String Split into Recurring Fields that can be either active/inactive

[HSXWillH]

Okay, as I said in my last question about setting up a variable Field-Name to gain initial focus, I'm building a database that will split/manipulate a shorthand code/text and put it in various fields depending on their state. This is a poker database and if you know anything about poker, often times, seats are empty or people fold their hands which will 'inactivate' their future actions. I have fields that will catalog each seat's actions through the hand, that I'm seeking to populate using long strings of the shorthand-code/text I've become familiar with.

An example of the hand set-up is this: B0505E04080910.

Big Blind is Seat 5 and he put up 05$. Seats 04, 08, 09, 10 are empty and as part of that initial string manipulation, I've dis-enabled all the related Seats 04, 08, 09, 10 fields. I've gotten that to work with the assistance of a poster yesterday.

Now, I'm into the revolving string manipulation portion with FieldNames of PoD_Seat01, PoD_Seat02...PoDSeat10 that I wish to populate with data pulled from this string. "06FC05FFR07FC05"

In literal terms, it means: Seat 06 Folded, Seat 7 Called 05$, Seat 8-10 Empty and aren't represented, Seat 1 Folded, Seat 2 Folded, Seat 3 Raised $07, Seat 4 Empty and not represented, Seat 5 Folded, Seat 6 - Folded and no longer in the hand, Seat 7 Called $05.

Graphically
S-01: F
S-02: F
S-03: R07
S-04: Empty
S-05: F
S-06: F
S-07: C05 - C05
S-08: Empty
S-09: Empty
S-10: Empty

Is there a way to assign these actions in a revolving door where based on the codes and field-enabled states, that you can auto-populate the fields involved; taking into account some fields will be dis-enabled (empty) and others will become dis-enabled (folded).

I'm thinking 10 variables that will be each temporary holding spot for each seat's actions...where you'll skip over if the actual field is dis-enabled or if the last character in the variable is an "F" (fold) but I'm not sure this is the way to go, or even how to reset the targeted variable when you cycle back to it from Seat 10 to Seat 1.

I know it's confusing and I'm probably losing half the audience.

[Rabbit]

You would have to create a VBA procedure to parse the string.

The real question is why are you representing the data in this manner instead of splitting it out initially?

[HSXWillH]

The reason I don't do it upfront is I don't have the computer at the table with me. My shorthand code enables me to keep notes quickly and effectively; which I then input in their native form and my goal is to have the VBA parse it into the appropriate fields.

The only part of the coding I don't know have a real idea on how to proceed at this point is the looping within the group of fields and how to account for fields that are either inactive upfront or become inactive based on their input.

The string manipulation itself isn't the issue.

[Rabbit]

Well, since you already know which seat to start with, you just have to start parsing from there and skipping the seats that are empty. What are you having trouble with exactly? The steps are fairly straightforward.

1. Get starting seat
2. Get action
3. Assign to first non-empty seat
4. Repeat from step 2 until end of string

[HSXWillH]

I guess I'm having the trouble of Step 3 here. I might be confusing string manipulation with parsing...how to assign that action to the appropriate seat and then cycle through; knowing that Seat 6 for instance can have 2 actions in the same turn; just separated by all the other actions in the middle.

Dim Counter As Integer
Dim MyString As String
Dim CurrentChar As String
Dim CurrentAction As String
Dim FirstAction As String
 
FirstAction = Mid(Me.Post_Deal_Code, 2, 2)
MyString = Right(Me.Post_Deal_Code, Len(Me.Post_Deal_Code) - 3)
 
For Counter = 1 To Len(MyString)    'do something to each character in string
    CurrentChar = Mid(MyString, Counter, 1)
    If IsNumeric(CurrentChar) Then
        CurrentAction = CurrentAction & CurrentChar
    Else
        If (CurrentAction <> "") Then
            MsgBox CurrentAction  'mere placeholder for this action spot -- this will be the action area to assign to a seat/variable.
        End If
        CurrentAction = ""
        CurrentAction = CurrentAction & CurrentChar
    End If
Next

In this situation; the string is S06FC05FFR07FC05E so we'd start with S06 under the FirstAction variable and then each Action is broken into F-C05-F-F-R07-F-C05 and the E is the end of the string. With S04/8/9/10 already out, I'm lost on how to assign to the appropriate sections.

I can get the data value, but I can't place it at all with any clear idea on how.

[Rabbit]

Well, what you need is something like this, which is in pseducode

i = 1
intSeat = get starting seat number
 
Do While i < length of string
   strAction = ' Get action
 
   Do Until seats(((intseat - 1) Mod totalnumberofseats) + 1) <> empty
      intSeat = intSeat + 1
   Loop
 
   seats(intSeat) = strAction
 
   i = i + Len(strAction)
Loop