your messages (for instance, an email address).

That is a wonderful suggestion, thanks

[Realm]

Are you bound with @ character or can you use the ExpandVars option?

Unfortunately from which the information comes is declared only with @variables.

I'm trying to keep it simple for the game module I'm creating for a teacher, which will allow her students, end users, to make some of the game themselves using allready declared variables, she wants them to be easy like @variable.

Unless you have a better idea that will keep it simple for her elementary level students?

Edited May 1, 2010 by Realm

[jchd]

Then can you replace @ by $ and name your variables accordingly. The expansion will be automatic with this option..

[Realm]

Then can you replace @ by $ and name your variables accordingly. The expansion will be automatic with this option..

Unfortunately the teacher hired someone to create this entire job. they wrote a working config file, but the game module does not work at all. the config file is compiled, so I would have to write a custom config file for here, and still have to reformat the string.

$string = "Hello $visitor, last time you visited us, you were reading $page what topic would you like to read about today?"

$string = "Hello" & $visitor & ", last time you visited us, you were reading" & $page & "what topic would you like to read about today?"

At this point seems, easier to just work the game module to reformat the current output which inclueds the @variables format.

I do appreciate the suggestion, it would be better and easier, if I could modify the config file

Edited May 1, 2010 by Realm

[Spiff59]

At this point seems, easier to just work the game module to reformat the current output which inclueds the @variables format.

I do appreciate the suggestion, it would be better and easier, if I could modify the config file

If you're stuck with this format, then I might add a space to each side of the StringRegExReplace(), so that you are matching on " @" instead of just "@", that would make for a more bullet-proof script that would permit strings like "me@home.com" to exist in the text of the message.