Topic: Datatable to MText (VB.Net)

[TREEFINGERS]

Hello,

I've been a lurker for a while and have learned so much from all of your contributions. First let me say thanks! Now, I'd just like to share. I made a short example here of converting a datatable to mtext, which for me will be invaluable, as you can basically insert sql data directly into the drawing. I'm putting it here for any changes or comments you have, or maybe someone might find it useful.

I borrowed some of the mtext code from Kean here: http://through-the-interface.typepad.com/through_the_interface/2010/06/creating-an-autocad-mtext-object-containing-different-colours-using-net.html

I had to use the stringbuilder to convert the datatable to something mtext could handle. Perhaps there's a better way?

Any ideas on formatting columns?

Code - vb.net: [Select]

1. Imports System.Text
2. Imports Autodesk.AutoCAD.Runtime
3. Imports Autodesk.AutoCAD.ApplicationServices
4. Imports Autodesk.AutoCAD.DatabaseServices
5. Imports Autodesk.AutoCAD.Geometry
6. Imports Autodesk.AutoCAD.EditorInput
7.  
8. <Assembly: CommandClass(GetType(MTextFromDataTable.MyCommands))>
9.  
10. Namespace MTextFromDataTable
11.     Public Class MyCommands
12.         <CommandMethod("MTFDT")> Public Sub MTFDT()
13.             Dim doc As Document = Application.DocumentManager.MdiActiveDocument
14.             Dim db As Database = doc.Database
15.             Dim ed As Editor = doc.Editor
16.  
17.             Dim table As New System.Data.DataTable
18.  
19.             table.Columns.Add("Dosage", GetType(Integer))
20.             table.Columns.Add("Drug", GetType(String))
21.             table.Columns.Add("Patient", GetType(String))
22.             table.Columns.Add("Date", GetType(DateTime))
23.             table.Rows.Add(25, "Indocin", "David", DateTime.Now)
24.             table.Rows.Add(50, "Enebrel", "Sam", DateTime.Now)
25.             table.Rows.Add(10, "Hydralazine", "Christoff", DateTime.Now)
26.             table.Rows.Add(21, "Combivent", "Janet", DateTime.Now)
27.             table.Rows.Add(100, "Dilantin", "Melanie", DateTime.Now)
28.  
29.             Dim ppo As New PromptPointOptions(vbCrLf & "Insertion Point")
30.             Dim ppr As PromptPointResult
31.             ppr = ed.GetPoint(ppo)
32.             If ppr.Status <> PromptStatus.OK Then
33.                 ed.WriteMessage(vbCrLf & "Cancelled.")
34.                 Exit Sub
35.             End If
36.  
37.             Dim insertPt As Point3d = ppr.Value
38.  
39.             Using tr As Transaction = db.TransactionManager.StartTransaction
40.                 Dim mt As New MText
41.                 Dim mtid As ObjectId
42.                 mt.Location = insertPt
43.                 Dim sb As New StringBuilder()
44.                 For i = 0 To table.Rows.Count - 1
45.                     sb.AppendLine(table.Rows(i).Item(0) & ControlChars.Tab & table.Rows(i).Item(1) & ControlChars.Tab & table.Rows(i).Item(2) & ControlChars.Tab & table.Rows(i).Item(3))
46.                 Next
47.                 mt.Contents = sb.ToString
48.                 Dim bt As BlockTable = CType(tr.GetObject(db.BlockTableId, OpenMode.ForRead), BlockTable)
49.                 Dim ms As BlockTableRecord = CType(tr.GetObject(bt(BlockTableRecord.ModelSpace), OpenMode.ForWrite), BlockTableRecord)
50.                 mtid = ms.AppendEntity(mt)
51.                 tr.AddNewlyCreatedDBObject(mt, True)
52.                 tr.Commit()
53.             End Using
54.         End Sub
55.     End Class
56. End Namespace

edit:kdub code=vbnet

[TheMaster]

<snip>

Any ideas on formatting columns?

