VBScript to insert text into text file and save as new filename

[ahynes]

HI folks,

I need a script to open a .txt file, insert pre-defined text into the start and end of the file, then close teh saved file with a .nc extension.

I'd like to have this so I can run it from my desktop.

I tried doing it in Word using macros and the FileDialog thingy to bring up dialogs for the user to select his files but it would not save the modified file for me and I couldn;t figure how to get it outside of Word. Code below.

 
' Test1 Macro
' To open FIle-Open dialog box
    With Dialogs(wdDialogFileOpen)
    .Name = "*.txt"
    .Show
    End With
' To insert the text
    Selection.TypeParagraph
    Selection.TypeParagraph
    Selection.TypeParagraph
    Selection.HomeKey Unit:=wdStory
    Selection.TypeText Text:="The next line sends a 'Change State' command to system"
    Selection.TypeParagraph
    Selection.TypeText Text:="M3"
    Selection.TypeParagraph
    Selection.TypeText Text:="The next line tells system to Dwell for 5 seconds"
    Selection.TypeParagraph
    Selection.TypeText Text:="G04H5"
 
'This is where the error occurs  
With Dialogs(wdDialogFileSave)
    .Name = "*.*"
    .Show
End With
 
End Sub 
 

Help greatly appreciated

[ahynes]

OK, I've got the code to Work in VBA in MS Word, now how do i get it to run without requiring Word? i.e. so it runs as astnadalone EXE or BAT or anything like that?

Thanks for any help

Alan

 
Private Sub CommandButton1_Click()
With Dialogs(wdDialogFileOpen)
    .Name = "*.txt"
    .Show
    End With
'Edit the additional text to go at the START of the document in this section
    Selection.HomeKey Unit:=wdStory
    With Selection
        .TypeParagraph
        .TypeParagraph
        .TypeParagraph
        .TypeText "Copyright 2007"
        .TypeParagraph
        .TypeParagraph
        .TypeText "This is a control file for the system"
        .TypeParagraph
        .TypeParagraph
        .TypeText Text:="Command M3 sends a 'Change State' command to system"
        .TypeParagraph
        .TypeText Text:="M3"
        .TypeParagraph
        .TypeParagraph
        .TypeText Text:="Command G04H5 tells the system to Dwell for 5 seconds"
        .TypeParagraph
        .TypeText Text:="G04H5"
    End With
 
'Edit the additional text to go at the END of the document in this section
    With Selection
        .EndKey Unit:=wdStory
        .TypeParagraph
        .TypeParagraph
        .TypeParagraph
        .TypeText Text:="This is end of file"
    End With
 
'Rest of code saves file with .nc extension and in txt format
    Dim strDocName As String
    Dim intPos As Integer
 
    'Ask the user to provide a filename
    strDocName = InputBox("Please enter the filename you want for your new file.")
 
    'Add ".nc" extension
        strDocName = strDocName & ".nc"
 
    'Save file with new extension
    ActiveDocument.SaveAs FileName:=strDocName, _
        FileFormat:=wdFormatText
 
'MessageBox to tell the user it worked ok and the name of the new file
 
    Dim Message As String 'Defines "Message" as the string for the MsgBox command
 
    Message = "Your file has been saved as '" & strDocName & "'" & Chr(13) & " It is now compatible with your system"
    'strDocName is the filename and Chr(13) is a paragraph character
 
    MsgBox (Message)
 
    ActiveDocument.Close
 
 
End Sub
 
 

[Killer42]

The following thoughts occur...

• You can only compile your VB code as a standalone executable if you have Visual Basic. The VBA that comes with Office only uses it for scripting.
• If you don't want to have to play around with Word, you could try this. Save the macro in a Word document, but name the macro AutoExec so that it starts automatically when the document is opened. At the end of the macro, get it to close the document. That way, the Word document works kind of like a standalone Exe. Well, a tiny bit. :)
• If you have some way to insert the file name on the command line, you could do a fairly simple batch file. It would work something like this.
  • Put your text into two files, Header.txt and Footer.txt (or whatever names you choose)
  • Let's call your batch file MyMacro.Bat. And for the sake of argument, we'll say that the file you want to manipulate is called FileName.Txt.
  • Your batch file will say something like

    Copy Header.txt+%1+Footer.Txt %1.nc

  • You invoke it by executing the command line MyMacro Filename.txt
• I don't know whether this really matters, but there's no need to load the file document into Word to manipulate it. VB(A) can easily work directly with the text file. It's even likely to be faster, but by so little that I doubt you'd notice the difference.