Read and display specific data from text file into listbox using VB 6

[Mas Juliza Alias]

Hi,

I am building a program on Information System for Reservoir Operation for my Masters research. Now I have a text file which is an output file from a processing software (Terramodel) that lists out Elevation Range and Volume in columns and rows. The text file looks like this;

-------------------------------------------------
-software's distributor address-
-project description-

Depth range Volume
(m) (m3)
0.000 > 0.001 10.0
0.001 > 0.002 12.0
. .
. .
. .

cummulative volume
(m3)
500
-------------------------------------------------

now i've written the code to display the data in listbox using AddItem, but the whole lines are displayed in one single line in the listbox. I want to display only the Depth Range and Volume data, starting from '0.000 > 0.001'. So, how to skip reading the file header (software's distributor address & project description) and the data column's header (Depth range (m) & Volume (m3))?

Thank You for your time.

[Guido Geurs]

I hope this will help.
(see also attachment)

Private Sub Form_Load()
Dim FILEIN As Integer
Dim INPUTTEXT As String
Dim COUNTER As Integer
   FILEIN = FreeFile()
   On Error GoTo Error_Open_File
   Open App.Path & "\test.txt" For Input As #FILEIN
      Do Until EOF(FILEIN)
         Line Input #FILEIN, INPUTTEXT
         If InStr(INPUTTEXT, ">") Then List1.AddItem (INPUTTEXT)
      Loop
   Close #FILEIN
Exit Sub
Error_Open_File:
   Close #FILEIN
   MsgBox "There is an error opening the file"
End Sub

[Mas Juliza Alias]

hi ggeu,

tq, that works nicely. but still, there is a problem in that. it reads only the depth range, not the volume (value 10.00, next to 0.000 > 0.001). 1 more thing, how can i separate the values before and after the symbol ">" in different columns? the final display should be in 3 columns, 1) initial depth, before ">", 2) end depth, after symbol ">", and 3) volume. all three columns need to be declared into three variables perhaps in arrays, because it will be used in later process. how can i do this?

your help is most appreciated, TQ.

[Guido Geurs]

I hope this will help:
If You want a table with Columns, than You have to use a Grid. (see attachment).
You can use a array to split the inputtext and use "AddItem" to place the different parts from the array in the grid.

[Mas Juliza Alias]

it works on your test.txt file.but it failed on my text file. i've attached my file here.i think the problem is the data in this file is not saparated by a fixed space.

thanx for ur help,
Mas Juliza

[Guido Geurs]

The code "Split" can be used if there is only 1 space between the data.
Here we have to use the "Mid" code but then the data must always be on the same place !!!

Is this the case in all the documents You have to Analise ??

If not, we have to find an other way to isolate the data in the TXT file.

Attached is a program with "Mid" code.

[Mas Juliza Alias]

that works great to saparate the data in columns. but that's not a standard case. they are not fixed. here's the code with another data file (attached) that cannot be read correctly.

Private Sub Form_Load()
    Dim InputText As String
    Dim FileNum As Integer
    Dim Depth1 As Double
    Dim Depth2 As Double
    Dim FillVol As Double
    Dim CutVol As Double
    With MSFlexGrid1
    'Set grid
    .FixedCols = 0
    .Cols = 4
    .FixedRows = 1
    .Rows = 1
    .TextMatrix(0, 0) = "Initial Depth"
    .TextMatrix(0, 1) = "End Depth"
    .TextMatrix(0, 2) = "Cut Volume"
    .TextMatrix(0, 3) = "Fill Volume"
    'Fill Grid
    FileNum = FreeFile()
    On Error GoTo Error_Open_File
    Open App.Path & "\cubic.txt" For Input As #FileNum
    Do Until EOF(FileNum)
        Line Input #FileNum, InputText
        InputText = Trim(InputText)
        If InStr(InputText, ">") Then
            MSFlexGrid1.AddItem Mid(InputText, 1, 6) & vbTab & _
            Mid(InputText, 10, 6) & vbTab & Mid(InputText, 32, 4) & _
            vbTab & Mid(InputText, 50, 4)
        End If
    Loop
    Close #FileNum
    End With
Exit Sub
Error_Open_File:
    Close #FileNum
    MsgBox "There is an error opening the file"
End Sub

how can i isolate the data and asign them into variables in arrays? these data will be used in later operation to generate graph, so i need to have them in variables as Double.

your helps are most appreciated.

[Guido Geurs]

is it always the "Cut volume" OR "Fill Volume" ?
Not the 2 in the same line ??

I have modified the code so it can read any file, if there is a value or not or when the columns are on an other place.
The data is also placed in an array (as double).

How it works:

The data lines of the textfile are read in a textbox.
On the textbox You have to place the column separators by typing the value or clicking on the arrows (left= down, right= up)(default I have set it to 40 and 60 but You can change it if the most of Your documents have an other layout)

The separators must be placed in the spaces between 2 data for each line.

If there is a line in which the separator is in the data, You can modify the line in the textbox by adding or deleting spaces (we use this data from the textbox and not from the file for filling the array and the grid)

click on "Fill Grid" to see the data (and also in the array because it's captured from it)

[Mas Juliza Alias]

WOW! you're such an expert! you creatively solve the problem. the code works very well. it seems complicated and takes time for me to understand line by line. however there is 1 problem here, the same values in both TextBox (TextEdit) and MSFlexGrid1 are not the same. for example, value 5.000 in TextEdit becomes 5000 in the grid. i don't know how to edit your code because it is beyond my basic VB knowledge.

tq for your time.

