Deleting single line of txt file

[Centrally]

I want to delete single line of text from a .txt file and cannot get it to work.

First I use

$lineDelete = FileOpen("test.txt", 1)

And than

_FileWriteToLine($lineDelete, 2,"", 1)

This does nothing, and if I change 2nd flag in FileOpen to 2 than it erase entire text from file. Any ideas or suggestions?

[guinness]

Did you search? I did >>

[Jos]

Use the filename in _FileWriteToLine() and forget the Fileopen() as it serves no purpose here other than keeping the file locked.

Edited February 3, 2013 by Jos
updated explanation

[Centrally]

Did you search? I did >>

Did you even read my question you would see that I already found topic you are refering to and that my code is exactly same like solution one.

[guinness]

Did you even read my question you would see that I already found topic you are refering to and that my code is exactly same like solution one.

I did, no mention of that topic I'm afraid nor of searching. Did you read Jos' response?

[Centrally]

I did, no mention of that topic I'm afraid nor of searching. Did you read Jos' response?

Yes and using it was he posted entire text get deleted.

_FileWriteToLine("test.txt", 2,"", 1)

And I always try to find solutions online before opening topics or posting questions.

Any more ideas why my entire file get deleted instead of just line number 2?

[Jos]

Yes and using it was he posted entire text get deleted.

_FileWriteToLine("test.txt", 2,"", 1)

And I always try to find solutions online before opening topics or posting questions.

Any more ideas why my entire file get deleted instead of just line number 2?

This statement will only delete line 2 ... not the whole file!

You must have done something wrong somewhere.

Jos

[Jos]

run this for testing:

#include<file.au3>
; fill file
$Filename = "testfile.txt"
$hF = FileOpen($Filename,2)
FileWriteLine($hF,"line 1")
FileWriteLine($hF,"line 2")
FileWriteLine($hF,"line 3")
FileWriteLine($hF,"line 4")
FileWriteLine($hF,"line 5")
FileClose($hF)
;remove line 2
_FileWriteToLine($Filename, 2,"", 1)
ShellExecute($Filename)

Jos

[Centrally]

run this for testing:

#include<file.au3>
; fill file
$Filename = "testfile.txt"
$hF = FileOpen($Filename,2)
FileWriteLine($hF,"line 1")
FileWriteLine($hF,"line 2")
FileWriteLine($hF,"line 3")
FileWriteLine($hF,"line 4")
FileWriteLine($hF,"line 5")
FileClose($hF)
;remove line 2
_FileWriteToLine($Filename, 2,"", 1)
ShellExecute($Filename)

Jos

Well I manage to make it work in single form of what you posted but in my code which is quite big I couldn't get it to work via function. Because I had to delete 2nd line on multiple occasions during script conditions. However if I use this with function it will delete entire text which is really strange, and if I use it directly it's works. Anyway thanks for your quick responses and ideas.

[Jos]

However if I use this with function it will delete entire text which is really strange, and if I use it directly it's works.

Don't think so.

[Centrally]

Don't think so.

Well I know that error must lie somwhere inside my code but it's less effort just doing hacky way since it would take unnecessary much amount of time to debug it.(~7k lines of code) Edited February 3, 2013 by Centrally

[BrewManNH]

Is there such a thing as unnecessary debugging time?

EDIT: I meant unecessary debugging time when there's an error in the script causing unwanted actions being performed. In case that wasn't clear what I wrote.

Edited February 3, 2013 by BrewManNH

[JailDoctor]

I get an error with this method:

Here is my code:

#include <File.au3>
_FileWriteToLine("C:\temp\" & "Test.txt",1,"",1) ; overwrite the first line with nothing

Here is my original Test.txt data:

1 Line to delete

2 Do not delete

3 Do not delete

3 Do not delete

4 Do not delete

5 Do not delete

6 Do not delete

Obviously I just want to delete the first line, but the code deletes the first two lines. See output file data:

3 Do not delete

3 Do not delete

4 Do not delete

5 Do not delete

6 Do not delete

[Jos]

Works fine here with your input lines and script.

