finding if last Device String text = some specific text

[Ltek]

I have a script that appends a device string as such... mstr = mstr & "<br>"& just_loc1

I'd like to ensure I dont write duplicate text at the end. For instance... if the text after the last <BR> is "stairs", I dont want it to again write "stairs" to the device string.

I appreciate the help!

[Uncle Michael]

Not tested, but a place to start: I'll call your sting 'StringOfStuff'

Dim StringSections As String()
Dim Sections As Integer

StringSections = StringOfStuff.Split({"<br>"}, StringSplitOptions.None)
Sections = StringSections.Length

Then the last string added should be StringSections(Sections) [or maybe Sections-1]

[Ltek]

Uncle Michael thx for the help. I'm getting errors...

Compiling script C:\Users\smarthome\Documents\Homeseer\scripts\CompositeDevic es.vb: Syntax error.
Compiling script C:\Users\smarthome\Documents\Homeseer\scripts\CompositeDevic es.vb: Value of type '1-dimensional array of String' cannot be converted to 'String'.
Compiling script C:\Users\smarthome\Documents\Homeseer\scripts\CompositeDevic es.vb: Namespace or type specified in the Imports 'System.Core' doesn't contain any public member or cannot be found. Make sure the namespace or the type is defined and contains at least one public member. Make sure the imported element name doesn't use any aliases.


my Dims are all at the top of the script.
Here's the code logic I'm using...

mstr :: existing text string pulled from the HS3 Device Text field.
just_loc1 :: the new text string to be added

StringSections = mstr.Split({"<br>"}, StringSplitOptions.None)

Sections = StringSections.Length

If StringSections(Sections-1) <> just_loc1
Then mstr = mstr & just_loc1 & "<br>"
End If

[Uncle Michael]

What is the Dim statement for the array 'StringSections' ?
What is the content of the 'mstr' string that you are using for the test?

[AllHailJ]

Have you considered using regular expressions?

Imports System.Text.RegularExpressions

Sub Main(byval parms As Object) [I]' Match ignoring case of letters.[/I]

  Dim match As Match
  Dim mstr, parm, sParm(), snippet As String

  If parms.GetType().ToString = "System.String" Then 'Called from an Event
    parm = parms.ToString()
  Else ' Called from HSTouch
     parm = parms(0).ToString() & "|" & parms(1).ToString()
  End If 'Now use parm as your input variable...

  sParm = Split(parm, "|", -1, 1)

'transfer the string into conventional variables
  mstr = sParm(0)
  snippet = sParm(1)

  match = [U]Regex.Match[/U](mstr, snippet, [I]RegexOptions.IgnoreCase[/I])

  If match.Success Then [I]' don't Concatenate[/I]
    Exit Sub ' already has location
  End If

  mstr = mstr & snippet & "<br>"

End Sub

I haven't compiled and run the script. I assume you are passing the string to concatenate and the snippet you wish to check for. You will have to write to a global variable or virtual device to save the string.

[Ltek]

What is the Dim statement for the array 'StringSections' ?
What is the content of the 'mstr' string that you are using for the test?

I was missing the () on the Dim... still getting 2 errors:

Compiling script C:\Users\smarthome\Documents\Homeseer\scripts\TEST.vb: Syntax error.

Compiling script C:\Users\smarthome\Documents\Homeseer\scripts\TEST.vb: Namespace or type specified in the Imports 'System.Core' doesn't contain any public member or cannot be found. Make sure the namespace or the type is defined and contains at least one public member. Make sure the imported element name doesn't use any aliases.

mstr string is built from the code... mstr = mstr & just_loc1 & "<br>"
just adds normal text and line breaks so it looks nice in the HS3 GUI and Imperihome UI

in the GUI it looks ...

Stairs
Living Room
Media Room
Playroom

[zwolfpack]

This is a syntax error

    If StringSections(Sections-1) <> just_loc1
    Then mstr = mstr & just_loc1 & "<br>"
    End If

Instead use

    If StringSections(Sections-1) <> just_loc1 Then
        mstr = mstr & just_loc1 & "<br>"
    End If

Or simply

    If StringSections(Sections-1) <> just_loc1 Then mstr &= just_loc1 & "<br>"

[zwolfpack]

Just noticed you switched the order of the concatenation from post #1 to post #3. That may break it.

Post #1: mstr = mstr & "<br>"& just_loc1
Post #3: mstr = mstr & just_loc1 & "<br>"

[Uncle Michael]

This is a syntax error

If StringSections(Sections-1) <> just_loc1
Then mstr = mstr & just_loc1 & "<br>"
End If

Instead use

If StringSections(Sections-1) <> just_loc1 Then
mstr = mstr & just_loc1 & "<br>"
End If

Or simply

If StringSections(Sections-1) <> just_loc1 Then mstr &= just_loc1 & "<br>"

Sorry, my error. I bet that's the problem.