[Guido Geurs]

Now You are highly pleased with the concept, we can go on with the tuning-up of the program.

I have attached the next step:
- with some more explanation on each step in the code.
- the cells in the grid are now Strings, any objection?

Still to do:
- We don't want to edit the VB code if we want to open an other Datafile! therefor we have to implement the CommonDialog so the user can browse and select a Datafile.
- The default value of the ColSeparator must be saved.

Do You agree with this? §;o)>

[Mas Juliza Alias]

THANKS for the explanation. it REALLY helps my understanding on your code :)

but there's one line i can't understand.

FrameCol(Index).Left = TextEdit.Left + 45 + (Val(TextCol(Index)) * 120)

why + 45? and why * 120? sorry for my limited knowledge on this.

the values in the grid should be in Double, because they will be used in later calculations. i've tried to change String to Double but they turns out values without the decimal points. how can we fix this?

yes, i agree with the CommonDialog idea. i already have it in previous dialog of downloading the data in this program. i'll edit your code in reading the file from App.Path to the datafile selected by user.

tq, hope to hear from u soon.

[Guido Geurs]

Framecol(index) are the red and blue lines over the textbox.
To place them on the right place on the textbox: the .Left dimension =
- TextEdit.Left = left side of the textbox
- + 45 [twips] = 3 pixels for the frame of the textbox
- + (Val(TextCol(Index)) * 120) = the value of spaces we have set * 120 [twips] (= 8 pixels)
Remark: You have to use a font in the textbox with for each char the same width = Fixedsys, ... NOT Arial, ...!
You can experiment with these values and see what happens.
Also use the same font for the ruler !

Ok I will place the values in Double and find a way to make them visible with dot-zeros.
I wll also implement the commondialog and the settings of the default values.

[Guido Geurs]

I don't think it's possible to place the values in the grid in a Double format.
The grid has only String formats in the cells.
If You want the values later for calculation, You have to read them in the grid as string and transform them with CDbl(...) in the calculation code.

Attached are the latest modifications

[Mas Juliza Alias]

this code is perfect! now i want to read the data in the grid, do some calculation to the data, and display them in another table- in another form, perhaps. are the data of Depth1, Depth2, CutVol, and FillVol in array? let say in the new table there are 2 columns: 1)Depth 2)Volume
here's the whole picture:-

MSFlexGrid1_________________________
Depth1 | Depth2 | CutVol | FillVol |
------------------------------------
-5.00 | -4.00 | 41.0 | |
-4.00 | -3.00 | 51.9 | |
-3.00 | -2.00 | 64.1 | |
-2.00 | -1.00 | 77.5 | |
-1.00 | 0.00 | 92.2 | |
------------------------------------

and the new table should be like this:-

MSFlexGrid2_________________________
Depth | Volume |
-----------------
-5.00 | 0.00 | 'Volume(1) always being 0.00
-4.00 | 41.0 | '=CutVol(1) + Volume(1)
-3.00 | 92.9 | '=CutVol(2) + Volume(2)
-2.00 | 157.0 | '=CutVol(3) + Volume(3)
-1.00 | 234.5 | '=CutVol(4) + Volume(4)
0.00 | 326.7 | '=CutVol(5) + Volume(5)
-----------------

how to read the data from MSFlexGrid1, do some calculation on them, and display the result in MSFlexGrid2?

thanks a lot for your continuous help. i REALLY appreciate that.

[Guido Geurs]

I hope this will help ( see attachment)

[Mas Juliza Alias]

i have tried running the program but the result (Volume) is not accurate. i have attached the data i used and the result should be the same as in my previous post. for this text data (DATUM_0.txt), there should be 6 lines of Depth and Volume filled in the grid (Depth= -5.000, -4.000, -3.000, -2.000, -1.000, 0.000). i tried to edit your code but i fail to get the result as i described above.

thank you for your time...

[Guido Geurs]

In Your datafile there is no line with 0.000 so it is not taken in consideration by setting up the ARRAYDATA.
Must there always be a last line , not present in the data file?
I suppose it will not always be 0.000 ?
If so You will have to add it in the TextEdit window like in the next example You will have to add O.OO2 with no values?:
...
...
0.000 > 0.001 10.0
0.001 > 0.002 12.0
O.OO2

If so i must change the code because the splitting of the last line will give an error because there are no spaces in the line !!!

[Guido Geurs]

Is it in the data input file always a constant value between the depth1's ?
If so, I can integrate it in the code.

[Mas Juliza Alias]

the last line of Depth column (in the new form) should be the last value of Depth2. can that be coded?

yes, the values between the Depth1 are always constant within a single file. other files may use other constant values.

[Guido Geurs]

I hope this will help: see attachment

[Mas Juliza Alias]

the calculated Volume at the first 3 rows are correct, but the following rows are incorrect. they appear as 156.1, 233.5, and 325.2 which they should be 157.0, 234.5, and 326.7 respectively. i went through your codes finding the calculation formula but i don't know how to edit those. sorry for my limited knowledge. can you help me on this?

thank you for your time...

[MMcCarthy]

I have closed this thread to further posting. Once you have received an answer to your first question you should choose the post you feel was most helpful as "Best Answer". Then ask your next question in a new thread.

Having multiple questions in a thread is too confusing both to experts and guests looking for answers to their own questions.

Mary