Padding records to a specified length

Merlin · Jun 17, 2005#12005-06-17T19:14+00:00

I'm kind of new at this. I have used UE for a few years, but never used the macro portion.

Anyhow, what I am wanting to do is build a macro that will pad variable length records to a lenght of 280 characters. The only catch is that between groups of records there is a line that only has a hex "0a". I need those records to stay as is.

Any suggestions?

Bruce

Mofi · Jun 18, 2005#22005-06-18T12:59+00:00

An example how it looks like before and after would help us a lot.

Merlin · Jun 20, 2005#32005-06-20T15:31+00:00

Thanks, I'll get a file for you to look at. Give me a bit.

Jun 20, 2005#42005-06-20T15:58+00:00

BEFORE:

#999XXXX XXXX XXXX XX XXXX 99999999 9999 99999
XX99999999999999 XXXX99999999XX 99999999XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 99999 99 XXX9999999XXXX
XXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX99XXXXXX9999X X XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 9999999999
XXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 99 XXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX99999
XXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 99 XXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX99999
XXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 99 XXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX99999
#999 99999 9

AFTER:

#999XXXX XXXX XXXX XX XXXX 99999999 9999 99999
XX99999999999999 XXXX99999999XX 99999999XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 99999 99 XXX9999999XXXX
XXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX99XXXXXX9999X X XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 9999999999
XXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 99 XXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX99999
XXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 99 XXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX99999
XXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 99 XXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX99999
#999 99999 9
HOPE THIS HELPS AND THANKS AGAIN.

Mofi · Jun 21, 2005#52005-06-21T06:15+00:00

The example is not very usefull, because BEFORE and AFTER are identical.

Set your examples inside the

Code: Select all

tags and use the preview button to first look, if it is correct displayed by the browser.

Merlin · Jun 22, 2005#62005-06-22T13:34+00:00

Sorry about that. I didn't realize that it cut all of the spaces out of it basically. Also, there is 1 CRLF at the end of each file. That needs to be there in order for our system to work properly. That can not be padded out, otherwise, to will be seen as a blank record.

Thanks again for your help.

The following is the unpadded (original) format.

Code: Select all

#999XXXX XXXX XXXX XX XXXX 99999999 9999 99999
XX99999999999999         XXXX99999999XX                                                                                                     99999999XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX    99999 99     XXX9999999XXXX
XXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX99XXXXXX9999X                      X XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX     9999999
XXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXX          XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX    99 XXXXXXXXXXXX               XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX99999
XXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXX          XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX    99 XXXXXXXXXXXX               XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX99999
XXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXX          XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX    99 XXXXXXXXXXXX               XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX99999
#999 99999     9

The following is with the records padded out to 280 characters (which is what I am trying to do).

Code: Select all

#999XXXX XXXX XXXX XX XXXX 99999999 9999 99999                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          
XX99999999999999         XXXX99999999XX                                                                                                     99999999XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX    99999 99     XXX9999999XXXX                                                                           
XXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX99XXXXXX9999X                      X XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX     9999999999                                                                                                                                                             
XXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXX          XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX    99 XXXXXXXXXXXX               XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX99999                                                                                                                                                                
XXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXX          XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX    99 XXXXXXXXXXXX               XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX99999                                                                                                                                                                
XXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXX          XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX    99 XXXXXXXXXXXX               XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX99999                                                                                                                                                                
#999 99999     9

Mofi · Jun 22, 2005#72005-06-22T15:13+00:00

OK. So this macro should work for you, but only if there is no line, which has a line length greater than 280!

It simply selects the whole file in column mode expands the selection to 280 characters, copy it and paste it over the selection. This procedure adds the spaces on every line to get 280 characters per line.

Then a regular expression is used to shorten all lines, which contain only spaces by removing the spaces <- restores lines previously have only a linefeed 0a.

If your file has lines with more than 280 characters, an additional line splitter code is needed.

InsertMode
ColumnModeOff
HexOff
UnixReOff
Bottom
"
"
Top
ColumnModeOn
SelectToBottom
StartSelect
Key HOME
Loop 280
Key RIGHT ARROW
EndLoop
Copy
Paste
ColumnModeOff
EndSelect
Top
Find RegExp "%[ ]+$"
Replace All ""
Bottom
DeleteLine
Top

Merlin · Jun 22, 2005#82005-06-22T17:57+00:00

WOW! That worked perfectly. Where did you learn how to do that? And that quickly.

Thank you so much!