Sorting an ASCII File

Hello:
Many may have seen the struggle I am having with sorting a TREEVIEW. After many, many hours I am trying to think of another way of accomplishing this.

I thought perhaps I could write the TV to an ASCII file, then sort that file and then relabel it, followed by a re-reading into a TV.

So, if I can get any help it would be greatly appreciated.

I am able to export the file to an ASCII TAB Delimited file as follows:

Code:

A 75023 AA 75043 AAA 75045 AAA1 95045 AAA2 15045 AAA3 35045 AAA4 55045 AAB 75047 AAB1 95047* AAB2 15047 AAB3 35047 AAB4 55047 AB 75063* ABA 75065 ABA1 95065 ABA2 15065 ABA3 35065 ABA4 55065 ABB 75067 ABB1 95067 ABB2 15067 ABB3 35067* ABB4 55067 AC 75083* ACA 75085* ACA1 95085 ACA2 15085 ACA3 35085 ACA4 55085 ACB 75087 ACB1 95087 ACB2 15087 ACB3 35087 AD 75003 ADA 75005 ADA1 95005 ADA2 15005 ADA3 35005 ADA4 55005 ADB 75007 ADB1 95007 ADB2 15007 ADB3 35007

So now what I need to do is sort anything that ends with an "*" to the bottom of its section/node.
I have to keep the integrity of the the nodes and tab delimited file, so I can read it back in.

Start at the highest level.. And sort everything ending with an "*" at that level to the bottom. (Within that node)

So (Level2) AB and AC will go to the end. AND everything under it.

Next go to the next level (Level3) ACA will go to the end of it's level.

Next go to the next level (level4). AAB1 will go after AAB4 and ABB3 will go after ABB4.

The output would look something like this:

Code:

A 75023 AA 75043 AAA 75045 AAA1 95045 AAA2 15045 AAA3 35045 AAA4 55045 AAB 75047 AAB2 15047 AAB3 35047 AAB4 55047 AAB1 95047* AD 75003 ADA 75005 ADA1 95005 ADA2 15005 ADA3 35005 ADA4 55005 ADB 75007 ADB1 95007 ADB2 15007 ADB3 35007 AB 75063* ABA 75065 ABA1 95065 ABA2 15065 ABA3 35065 ABA4 55065 ABB 75067 ABB1 95067 ABB2 15067 ABB4 55067 ABB3 35067* AC 75083* ACB 75087 ACB1 95087 ACB2 15087 ACB3 35087 ACA 75085* ACA1 95085 ACA2 15085 ACA3 35085 ACA4 55085

If someone can help me with this, it would be greatly appreciated.

The next step would be to then go back through the newly sorted file and rename the left side of the values. AA, AAA, AAA1, etc. back to the original order. So, if you can provide that piece of code as well, it would be greatly appreciated. But I think I can figure that part out, if I can just get some help with the sorting of the file.

Thanks in advance.
k

Re: Sorting an ASCII File

Hello:
I have worked through an example, hoping this makes what is needed a little clearer.

Thank you in advance for any and all support.

Thanks.
I need a small piece of code that will read an ASCII Delimited file and sort it, with the following rules.
This might seem complicated, but I think a good tight loop or two should accomplished what is needed.

NOTE: the tabs and delimiters need to remain so it can be re-read into a TREEVIEW.

INPUT: Tab delimited ASCII File.
OUTPUT: Tab delimited ASCII File with values ending with an "*" are sorted to the end of their node.

-This file should be thought of as a TREE Structure
-The left side of the labels. DO NOT MOVE
-The right side of the labels DO MOVE
-The left and right are determined by the first space on the right side
So using this as an example: AA 8975043*
AA+SPACE(8) is the left label
8975043* is the right label
AA+SPACE(8) will not move
8975043* - since it ends with an "*" will be moved to the end of the NODE

1. All right labels ending with an "*" need to be moved/sorted to the end of their node
2. Start with the second level and sort the items ending with an "*" to the end of that node
So:
AA 8975043*
AB 175063*
AC 75083
AD 75003
Becomes:
AA 75083
AB 75003
AC 8975043*
AD 175063*
NOTE: the AA, AB, AC, AD labels DO NOT MOVE

