[Solved] Copy text fields content as strings

Tommy · Post by **Tommy** » Sat Jun 28, 2014 8:09 am

hi there,
I have this test .odt file which has 3 text fields with text and numbers inside (it's a medical report template which patient name, date of birth and exam date)

I need a macro to extract the text in those fields as 3 separate strings.

basically in the mockup file I need to extract the string: DONALD DUCK from first field, 10-11-1955 from the second and 27-06-14 from the third one.

is there any basic code function that allows me to "read" a text field and copy it as a string?

Post by **RoryOF** » Sat Jun 28, 2014 8:57 am

What is to happen to the extracted text? Is it to be placed in separate files, or reused within the test file? How?

Tommy · Post by **Tommy** » Sat Jun 28, 2014 9:05 am

the extracted string will reused in another macro which compares the correspondence between file name and text fields data, anyway I won't go in further details since I already know how to do this second part and I do not need help about it.

the only thing I miss is how to extract those simple strings from those text fields in that file
once I have those strings I can do all the other stuff.

the macro code I need should identify the 3 text fields inside the .odt file and then read and copy the text of each one.

Post by **RoryOF** » Sat Jun 28, 2014 9:16 am

I found this at
https://wiki.openoffice.org/wiki/Docume ... ith_fields

Converting fields into text

Writer does not provide any easy way to convert field contents into text. To do this, you need to copy the field contents and paste them back as unformatted text. This is not a very good solution if you have hundreds of fields that you want to change, but you could use a macro to automate the process.

A suggested macro is provided here: http://www.oooforum.org/forum/viewtopic.phtml?t=115398

This macro may be echoed at
viewtopic.php?f=7&t=65817#p292326
but I haven't read it to verify that.

Edit: The above copy of the macro on forum.openoffice.org has been tweaked. For completeness, I list here the original code from oooforum, posting 115398

Code: Select all

Sub FieldsToText 'Writer
Dim oDoc,oFields,oEnum,ThisField
oDoc = ThisComponent
oFields = oDoc.getTextFields
oEnum = oFields.createEnumeration
While oEnum.HasMoreElements
ThisField = oEnum.nextElement
ThisField.Anchor.String = ThisField.Anchor.String
Wend 
End Sub

Tommy · Post by **Tommy** » Sat Jun 28, 2014 10:07 am

thanks for your help but it's not exactly what I'm looking for.

I do not need to "convert" the text field into plain text, like that macro does

in the test file I have 3 text field (those written in bold light blue) and if you double click on them you will see that each one has a name and a value

what I need is a macro that "reads" that value and copies it as as string.

in the test file the 1st field is "fldNome" and it's value is "DONALD DUCK",
the 2nd is "fdlNascita" and has a "10-11-1955" value,
the 3rd is "fldEsame" and has a "27-06-2014" value.

all values are in simple text format.

the macro I'm looking for should read those values and extract them as 3 separated text strings.
the output should be: "DONALD DUCK", "10-11-1955" and "27-06-2014"

I will later assemble those strings into a single string which will be "DONALD DUCK_101155_270614" since I already know how to manipulate text strings

Post by **RPG** » Sat Jun 28, 2014 11:29 am

Hello

I have no solution but maybe this can help you
viewtopic.php?f=20&t=2786&hilit=userfields

Pitonyak did placed there a macro. With the knowledge of that macro and MRI i can see the fields. I have not test it with a macro.

Romke

edit this topic's initial post · Post by **Villeroy** » Sat Jun 28, 2014 12:11 pm

A reminder of the character named "Tommy": Stop OpenOffice Renaissance project (petition) Today he marks his personal wishes as a requirement:

Code: Select all

[REQ] copy text fields content as strings

Tommy · Post by **Tommy** » Sat Jun 28, 2014 1:56 pm

REQ = request

get a life, Villeroy.

Post by **MTP** » Sat Jun 28, 2014 3:16 pm

Does the [Thisfield.Anchor.String] not assign the textfield content to your variable? You wouldn't assign it to itself, you'd assign it to the variable you wanted to have the text. That's how I interpreted the macro Rory posted.

Post by **karolus** » Sat Jun 28, 2014 3:18 pm

Hallo

thanks for your help but it's not exactly what I'm looking for....

so modify it to your needs, or hire profesional Programmers to spoonfeed yourself....

bye .....

Tommy · Post by **Tommy** » Sat Jun 28, 2014 3:46 pm

MTP wrote:Does the [Thisfield.Anchor.String] not assign the textfield content to your variable? You wouldn't assign it to itself, you'd assign it to the variable you wanted to have the text. That's how I interpreted the macro Rory posted.

hi MTP,
the macro Rory posted converts the text field into plain text so it does a completely different thing. try it on my test file to see what happens.

I need a macro to just "read" the text value which is inside the text field and to save it as a string to be processed in other macros I already know how to use

see my screenshot. I should figure how which code should I use to extract the DONALD DUCK value from the fldNome field.

@karolus
your comment is offensive and useless like the one from Villeroy.
get a life, too.

Post by **MTP** » Sat Jun 28, 2014 4:36 pm

Tommy wrote:...try it on my test file to see what happens.

Well, I tried it (see attached). I had it print the stored variable to check, and it works like I guessed it did.

Tommy · Post by **Tommy** » Sat Jun 28, 2014 4:50 pm

@MTP
thank you very much. your edited version of Rory's macro does exactly what I was looking for.

here's the correct working code

Code: Select all

Sub ReadTextFields
	Dim oFields : oFields = ThisComponent.getTextFields
	Dim oEnum
	Dim ThisField
	Dim s As String
	
	oEnum = oFields.createEnumeration
	While oEnum.HasMoreElements
		ThisField = oEnum.nextElement
		s = ThisField.Anchor.String
		Print s
	Wend
End Sub

many thanks to you, to RoryOF and RPG who spent time trying to help and give good tips.

Post by **karolus** » Sat Jun 28, 2014 5:20 pm

Hallo

RoryOF wrote:
Edit: The above copy of the macro on forum.openoffice.org has been tweaked. For completeness, I list here the original code from oooforum, posting 115398
Code: Select all
Sub FieldsToText 'Writer
Dim oDoc,oFields,oEnum,ThisField
oDoc = ThisComponent
oFields = oDoc.getTextFields
oEnum = oFields.createEnumeration
While oEnum.HasMoreElements
ThisField = oEnum.nextElement
ThisField.Anchor.String = ThisField.Anchor.String
Wend 
End Sub

All you had to do was

Code: Select all

ThisField.Anchor.String = ThisField.Anchor.String

replacing with

Code: Select all

print ThisField.Anchor.String

Lazy bum !!

Tommy · Post by **Tommy** » Sat Jun 28, 2014 5:33 pm

I'm a newbie about coding macros and that code tweak that looked so simple to an expert like you, was not immediate to me.

I see you prefer spending your time insulting people rather than giving help... shame on you.
this forum needs more people like Rory, RPG and MTF.

[Solved] Copy text fields content as strings

[Solved] Copy text fields content as strings

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Re: [REQ] copy text fields content as strings

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Re: [REQ] copy text fields content as strings

Re: [REQ] copy text fields content as strings

Re: [REQ] copy text fields content as strings

Re: [REQ] copy text fields content as strings

Re: [REQ] copy text fields content as strings

Re: [REQ] copy text fields content as strings

Re: [REQ] copy text fields content as strings

Re: [REQ] copy text fields content as strings

Re: [Solved] copy text fields content as strings