Topic: ( Challenge ) Matching and returning strings

[Mark]

Write a function that returns the lines of text that match '(<str>)' or '[<str>]' from a list of strings, as in read from a file.

Example:
Our text file contains the lines;

Code: [Select]


1 this is a line of text
2 this is a (line) of text
3 this is a line of text
4 this is a line of text
5 this [is] a line of text
6 this is a line of text



the function should return lines 2 and 5 only.

Note: Please give the newbies a chance at this before you post your answer. Thanks.

[whdjr]

Mark,

Is this 'text' in a dwg or txt file?
Is it text or mtext or could be both?
If it is text are we to allow for multiple selections?

Am I taking this too far?
Are you just asking for the cut and dry function?

[Mark]

Mark,

Is this 'text' in a dwg or txt file?
Is it text or mtext or could be both?
If it is text are we to allow for multiple selections?

Am I taking this too far?
Are you just asking for the cut and dry function?

For the sake of this challenge let's say we're reading lines of text from a file.

Are you just asking for the cut and dry function?

I guess so .....

[Amsterdammed]

Mark,

like this?

(defun findstring (/ LINE LINES TXT)

  (setq txt (open (findfile "test.txt") "R"))

  (while (setq line (read-line txt))

    (if (or (and (vl-string-position (ascii "(") line)
                 (vl-string-position (ascii ")") line)
                 ) ;_ end of and
            (and (vl-string-position (ascii "[") line)
                 (vl-string-position (ascii "]") line)
                 ) ;_ end of and
            ) ;_ end of or
      (setq lines (append lines (list line)))
      ) ;_ end of if
    ) ;_ end of while
  (close txt)
  (mapcar '(lambda (x) (prompt (strcat "\n" x))) lines)
  (princ)

  )

[Mark]

Something like that. Try using 'wcmatch'.

[Amsterdammed]

Hmm,

Mark,
why is

(wcmatch " this [is] a line of text " "*[*" )  

false and

(wcmatch " this [is] a line of text " "*]*" )

True?

is er somthing special with [ , like \ ??
I don't get this

Bernd

[Mark]

try using a " ` " (tick) to escape the " [ ] " and " ( )" in your pattern. remember you want to match "[<str>]" ; the whole thing.

[Amsterdammed]

Mark.

Interesting. I
To be honest, I never used this before  (lack of knowledge). I only used the * as wildcard, but there is much more, I see.

Code: [Select]

(defun findstring (/ LINE LINES TXT)

  (setq txt (open (findfile "test.txt") "R"))

  (while (setq line (read-line txt))

    (if (or (wcmatch line "*`(*,*`)*")
            (wcmatch line "*`[*,*`]*")
            ) ;_ end of or
      (setq lines (append lines (list line)))
      ) ;_ end of if
    ) ;_ end of while
  (close txt)
  (mapcar '(lambda (x) (prompt (strcat "\n" x))) lines)
  (princ)

  )

Is that how you would do it? (I still always go the hard, long way; I'm afraid)
Thanks,
Bernd

[Mark]

That's what I was talking about.

[tcdan]

Cool!  How do you think this could be used. . . I'm trying to think of some good applications.