FileReadLine returns partial line?

[BrianH2]

I have a script which reads a log file that as it is being written to by another program.

It seems that it is possible to read an incomplete record from the end of the file.

If I pause the program writing to the file, I always read complete records.

If I run both together, the reading script sometimes gets an incomplete last record.

If FileReadLine left the LF on the record I could use that to tell, but it strips these off for you.

Has anyone got a suggestion to avoid receiving a partial record or be able to tell that it was incomplete

I would rather receive an 'end-of-file' condition than the partial data.

The code logic:

$hand=FileOpen("myfile",0)  
Do
 Do
    $nline=FileReadLine($hand)
    if @error=-1 Then ExitLoop
             ..
    do some stuff with the record
             ..
 Until 0
 sleep(5000)
 if $fedup = 1 then exitloop
Until 0
fileclose($hand)

[Valuater]

use file count lines

#include <file.au3>
$CountLines = _FileCountLines("error.log")
MsgBox(64, "Error log  recordcount", "There are " & $CountLines & " in the  error.log.")
Exit

then if you are at the last line just exit the loop

8)

[BrianH2]

use file count lines

#include <file.au3>
$CountLines = _FileCountLines("error.log")
MsgBox(64, "Error log  recordcount", "There are " & $CountLines & " in the  error.log.")
Exit

then if you are at the last line just exit the loop

8)

Thanks Valuater, I am sure that would work but it is also a potential overhead as the file grows very large.

I came up with another solution which avoids the need to repeatedly count the file.

I set up these demo scripts to prove the problem (and solution) to myself...

This script writes the file to be processed.

; This script writes a block of 10 numbered lines to a file, pauses for 5 seconds and repeats until you quit it
Global Const $xontop = 0x40000                      ; MsgBox flag top-most attribute 262144
Global Const $xsystem =  0x1000                     ; MsgBox flag System modal (dialog has an icon) 4096
Global $terminate=0
HotKeySet("{Esc}", "Terminate"); Allow ESC key to terminate the script
$outf=FileOpen("C:\myfile.txt",1)  
If $outf=-1 Then 
    MsgBox($xontop + $xsystem,"A","output file open failed")
    Exit
EndIf
$line=0
Do
    for $i = 1 to 10
        $line=$line+1
        $data=$line&@TAB&" abcdefghijklm    nop qrst    uvwxyz"&@TAB&"1234567890"
        FileWriteLine($outf,$data)
    Next
    if $terminate = 1 then exitloop
    sleep(5000)
    if $terminate = 1 then exitloop
Until 0
fileclose($outf)
Exit
Func Terminate()
; *********   Function to allow the script to be manually terminated if necessary  ****
 MsgBox($xontop + $xsystem, "Request Accepted", @scriptname&" Terminating")
 $terminate=1
EndFunc  ;==>Terminate

This next script shows the problem of reading a file being written.

; This script reads the file being written by testwc until an EOF condition, pauses 5 seconds and then continues
; It will write a partial 10th record every now and then as it reads the record currently being written.
Global Const $xontop = 0x40000                      ; MsgBox flag top-most attribute 262144
Global Const $xsystem =  0x1000                     ; MsgBox flag System modal (dialog has an icon) 4096
Global $terminate=0
HotKeySet("{Esc}", "Terminate"); Allow ESC key to terminate the script
$hand=FileOpen("C:\myfile.txt",0)  
If $hand=-1 Then 
    MsgBox($xontop + $xsystem,"A","input file open failed")
    Exit
EndIf
$outf=FileOpen("C:\mynewfile.txt",1)
If $hand=-1 Then 
    MsgBox($xontop + $xsystem,"B", "output file open failed")
    Exit
EndIf
Do
    Do
        $nline=FileReadLine($hand)
        if @error=-1 Then ExitLoop
        if @error=1 Then ExitLoop
        FileWriteLine($outf,$nline)
        ToolTip("out "&$nline&@error,500,0)
    Until 0
    if $terminate = 1 then exitloop
    sleep(5000)
    if $terminate = 1 then exitloop
Until 0
fileclose($hand)
fileclose($outf)
Exit
Func Terminate()
; *********   Function to allow the script to be manually terminated if necessary  ****
 MsgBox($xontop + $xsystem, "Request Accepted", @scriptname&" Terminating")
 $terminate=1
EndFunc  ;==>Terminate

This script is modified to avoid processing the last (potentially partial) record

expandcollapse popup

; This script reads the file being written by testwc until an EOF condition, pauses 5 seconds and then continues
; It does not suffer the problem of partial reads as it avoids processing the last record of the file.
Global Const $xontop = 0x40000                      ; MsgBox flag top-most attribute 262144
Global Const $xsystem =  0x1000                     ; MsgBox flag System modal (dialog has an icon) 4096
Global $terminate=0
HotKeySet("{Esc}", "Terminate"); Allow ESC key to terminate the script
$hand=FileOpen("C:\myfile.txt",0)  
If $hand=-1 Then 
    MsgBox($xontop + $xsystem,"A","input file open failed")
    Exit
EndIf
$outf=FileOpen("C:\mynewfile2.txt",1)
If $hand=-1 Then 
    MsgBox($xontop + $xsystem,"B", "output file open failed")
    Exit
EndIf
$lineprocessed=0
Do
    Do
        $nline=FileReadLine($hand,$lineprocessed+1)
        if @error=-1 Then ExitLoop
        if @error=1 Then ExitLoop
        Do
            $pline=FileReadLine($hand)
            if @error=-1 Then ExitLoop 2
            if @error=1 Then ExitLoop 2
            ; nline was not the last line so OK to process
            FileWriteLine($outf,$nline)
            ToolTip("out "&$nline&@error,500,20)
            $lineprocessed=$lineprocessed+1
            $nline=$pline
        Until 0
    Until 0
    if $terminate = 1 then exitloop
    sleep(5000)
    if $terminate = 1 then exitloop
Until 0
fileclose($hand)
fileclose($outf)
Exit
Func Terminate()
; *********   Function to allow the script to be manually terminated if necessary  ****
 MsgBox($xontop + $xsystem, "Request Accepted", @scriptname&" Terminating")
 $terminate=1
EndFunc  ;==>Terminate

regards

Brian.