[Ltek]

Just noticed you switched the order of the concatenation from post #1 to post #3. That may break it.

Post #1: mstr = mstr & "<br>"& just_loc1
Post #3: mstr = mstr & just_loc1 & "<br>"

I did that because in the UI if I didnt put a break in the UI has an extra blank line. I dont know why but it was easier to do a line break and not have a blank line. I'm thinking the split should still work and it would be Sections instead of Sections-1 ?

[Ltek]

Uncle Michael


If I log StringSections(Sections-1) .. the item is blank / empty text (see log below)
If I try StringSections(Sections) or StringSections(Sections-2) I get "Error: Index was outside the bounds of the array."

I think I need code like this to ensure I'm not checking an empty array ...

 If Sections < 1 Then mstr &= just_loc1 & "<br>" 'add new text if the array is empty
If Sections = 1 and StringSections(Sections) <> just_loc1 Then mstr &= just_loc1 & "<br>" 'add new text if it does not match the last added
If Sections > 1 and StringSections(Sections-1) <> just_loc1 Then mstr &= just_loc1 & "<br>" 'add new text if it does not match the last added

The device define has items as shown in this test loop:

For Each item As String in StringSections
hs.writelog("Composite Devices", "String:" & item)
Next

In the HS3 UI, this is in the Device text...

Media Room
Stairs
Stairs
Stairs
Stairs
Stairs
Stairs
Tylers Room
Master
Office
Master Bath << "Master Bath" shows here but not in the Log's top entry, which should be the last added item in the stack?

Log...

String:Office
String:Master
String:Tylers Room
String:Stairs
String:Stairs
String:Stairs
String:Stairs
String:Stairs
String:Stairs
String:Stairs
String:Media Room
String: << I dont understand why this is empty but there is always an empty line in this spot when I dump the array to the log?

[Uncle Michael]

String: << I dont understand why this is empty but there is always an empty line in this spot when I dump the array to the log?

I agree. If the string could be empty, then you will need to account for that possibility. Your test seems like a reasonable way to do that.

Because you moved the break insertion to be appended after each new entry, the last line is always going to be a blank line, since each new entry gets placed in the blank line defined by the previous break insertion.

I am not sure why the print loop is skipping the first entry. Could it be that you are missing element (0) in your 'For Each' loop?

[Ltek]

I agree. If the string could be empty, then you will need to account for that possibility. Your test seems like a reasonable way to do that.

Because you moved the break insertion to be appended after each new entry, the last line is always going to be a blank line, since each new entry gets placed in the blank line defined by the previous break insertion.

I am not sure why the print loop is skipping the first entry. Could it be that you are missing element (0) in your 'For Each' loop?

I changed the code to this ...

 If Sections < 1 Then mstr &= just_loc1 'add new text if the array is empty, do not add line break
If Sections >= 1 and StringSections(Sections-1) <> just_loc1 Then mstr &= "<br>" & just_loc1 'add new text if it does not match the last added

its doing what we want, not adding duplicate Devices to the list
BUT it still has 1 empty item (blank text) in the array.

LOG...
Nov-10 8:23:35 AM Composite Devices location: Master Bath
Nov-10 8:23:35 AM Composite Devices section item: Living Room
Nov-10 8:23:35 AM Composite Devices section item: Master
Nov-10 8:23:35 AM Composite Devices section item: Stairs
Nov-10 8:23:35 AM Composite Devices section item: Dining Room
Nov-10 8:23:35 AM Composite Devices section item:
Nov-10 8:23:35 AM Composite Devices # of items: 5

HS3 Device text...
<empty>
Dining Room
Stairs
Master
Living Room
Master Bath

[Uncle Michael]

Is the list correct? That is, do you expect 5 items, or should the blank line have a 6th entry in it?

[Ltek]

Is the list correct? That is, do you expect 5 items, or should the blank line have a 6th entry in it?

I dont understand it either. The array always seems to think it has 1 item.

To get around it I decided to use a Count that was already counting the # of sensors found while inside the detection loop

So instead of this...

 If Sections < 1 Then mstr &= just_loc1 'add new text if the array is empty, do not add line break
If Sections >= 1 and StringSections(Sections-1) <> just_loc1 Then mstr &= "<br>" & just_loc1 'add new text if it does not match the last added

I use...

 If motion_count = 1 Then mstr = just_loc1 'add new text if the array is empty, do not add line break
If motion_count > 1 and StringSections(Sections-1) <> just_loc1 Then mstr &= "<br>" & just_loc1 'add new text if it does not match the last added