Styjun

This is a follow on question to a post I made. Append one file into another file

I need to search the master document for entities "&CH1.sgm" to "&CH33.sgm",
mark where they are in the master document and replace the entity call with the matching file "Chapter1.sgm" found in "fnFiles". I can change the file names and entities to anything if that will help.

My code copies the text of a file and appends it to the bottom of the master_document.sgm. But now I need it to be more intelligent. Search the Master document for entity markers, then replace that entity marker with that file contents match. The file number and entity number match up. e.g.(&CH1; and Bld1_Ch1.sgm)

Private Sub btnImport_Click(sender As Object, e As EventArgs) Handles btnImport.Click
 Dim searchDir As String = txtSGMFile.Text 'Input field from form
 Dim masterFile = "Bld1_Master_Document.sgm"
 Dim existingFileMaster = Path.Combine(searchDir, masterFile)

 'Read all lines of the Master Document
 Dim strMasterDoc = File.ReadAllText(existingFileMaster) '// add each line as String Array.

 '?search strMasterDoc for entities &Ch1.sgm
 '?replace entity name "&Ch1.sgm" with content of file "Bld1_Ch1.sgm" this content if found below
 '? do I use a book mark? Replace function?


 'Get all the sgm files in the directory specified
 Dim fndFiles = Directory.GetFiles(searchDir, "*.sgm")
 'Set up the regular expression you will make as the condition for the file
 Dim rx = New Regex(".*_Chd.sgm")
 Dim ch1 = New Regex(".*_Ch[1].sgm")
 'Use path.combine for concatenatin directory together

 'Loop through each file found by the REGEX
 For Each fileNo In fndFiles
 If rx.IsMatch(fileNo) Then
 If ch1.IsMatch(fileNo) Then
 Dim result = Path.GetFileName(fileNo)
 'Use path.combine for concatenatin directory together
 Dim fileToCopy = Path.Combine(searchDir, result)

 'This is the file we want to copy into MasterBuild but at specific location.
 'match &ch1.sgm inside strMasterDoc

 Dim fileContent = File.ReadAllText(fileToCopy)

 'Search master file for entity match then append all content of fileContent


 File.AppendAllText(existingFileMaster, fileContent)

 MessageBox.Show("File Copied")
 End If
 End If
 Next
 Close()
End Sub

If I understand correctly (big if), you want to replace the the text of the abbreviated chapter name in the master file with the contents of the file it refers to at the spot where the abbreviation is found.

I made a class to handle the details.

Private Sub btnImport_Click(sender As Object, e As EventArgs) Handles btnImport.Click
 'Add a FolderBrowseDialog to your form designer
 FolderBrowserDialog1.ShowDialog()
 Dim searchDir As String = FolderBrowserDialog1.SelectedPath
 Dim existingFileMaster = Path.Combine(searchDir, "Bld1_Master_Document.sgm")
 Dim lstFileChanges = CreateList(searchDir)
 'The following method does NOT return an array of lines
 Dim strMasterDoc = File.ReadAllText(existingFileMaster)
 For Each fc In lstFileChanges
 strMasterDoc = strMasterDoc.Replace(fc.OldString, fc.NewString)
 Next
 File.WriteAllText(existingFileMaster, strMasterDoc)
End Sub

Private Function CreateList(selectedPath As String) As List(Of FileChanges)
 Dim lstFC As New List(Of FileChanges)
 For i = 1 To lstFC.Count
 Dim fc As New FileChanges
 fc.OldString = $"&CHi.sgm"
 fc.FileName = $"Chapteri.sgm"
 fc.NewString = File.ReadAllText(Path.Combine(selectedPath, fc.FileName))
 lstFC.Add(fc)
 Next
 Return lstFC
End Function

Public Class FileChanges
 Public Property OldString As String '&CH1.sgm 
 Public Property FileName As String 'Chapter1.sgm
 Public Property NewString As String 'Contents of Chapter1.sgm, the string to insert
End Class

Testing .Replace

Dim s As String = "The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dogs."
s = s.Replace("fox", "foxes")
MessageBox.Show(s)