Trying to end a While...Wend loop

[mapoul]

My non-programming brain has been trying for the past couple of days to figure out the logic to end a loop that I've created. I've searched the forums and help files for ideas, but I haven't found anything that has worked for me yet.

Here's the summary: I'm trying to copy text from Excel, move down one cell, copy that cell, etc. until I reach a blank (null) cell. So I tried to tell the loop to only run when StringLen(ClipGet) > 4 (all of my text strings are 10 or more, null cells appear to = 2). However, the loop doesn't stop once it copies the null cell, it just keeps going forever. I'm sure it's something simple that I just don't understand or a flaw in my logic, but I can't seem to figure it out.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

CODE

HotKeySet("{ESC}", "MyExit")

ShellExecute("Book1.xls","","C:\","open")

WinActivate("Microsoft Excel - Book1.xls","")

WinWaitActive("Microsoft Excel - Book1.xls","", 2)

Global $clip=ClipGet()

Global $len=StringLen($clip)

Send("^c")

While $len > 4

Sleep(1000)

Send("^c")

Sleep(1000)

Send("{DOWN}")

WEnd

MsgBox(4096, "Done?", "Yes")

Func MyExit()

Exit

EndFunc

BTW, the Excel file just has company names in it:

Cell A1=Continuous Computing

Cell A2=Alcatel USA

Cell A3=Nortel Networks

Cell A4=blank (null)

Thank you,

mapoul

[BALA]

The code doesn't seem to have a way to redeclare the $lens variable. Since the $lens isn't being redeclared, it stays as less than 4 and your loop continues.

Edited January 31, 2007 by BALA

[SmOke_N]

As BALA Stated:

While $len > 4
    Sleep(1000)
    Send("^c")
    Sleep(1000)
    Send("{DOWN}")
    $len = StringLen(ClipGet())
WEnd

[Shevilie]

Well heres some

$holder will now contain all whats clipped with a ; to seperate

HotKeySet("{ESC}", "MyExit")
ShellExecute("Book1.xls","","C:\","open")
WinActivate("Microsoft Excel - Book1.xls","")
WinWaitActive("Microsoft Excel - Book1.xls","", 2)

Global $clip
Global $len = 10
Global $holder = ""

While $len > 4
    Sleep(1000)
    Send("^c")
    Sleep(1000)
    Send("{DOWN}")
    $clip=ClipGet()
    $holder = $holder & ";" & $clip
    $len=StringLen($clip)
WEnd
MsgBox(0,0,$holder)
MsgBox(4096, "Done?", "Yes")

Func MyExit() 
 Exit
EndFunc

[mapoul]

Thanks for the quick responses. It works great now. You're both gentlemen and scholars.

mapoul

[Shevilie]

Well np Try the Autoit tutorial (its somewhere on the forum)