converting tabs into spaces?

[p s]

hi all
i have a vb6 project, one of the functions is to read in a text file and
place it into an array
problem is, when people use the TAB key in the original file that is read, i
just get the tab code in the string,
what i need is for the TAB to literally become that many SPACES ... the
problem is this
can vary depending on where exactly the TAB key is hit!
i have tried

sOrigString = Replace(sOrigSt ring, vbTab, " ")

but this just puts in one space
of course if someone hits the tab key at the start of the line it will jump
the cursor further than if someone hit it a few characters in (if you know
what i mean!)

can anybody help?

thanks
pete

[Rick Rothstein]

> i have a vb6 project, one of the functions is to read in a text file and

place it into an array
problem is, when people use the TAB key in the original file that is read, i just get the tab code in the string,
what i need is for the TAB to literally become that many SPACES ... the
problem is this
can vary depending on where exactly the TAB key is hit!
i have tried

sOrigString = Replace(sOrigSt ring, vbTab, " ")

but this just puts in one space
of course if someone hits the tab key at the start of the line it will jump the cursor further than if someone hit it a few characters in (if you know
what i mean!)

can anybody help?

I've read through the thread and, if I understand where Tab places the next
print position correctly (an 8 space tab writes at positions 1,9,18,etc.;
otherwise adjust the TabOffset calculation if I'm wrong), wish to offer this
alternative to the other posts. I didn't check the other's codes, but in a
long string, I'm thinking this may be faster in that it uses a Mid$
statement as opposed to continual concatenations. Also, this function will
correctly step over a Tab position if a substring is longer than the TabSize
(again, I didn't check the other's code for this).

Rick - MVP

Function FillInTabs(ByVa l TextIn, _
Optional TabSize As Integer = 8) As String
Dim X As Long
Dim Position As Long
Dim TabOffset As Long
Dim TextArray() As String
Position = 1
TabOffset = 1 + TabSize
TextArray = Split(TextIn, vbTab)
FillInTabs = Space$(Len(Text In) + _
TabOffset * UBound(TextArra y))
For X = 0 To UBound(TextArra y)
Mid$(FillInTabs , Position) = TextArray(X)
Position = Position + Len(TextArray(X ))
If Position Mod TabOffset Then
Position = TabOffset * _
Int((Position + TabOffset) / _
TabOffset)
End If
Next
FillInTabs = Trim$(FillInTab s)
End Function

[Tony Proctor]

I haven't checked your code Rick, but it looks to be a good efficient
method.

P.S. I think the TAB offsets would be 1,9,17,25,etc, rather than 1,9,18,...
:-)
As you can tell from my 2nd posting here, I too find zero-based indexing
more natural, and flipping between languages doesn't help the gray hairs.

Tony

"Rick Rothstein" <ri************ @NOSPAMcomcast. net> wrote in message
news:up******** ******@TK2MSFTN GP11.phx.gbl...

i have a vb6 project, one of the functions is to read in a text file and
place it into an array
problem is, when people use the TAB key in the original file that is read,

i

just get the tab code in the string,
what i need is for the TAB to literally become that many SPACES ... the
problem is this
can vary depending on where exactly the TAB key is hit!
i have tried

sOrigString = Replace(sOrigSt ring, vbTab, " ")

but this just puts in one space
of course if someone hits the tab key at the start of the line it will jump

the cursor further than if someone hit it a few characters in (if you

know what i mean!)

can anybody help?

I've read through the thread and, if I understand where Tab places the

next print position correctly (an 8 space tab writes at positions 1,9,18,etc.;
otherwise adjust the TabOffset calculation if I'm wrong), wish to offer this alternative to the other posts. I didn't check the other's codes, but in a
long string, I'm thinking this may be faster in that it uses a Mid$
statement as opposed to continual concatenations. Also, this function will
correctly step over a Tab position if a substring is longer than the TabSize (again, I didn't check the other's code for this).

