Virtual Device String Formatting

[MNB]

Does anyone know how I can make a replacement value which provides a timer value that is separated with colons (example 1) into a more readable format preceded with Days, Hours, Minutes (example 2)? I've provided an event example (example 3) any help would be greatly appreciated. Mike

[Uncle Michael]

I'm not aware of any replacement variable that will do that. It's deceptively difficult. This script may do what you want. Replace 1092 with the Ref ID of your timer device and 1388 with the Ref ID of your target device.

    Public Sub Main(ByVal Parms As Object)


        Dim strTimer As String = hs.DeviceString(1092)
        Dim strFriendly As String = ""
        Dim strD As String = ""
        Dim strH As String = ""
        Dim strM As String = ""
        Dim strS As String = ""
        Dim I As Integer
        Dim strValues As String()
        Dim strSeparators() As String = {":"}

    strValues = strTimer.Split(strSeparators, StringSplitOptions.None)
    I = strValues.GetUpperBound(0)

    If I > 2 Then strD = strValues(I-3) & " days "
    If I > 1 Then strH = strValues(I-2) & " hrs " 
    If I > 0 Then strM = strValues(I-1) & " mins " 
    strS = strValues(I) & " secs"

    strFriendly = strD & strH & strM & strS

    hs.SetDeviceString(1388, strFriendly, True)


    End Sub

[MNB]

I'm not aware of any replacement variable that will do that. It's deceptively difficult. This script may do what you want. Replace 1092 with the Ref ID of your timer device and 1388 with the Ref ID of your target device.

    Public Sub Main(ByVal Parms As Object)


        Dim strTimer As String = hs.DeviceString(1092)
        Dim strFriendly As String = ""
        Dim strD As String = ""
        Dim strH As String = ""
        Dim strM As String = ""
        Dim strS As String = ""
        Dim I As Integer
        Dim strValues As String()
        Dim strSeparators() As String = {":"}

    strValues = strTimer.Split(strSeparators, StringSplitOptions.None)
    I = strValues.GetUpperBound(0)

    If I > 2 Then strD = strValues(I-3) & " days "
    If I > 1 Then strH = strValues(I-2) & " hrs " 
    If I > 0 Then strM = strValues(I-1) & " mins " 
    strS = strValues(I) & " secs"

    strFriendly = strD & strH & strM & strS

    hs.SetDeviceString(1388, strFriendly, True)


    End Sub

@Michael, thanxs for the comeback. I was thinking the same that I would end up with a script which is OK, but one would think it didn't have to be so "deceptively difficult". Thank-you for the code snip-it. Mike

[MNB]

@Michael, the script snip-it worked great and now does what I wanted Thanxs for the support. Mike

[MNB]

@Michael, I thought I would be clever and make the script snip-it as a universal script where I could enter both the timer and virtual device IDs within the Event parameter field but I seem to not fully grasp scripting, per chance could review and advise what I'm doing wrong? Mike

Sub Main(ByVal Parms As Object)
Dim ParmArray() as String
ParmArray = Parms.tostring.split(",")
Dim tTimer = ParmArray(0)
Dim tDevice = ParmArray(1))

Dim strTimer As String = hs.DeviceString(tTimer) 'Ref ID of Timer
Dim strFriendly As String = ""
Dim strD As String = ""
Dim strH As String = ""
Dim strM As String = ""
Dim strS As String = ""
Dim I As Integer
Dim strValues As String()
Dim strSeparators() As String = {":"}

strValues = strTimer.Split(strSeparators, StringSplitOptions.None)
I = strValues.GetUpperBound(0)

If I > 2 Then strD = strValues(I-3) & " days "
If I > 1 Then strH = strValues(I-2) & " hrs "
If I > 0 Then strM = strValues(I-1) & " mins "
strS = strValues(I) & " secs"

strFriendly = strD & strH & strM

hs.SetDeviceString(tDevice, strFriendly, True) 'Ref ID of Target Virtual Device


End Sub

[Uncle Michael]

OK this is getting dangerous - and inelegant.
Here's an attempt, but I have not tested it very thoroughly. It uses the same separator for both the reference ID input and the timer contents, so it assumes you separate the two Device IDs with a colon [:].

I'm sure there are better and more compact ways to do this, but I'm only a hack at writing scripts.