How about using an AutoCAD TABLE ?

If you can get your data into any format supported by AutoCAD's Excel data linking mechanism (e.g., .xls, xlsx, or .csv),  you're pretty much done cause AutoCAD will do rest of the work for you.

I would just output a .CSV file which is really easy to do, and then use AutoCAD's TABLE command to create a table from a data link. That also has the benefit of automatically updating the table when the source data file changes.

[fixo]

I'm using multicolumns not often, perhaps
something like this should work for you

Code - vb.net: [Select]

1.    <CommandMethod("MTFD")> _
2.         Public Sub testMTX()
3.             Dim doc As Document = Autodesk.AutoCAD.ApplicationServices.Application.DocumentManager.MdiActiveDocument
4.             Dim db As Database = doc.Database
5.             Dim ed As Editor = doc.Editor
6.             Try
7.                 Dim table As New System.Data.DataTable
8.                 table.BeginInit()
9.                 table.BeginLoadData()
10.                 table.Columns.Add("Dosage", GetType(Integer))
11.                 table.Columns.Add("Drug", GetType(String))
12.                 table.Columns.Add("Patient", GetType(String))
13.                 table.Columns.Add("Date", GetType(DateTime))
14.                 table.Rows.Add(25, "Indocin", "David", DateTime.Now)
15.                 table.Rows.Add(50, "Enebrel", "Sam", DateTime.Now)
16.                 table.Rows.Add(10, "Hydralazine", "Christoff", DateTime.Now)
17.                 table.Rows.Add(21, "Combivent", "Janet", DateTime.Now)
18.                 table.Rows.Add(100, "Dilantin", "Melanie", DateTime.Now)
19.                 table.EndInit()
20.                 table.AcceptChanges()
21.                 table.EndLoadData()
22.                
23.                 Dim ppo As New PromptPointOptions(vbCrLf & "Insertion Point")
24.                 Dim ppr As PromptPointResult
25.                 ppr = ed.GetPoint(ppo)
26.                 If ppr.Status <> PromptStatus.OK Then
27.                     ed.WriteMessage(vbCrLf & "Cancelled.")
28.                     Return
29.                 End If
30.  
31.                 Dim insertPt As Point3d = ppr.Value
32.  
33.                 Using tr As Transaction = db.TransactionManager.StartTransaction
34.                     Dim mt As New MText
35.                     Dim mtid As ObjectId
36.                     mt.Location = insertPt
37.                     Dim sb As New StringBuilder()
38.                     Dim gap As Double = db.Textsize
39.                     For i = 0 To table.Rows.Count - 1
40.                         sb.AppendLine(table.Rows(i).Item(0).ToString() & vbTab & table.Rows(i).Item(1).ToString() & vbTab & table.Rows(i).Item(2).ToString().PadRight(12) & vbTab & table.Rows(i).Item(3).ToString() & "\P")
41.                     Next
42.  
43.                     mt.Contents = sb.ToString().TrimEnd("\P")
44.  
45.                     mt.SetStaticColumns(mt.ActualWidth / 4, gap, 4)
46.  
47.                     mt.Height = gap * table.Rows.Count * 3
48.                     Dim bt As BlockTable = CType(tr.GetObject(db.BlockTableId, OpenMode.ForRead), BlockTable)
49.                     Dim ms As BlockTableRecord = CType(tr.GetObject(bt(BlockTableRecord.ModelSpace), OpenMode.ForWrite), BlockTableRecord)
50.                     mtid = ms.AppendEntity(mt)
51.                     tr.AddNewlyCreatedDBObject(mt, True)
52.                     tr.Commit()
53.                 End Using
54.             Catch ex As System.Exception
55.                 ed.WriteMessage(vbLf & ex.StackTrace)
56.             Finally
57.                 'do nothing
58.             End Try
59.         End Sub

edit:kdub code=vbnet