Rick - MVP

Function FillInTabs(ByVa l TextIn, _
Optional TabSize As Integer = 8) As String
Dim X As Long
Dim Position As Long
Dim TabOffset As Long
Dim TextArray() As String
Position = 1
TabOffset = 1 + TabSize
TextArray = Split(TextIn, vbTab)
FillInTabs = Space$(Len(Text In) + _
TabOffset * UBound(TextArra y))
For X = 0 To UBound(TextArra y)
Mid$(FillInTabs , Position) = TextArray(X)
Position = Position + Len(TextArray(X ))
If Position Mod TabOffset Then
Position = TabOffset * _
Int((Position + TabOffset) / _
TabOffset)
End If
Next
FillInTabs = Trim$(FillInTab s)
End Function

[Rick Rothstein]

The code above is incorrect... it places tab positions at 1, 9, 18, 27, etc.
instead of at the intervals 1, 9, 15, 25, etc. Thanks to Tony Proctor for
pointing this out in another part of this thread. Here is the correct code
to use.

Function FillInTabs(ByVa l TextIn, _
Optional TabSize As Integer = 8) As String
Dim X As Long
Dim Position As Long
Dim TextArray() As String
Position = 0
TextArray = Split(TextIn, vbTab)
FillInTabs = Space$(Len(Text In) + _
TabSize * UBound(TextArra y))
For X = 0 To UBound(TextArra y)
Mid$(FillInTabs , Position + 1) = TextArray(X)
Position = Position + Len(TextArray(X ))
If Position Mod TabSize Then
Position = TabSize * _
Int((Position + TabSize) / _
TabSize)
End If
Next
FillInTabs = Trim$(FillInTab s)
End Function

Rick - MVP

"Rick Rothstein" <ri************ @NOSPAMcomcast. net> wrote in message
news:up******** ******@TK2MSFTN GP11.phx.gbl...

i have a vb6 project, one of the functions is to read in a text file and
place it into an array
problem is, when people use the TAB key in the original file that is read,

i

just get the tab code in the string,
what i need is for the TAB to literally become that many SPACES ... the
problem is this
can vary depending on where exactly the TAB key is hit!
i have tried

sOrigString = Replace(sOrigSt ring, vbTab, " ")

but this just puts in one space
of course if someone hits the tab key at the start of the line it will jump

the cursor further than if someone hit it a few characters in (if you

know what i mean!)

can anybody help?

I've read through the thread and, if I understand where Tab places the

next print position correctly (an 8 space tab writes at positions 1,9,18,etc.;
otherwise adjust the TabOffset calculation if I'm wrong), wish to offer this alternative to the other posts. I didn't check the other's codes, but in a
long string, I'm thinking this may be faster in that it uses a Mid$
statement as opposed to continual concatenations. Also, this function will
correctly step over a Tab position if a substring is longer than the TabSize (again, I didn't check the other's code for this).

Rick - MVP

Function FillInTabs(ByVa l TextIn, _
Optional TabSize As Integer = 8) As String
Dim X As Long
Dim Position As Long
Dim TabOffset As Long
Dim TextArray() As String
Position = 1
TabOffset = 1 + TabSize
TextArray = Split(TextIn, vbTab)
FillInTabs = Space$(Len(Text In) + _
TabOffset * UBound(TextArra y))
For X = 0 To UBound(TextArra y)
Mid$(FillInTabs , Position) = TextArray(X)
Position = Position + Len(TextArray(X ))
If Position Mod TabOffset Then
Position = TabOffset * _
Int((Position + TabOffset) / _
TabOffset)
End If
Next
FillInTabs = Trim$(FillInTab s)
End Function

[powermanz28]

I found that this code does not actually work if there is more than one tab in a given line. Reason being that a tab is only viewed as one character so it screws up the math when it gets to the second tab in the line. I modified the code so that after it finds and corrects the first tab, it then rebuilds the line and starts checking for tabs again from the beginning. Here is the code:

Function FillInTabs(Text In As String, Optional TabSize As Integer = 8) As String
Dim LinePosition As Integer
Dim Char(10000) As String
Dim NumberOfSpaces As Double
Dim TheRestOfTheLin e As String
Dim FirstHalf As Integer
Dim LineText As String

LineText = TextIn

10
For LinePosition = 1 To Len(LineText)
Char(LinePositi on) = Mid(LineText, LinePosition, 1)
If Char(LinePositi on) = vbTab Then
NumberOfSpaces = TabSize - ((LinePosition - 1) Mod TabSize)
Char(LinePositi on) = Space(NumberOfS paces)
TheRestOfTheLin e = Mid(LineText, LinePosition + 1, Len(LineText) - LinePosition)
LineText = ""
For FirstHalf = 1 To LinePosition
LineText = LineText + Char(FirstHalf)
Next
LineText = LineText + TheRestOfTheLin e
GoTo 10
End If
Next

FillInTabs = LineText

End Function