Sub Main(ByVal Params As String)

    Dim strTimer As String
    Dim strFriendly As String
    Dim strD As String = ""
    Dim strH As String = ""
    Dim strM As String = ""
    Dim strS As String = ""

    Dim tTimer As Integer
    Dim tDevice As Integer
    Dim I As Integer

    Dim strSeparators() As String = {":"}
    Dim strValues As String()
    Dim strIDs As String()

    strIds = Params.Split(strSeparators, StringSplitOptions.None)

    tTimer = CInt(strIDs(0))
    tDevice = CInt(strIDs(1))

    strTimer = hs.DeviceString(tTimer)

    strValues = strTimer.Split(strSeparators, StringSplitOptions.None)
    I = strValues.GetUpperBound(0)

    If I > 2 Then strD = strValues(I-3) & " days "
    If I > 1 Then strH = strValues(I-2) & " hrs " 
    If I > 0 Then strM = strValues(I-1) & " mins " 
    strS = strValues(I) & " secs"

    strFriendly = strD & strH & strM & strS

    hs.SetDeviceString(tDevice, strFriendly, True)

 End Sub

[MNB]

OK this is getting dangerous - and inelegant.
Here's an attempt, but I have not tested it very thoroughly. It uses the same separator for both the reference ID input and the timer contents, so it assumes you separate the two Device IDs with a colon [:].

I'm sure there are better and more compact ways to do this, but I'm only a hack at writing scripts.

Sub Main(ByVal Params As String)

    Dim strTimer As String
    Dim strFriendly As String
    Dim strD As String = ""
    Dim strH As String = ""
    Dim strM As String = ""
    Dim strS As String = ""

    Dim tTimer As Integer
    Dim tDevice As Integer
    Dim I As Integer

    Dim strSeparators() As String = {":"}
    Dim strValues As String()
    Dim strIDs As String()

    strIds = Params.Split(strSeparators, StringSplitOptions.None)

    tTimer = CInt(strIDs(0))
    tDevice = CInt(strIDs(1))

    strTimer = hs.DeviceString(tTimer)

    strValues = strTimer.Split(strSeparators, StringSplitOptions.None)
    I = strValues.GetUpperBound(0)

    If I > 2 Then strD = strValues(I-3) & " days "
    If I > 1 Then strH = strValues(I-2) & " hrs " 
    If I > 0 Then strM = strValues(I-1) & " mins " 
    strS = strValues(I) & " secs"

    strFriendly = strD & strH & strM & strS

    hs.SetDeviceString(tDevice, strFriendly, True)

 End Sub

@Michael, many thank-you for the update, I will try it later this evening and confirm. Out of curiosity why did you use ":" vs "," as the parameter separator? Mike

[Uncle Michael]

Out of curiosity why did you use ":" vs "," as the parameter separator? Mike

Laziness. It was already set up as the separator in the device string. You can try to use the pattern to define a comma as "a learning exercise".

[MNB]

@Michael, many thank-you for the update, I will try it later this evening and confirm. Out of curiosity why did you use ":" vs "," as the parameter separator? Mike

@Michael, tried the updated script, something is amidst, I'm not getting the formatted timer value but instead the state text, will have to investigate and resolve. Thanxs though it gotten me further. Mike

[Uncle Michael]

I'm not getting the formatted timer value but instead the state text,

What do you mean by "state text"?

How are you entering the Ref IDs in the event? Does it look like this?

[MNB]

What do you mean by "state text"?

How are you entering the Ref IDs in the event? Does it look like this?

@Michael, what ever the ON/OFF switch state and yes I entered the timer ID followed by Virtual Device ID, also had "Main" in the first field. Mike

[Uncle Michael]

Is there anything in the String area of the virtual device? Are you sure the Ref ID you entered is correct? Are there any errors in the log when you try to run the script?

[MNB]

@Michael, thanxs for the comeback.. I was able to look at what had I pasted from your post into the .vb file and found some space characters within the text (something I did), after removing them I was able to get my Virtual Devices to properly display the correct formatted time values.

I normally use a LUA editor (Zerobrane) when developing/modifying scripts as it does basic code format & content checks to avoid any issues which I did not initially, hence the space characters. Needless to say, problem fixed and am now running as anticipated, and traded three separate scripts for a single script. Many thanxs Mike