Data from random access file has unwanted trailing spaces

[uzuria]

Hi there.

I am doing a school project and need to be able to retrieve data from a file and display it in a selectable list box. I originally used a random access file, because I need to select particular fields from a record, but the data is not displaying correctly. Because you must give a field length for each string, my data is displaying with a lot of spaces after it. For example if I display a firstname and surname, instead of "Joe Bloggs" my program is displaying "Joe____________________Bloggs" (_ means a space, of course).

Is there any way of cutting off the extra spaces when displaying a field? I had a go at using a text fle instead, which solved this problem, but then I couldn't target a specific field!

Any help is greatly appreciated!

[jamesd0142]

To cut off the ending spaces is really easy, could you tell me what version of vb you are using.

Thanks James



Example:
This only Removes spaces from end of string!

      Function removeSpaces(ByVal Val)
        Dim Val2 As String
        Dim a As String = Val
        Dim i As Integer
        Dim c As String
        Dim d As Integer = 0
        Dim noSpaces As String
        Dim b As Integer = Len(a)
 
        For i = 1 To b
            c = Mid(a, i, 1)
            If c <> " " Then
                d = d + 1
            ElseIf c = " " Then
                noSpaces = Mid(a, 1, d)
            End If
        Next
        If i = b + 1 Then
            Val2 = a
        End If
        If Len(noSpaces) > 1 Then
            Val2 = noSpaces
        End If
        Return Val2
    End Function
 

USAGE EXAMPLE:

TextBox2.Text = removeSpaces(TextBox1.Text)
 

put a value in textbox1 and see the result in textbox2

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If you putt "aa" in the above textbox1 then "aa" is output in textbox2.

If you putt "aa " in the above textbox1 then "aa" is output in textbox2.
spaces are removed from the end.

NOTE:
If you putt "aa aa" in the above textbox1 then "aa" is output in textbox2.
all characters after the spaces are ignored.

[Killer42]

To cut off the ending spaces is really easy ...

Possibly even easier than you think.

To cut spaces off the end of a string, use the Rtrim() function. To cut down multiple spaces inside a string, I'd recommend playing with the Replace() function. The problem there, of course, is that it will remove half the spaces, and leave the rest. Perhaps this function will be some help...

Public Function ZapDoubleSpacesIn(ByVal Src As String) As String
  Dim OriginalString As String
  If Src = "" Then Exit Function
  Do
    OriginalString = Src
    Src = Replace(Src, "  ", " ")
  Loop While Src <> OriginalString
  ZapDoubleSpacesIn = Src
End Function

[Killer42]

To cut off the ending spaces ...

I'm really curious about something, James. Why would you code ElseIf c = " " Then when you could simply write Else?

[Killer42]

... NOTE:
If you putt "aa aa" in the above textbox1 then "aa" is output in textbox2.
all characters after the spaces are ignored.

Hm... if all it does is chop the text at the first string, it seems to me we could simplify the process a lot. What about...

Function removeSpaces(ByVal Val As String) As String
  Dim I As Long
  I = Instr(Val, " ")
  If I Then
    Return Left$(Val, I - 1)
  Else
    Return Val
  End If
End Function

Note, I've tried to use VB.Net syntax, but since I'm a VB6 developer I may have it wrong. For one thing, we don't use Return.

[jamesd0142]

I'm really curious about something, James. Why would you code ElseIf c = " " Then when you could simply write Else?

Because im a noob, and need people like you to point out my errors :)

And...

Yes i guess this is easier than i first thought :)

[Killer42]

Because im a noob, and need people like you to point out my errors :)

Well, you've come to the right place! I love picking holes in everybody's code. Including my own. :)

(And don't forget, that was not an error. It was just a longer way than I would have coded it.)

[jamesd0142]

Well, you've come to the right place! I love picking holes in everybody's code. Including my own. :)

(And don't forget, that was not an error. It was just a longer way than I would have coded it.)

Yes i seem to write 50 lines of code when 10 lines will do the job, i do this often!

TUT! ;)

[Killer42]

Yes i seem to write 50 lines of code when 10 lines will do the job, i do this often!

I guess the important thing is to write code that works. Then comes codes that runs efficiently. Then you can worry about whether the code could be smaller. :)