Anything special with the input file like CR/LF/CRLF mixing or something?

Jos

[jdelaney]

Interesting...this works:

#include <File.au3>
$sFile = @DesktopDir & "/test.txt"
_FileCreate($sFile)
$sFileText ="1 Line to delete" & @CRLF & _
"2 Do not delete" & @CRLF & _
"3 Do not delete" & @CRLF & _
"3 Do not delete" & @CRLF & _
"4 Do not delete" & @CRLF & _
"5 Do not delete" & @CRLF & _
"6 Do not delete"
FileWrite($sFile, $sFileText)
_FileWriteToLine($sFile,1,"",1)
ConsoleWrite(FileRead($sFile) & @CRLF)

2 Do not delete

3 Do not delete

3 Do not delete

4 Do not delete

5 Do not delete

6 Do not delete

mixing cr/lf's does not:

#include <File.au3>
$sFile = @DesktopDir & "/test.txt"
_FileCreate($sFile)
$sFileText ="1 Line to delete" & @CR & _
"2 Do not delete" & @LF & _
"3 Do not delete" & @CRLF & _
"3 Do not delete" & @CRLF & _
"4 Do not delete" & @CRLF & _
"5 Do not delete" & @CRLF & _
"6 Do not delete"
FileWrite($sFile, $sFileText)
_FileWriteToLine($sFile,1,"",1)
ConsoleWrite(FileRead($sFile) & @CRLF)

3 Do not delete

3 Do not delete

4 Do not delete

5 Do not delete

6 Do not delete

fixed:

#include <File.au3>
$sFile = @DesktopDir & "/test.txt"
_FileCreate($sFile)
$sFileText ="1 Line to delete" & @CR & _
"2 Do not delete" & @LF & _
"3 Do not delete" & @CRLF & _
"3 Do not delete" & @CRLF & _
"4 Do not delete" & @CRLF & _
"5 Do not delete" & @CRLF & _
"6 Do not delete"
$sFileText = StringRegExpReplace($sFileText, "[\r\n]+", @CRLF)
FileWrite($sFile, $sFileText)
_FileWriteToLine($sFile,1,"",1)
ConsoleWrite(FileRead($sFile) & @CRLF)

2 Do not delete

3 Do not delete

3 Do not delete

4 Do not delete

5 Do not delete

6 Do not delete

"Issue" is with this line in _fileWriteToLine:

Local $aSplit_File = StringSplit(StringStripCR($sRead_File), @LF)

If using @cr, those "lines" are killed

Edited May 7, 2013 by jdelaney

[Jos]

Isn't that surprising when looking at the UDF code where it is assumes that there is always a LF at the end of each records:

Local $aSplit_File = StringSplit(StringStripCR($sRead_File), @LF)

Jos

[JailDoctor]

But my lines end with @CRLF

Jos, I'm confused now .

How do I fix this.

Should I open the UDF and change the LF to CRLF?

[jdelaney]

This works well, and preserves blank lines:

#include <File.au3>
$sFile = @DesktopDir & "/test.txt"
_FileCreate($sFile)
$sFileText ="1 Line to delete" & @CR & @LF & @CR & @CR & @LF & _
 "2 Do not delete" & @LF & @CRLF & _
 "3 Do not delete" & @CRLF & @CRLF & _
 "3 Do not delete" & @CRLF & _
 "4 Do not delete" & @CRLF & _
 "5 Do not delete" & @CRLF & _
 "6 Do not delete"
 $sFileText = StringRegExpReplace($sFileText, "\r+?[\n+?]?", @CRLF)
 FileWrite($sFile, $sFileText)
 _FileWriteToLine($sFile,1,"",1)
 ConsoleWrite(FileRead($sFile) & @CRLF)

Edited May 7, 2013 by jdelaney

[Jos]

But my lines end with @CRLF

When that is the case it should work fine.

How do I fix this.

Should I open the UDF and change the LF to CRLF?

Nope, there must be something wrong with the file. ZIP it and attach it to a post or PM so I can have a look.

Jos

[JailDoctor]

Its a really small file.

Test.txt