Retrieve "Key" name from "Value" name in .ini files

[doestergaard]

Hej Guys.

Thought I would share a cool thing I found out earlier today. From time to time I use .ini files to make things a bit easier and sometimes I need to get the key name from a section, based on what value it has.

A good example:

[DiskConfigurations]
DiskConfig1=1. Full Disk

[DiskConfig1]
Setup=Disk0|Extend

Lets say that our user has chosen 1. Full Disk from a GUICtrlCombo. The value is a friendly name instead of DiskConfig1, simply because our user might not know which DiskConfig# does which. 

We will then use the key to determine how the disk will be setup/partitionened. Now we will need the key-name of 1. Full Disk.

To retrieve it, we will use the following code:

#include <File.au3>

Example()

Func Example()

   Global $sValue

   ; Assign data to $sValue
   $sValue = "1. Full Disk"

   ; Call GetKeyFromValue() function and output the result
   MsgBox($MB_SYSTEMMODAL, "Result", GetKeyFromValue(), 0)

EndFunc

Func GetKeyFromValue()
   ; Read all values from ini section
   Local $aSection = IniReadSection(@ScriptDir & "\Settings.ini", "DiskConfigurations")
   If IsArray($aSection) Then
      ; Loop through the array until it finds a match
      For $i = 1 To $aSection[0][0]
         If $aSection[$i][1] = $sValue Then
            ; Return the result
            Return $aSection[$i][0]
         EndIf
      Next
   Else
      ; Set the error code to 1 if $aSection is not an array
      SetError(1)
   EndIf
EndFunc

Thats it! Now we would simply have to do:

IniRead(@ScriptDir & "\Settings.ini", GetKeyFromValue(), "Setup", "")

/Daniel

Edited January 25, 2015 by doestergaard

[TheSaint]

I haven't really studied your code, but I'm wondering how you deal with the fact of uniqueness?

Sections names are unique by default, but you have no control over key names or key values, as either could be duplicated many times over in different sections, especially a value, which can occur for many different keys in the same section even.

Edited January 25, 2015 by TheSaint

[JohnOne]

They are not dealt with.

Probably should return an array if it were to be used with standard arrays ini files.

Edited January 25, 2015 by JohnOne