How to delete .INI entries containing specific values?

[Steviep]

Hi all,

I have a script which is used as part of a wrapper for an installer. The script is responsible to performing certain actions, a lot of which involve IniRead & IniWrite.

Today I have been presented with a tricky situation, here's what I am trying to accomplish:

The AutoIT script will read an existing .INI file which contains a section like this:

[Customise]
CustomScript = "Bemaßen" , "Störmer" , "Schließn" , "Schnell schließen" , "" , "OnCloseNoImage.rpt" , "Schnelles schließen der Planung ohne Ansichten zu erzeugen" , "" , "0"
CustomScript = "Einfügen" , "Störmer" , "Schließn" , "Schnell schließen" , "" , "OnCloseNoImage.rpt" , "Schnelles schließen der Planung ohne Ansichten zu erzeugen" , "" , "0"
CustomScript = "Ansicht" , "Störmer" , "Schließn" , "Schnell schließen" , "" , "OnCloseNoImage.rpt" , "Schnelles schließen der Planung ohne Ansichten zu erzeugen" , "" , "0"
CustomScript = "Start" , "Insight" , "Planung ersetzen" , "Prüfen" , "" , "ValidateItems.rpt" , "Prüfen der Artikelkonfiguration" , "" , "0"
CustomScript = "Start" , "Insight" , "Prüfen" , "Preis" , "" , "PriceItems.rpt" , "Preise bestimmen" , "" , "0"
CustomScript = "Start" , "Insight" , "Preis" , "Abbrechen" , "" , "AbortChanges.rpt" , "Abbrechen der Planung ohne aktuelle Änderungen zu übernehmen" , "" , "0"
CustomScript = "Start" , "Insight" , "Abbrechen" , "Spiegeln" , "" , "OnMirror.rpt" , "Horizontales oder vertikales Spiegeln der aktuellen Planung" , "" , "0"
CustomScript = "Start" , "Insight" , "Spiegeln" , "Schnell schließen" , "" , "OnCloseNoImage.rpt" , "Schnelles schließen der Planung ohne Ansichten zu erzeugen" , "" , "0"
CustomScript = "Start" , "Insight" , "Schnell schließen" , "Schließn" , "" , "OnClose.rpt" , "Schnelles schließen der Planung mit Ansichten zu erzeugen" , "" , "0"

I need to delete only the lines which contain "CustomScript = "Start" , "Insight"".

I have not had any luck with IniDelete since this function only accepts Filename, Section and Key, but no value. Any suggestions?

Many thanks!

[jchd]

This file structure is incompatible with .INI conventions: duplicate keys can't be handled properly using standard calls.

[Steviep]

Thanks for the quick response JCHD. I had a feeling this might be the case. As a workaround, do you believe there would be a way to simply delete any line which starts with "CustomScript = "Start" , "Insight"" ?

[Melba23]

Steviep,

Read the file to an array and then check each line to see if it matches the required format - delete it if it does:

#include <Array.au3>

; Simulate reading file to an array
Global $aLines[] = ['[Customise]', _
             'CustomScript = "Bemaßen" , "Störmer" , "Schließn" , "Schnell schließen" , "" , "OnCloseNoImage.rpt" , "Schnelles schließen der Planung ohne Ansichten zu erzeugen" , "" , "0"', _
             'CustomScript = "Einfügen" , "Störmer" , "Schließn" , "Schnell schließen" , "" , "OnCloseNoImage.rpt" , "Schnelles schließen der Planung ohne Ansichten zu erzeugen" , "" , "0"', _
             'CustomScript = "Ansicht" , "Störmer" , "Schließn" , "Schnell schließen" , "" , "OnCloseNoImage.rpt" , "Schnelles schließen der Planung ohne Ansichten zu erzeugen" , "" , "0"', _
             'CustomScript = "Start" , "Insight" , "Planung ersetzen" , "Prüfen" , "" , "ValidateItems.rpt" , "Prüfen der Artikelkonfiguration" , "" , "0"', _
             'CustomScript = "Start" , "Insight" , "Prüfen" , "Preis" , "" , "PriceItems.rpt" , "Preise bestimmen" , "" , "0"', _
             'CustomScript = "Start" , "Insight" , "Preis" , "Abbrechen" , "" , "AbortChanges.rpt" , "Abbrechen der Planung ohne aktuelle Änderungen zu übernehmen" , "" , "0"', _
             'CustomScript = "Start" , "Insight" , "Abbrechen" , "Spiegeln" , "" , "OnMirror.rpt" , "Horizontales oder vertikales Spiegeln der aktuellen Planung" , "" , "0"', _
             'CustomScript = "Start" , "Insight" , "Spiegeln" , "Schnell schließen" , "" , "OnCloseNoImage.rpt" , "Schnelles schließen der Planung ohne Ansichten zu erzeugen" , "" , "0"', _
             'CustomScript = "Start" , "Insight" , "Schnell schließen" , "Schließn" , "" , "OnClose.rpt" , "Schnelles schließen der Planung mit Ansichten zu erzeugen" , "" , "0"']

$sString = 'CustomScript = "Start" , "Insight"'
$iLen = StringLen($sString)

; Now examine each line - note we start at the end
For $i = UBound($aLines) - 1 To 0 Step -1
    ; If the line starts with the required text
    If StringLeft($aLines[$i], $iLen) = $sString Then
        ; Delete it
        _ArrayDelete($aLines, $i)
    EndIf
Next

; And here is the result
_ArrayDisplay($aLines, "", Default, 8)

M23

[jchd]

Normally I would be very tempted to add that a highly generic, flexible, safe and powerful file storage for application data is best achieved by SQLite, but of course I wouldn't dare to say that here

Yet all these kind of issues (and much more) would be quickly elegantly solved by doing so. Worth $0.02.