3. The values under each node ARE MOVED AS WELL.
So:

Code:

AA 8975043* AAA 75045 AAA1 95045 AAA2 15045 AAA3 35045 AAA4 55045 AAB 175047 AAB1 395047 AAB2 15047 AAB3 1235047* AAB4 55047 AAC 75049 AAC1 95049 AAC2 15049 AAC3 35049 AAC4 55049 AAD 2475041 AAD1 95041 AAD2 15041 AAD3 35041 AAD4 55041 AB 175063* AC 75083 AD 75003

Becomes:

Code:

AA 75083 AB 75003 AC 8975043* ACA 75045 ACA1 95045 ACA2 15045 ACA3 35045 ACA4 55045 ACB 175047 ACB1 395047 ACB2 15047 ACB3 1235047* ACB4 55047 ACC 75049* ACC1 95049 ACC2 15049 ACC3 35049 ACC4 55049 ACD 2475041 ACD1 95041 ACD2 15041 ACD3 35041 ACD4 55041 AD 175063*

4. Next we need to move to Level 3 and do the same as we did with Level 2
So:

Code:

AC 8975043* ACA 75045 ACA1 95045 ACA2 15045 ACA3 35045 ACA4 55045 ACB 175047 ACB1 395047 ACB2 15047 ACB3 1235047* ACB4 55047 ACC 75049* ACC1 95049 ACC2 15049 ACC3 35049 ACC4 55049 ACD 2475041 ACD1 95041 ACD2 15041 ACD3 35041 ACD4 55041

Becomes:

Code:

AC 8975043* ACA 75045 ACA1 95045 ACA2 15045 ACA3 35045 ACA4 55045 ACB 175047 ACB1 395047 ACB2 15047 ACB3 1235047* ACB4 55047 ACC 2475041 ACC1 95041 ACC2 15041 ACC3 35041 ACC4 55041 ACD 75049* ACD1 95049 ACD2 15049 ACD3 35049 ACD4 55049

5, Next move to Level 4, Level 5, Level 6, etc. there can be up to 9 Levels

BEFORE SORT/MOVE

Code:

A 75023 AA 8975043* AAA 75045 AAA1 95045 AAA2 15045 AAA3 35045 AAA4 55045 AAB 175047 AAB1 395047 AAB2 15047 AAB4 1235047* AAB4 55047 AAC 75049* AAC1 95049 AAC2 15049 AAC3 35049 AAC4 55049 AAD 2475041 AAD1 95041 AAD2 15041 AAD3 35041 AAD4 55041 AB 175063* ABA 75065 ABA1 95065 ABA2 15065 ABA3 35065 ABA4 55065 ABB 75067* ABB1 95067 ABB2 15067 ABB3 35067 ABB4 55067 ABC 75069 ABC1 43295069* ABC2 15069 ABC3 35069 ABC4 55069 ABD 75061 ABD1 95061 ABD2 515061* ABD3 35061 ABD4 55061 AC 75083 ACA 75085* ACA1 95085* ACA2 15085* ACA3 35085* ACA4 55085* ACB 75087* ACB1 95087* ACB2 15087* ACB3 35087* ACB4 55087* ACC 75089* ACC1 95089* ACC2 15089* ACC3 35089* ACC4 55089* ACD 675081 ACD1 95081* ACD2 15081* ACD3 35081* ACD4 55081* AD 75003 ADA 75005 ADA1 95005 ADA2 15005 ADA3 35005 ADA4 55005 ADB 75007 ADB1 95007 ADB2 15007 ADB3 35007 ADB4 55007 ADC 75009* ADC1 95009* ADC2 15009* ADC3 35009* ADC4 55009* ADD 75001 ADD1 95001 ADD2 15001 ADD3 35001 ADD4 55001

AFTER SORT/MOVE

Code:

A 75023 AA 75083 AAA 675081 AAA1 95081* AAA2 15081* AAA3 35081* AAA4 55081* AAB 75085* AAB1 95085* AAB2 15085* AAB3 35085* AAB4 55085* AAC 75087* AAC1 95087* AAC2 15087* AAC3 35087* AAC4 55087* AAD 75089* AAD1 95089* AAD2 15089* AAD3 35089* AAD4 55089* AB 75003 ABA 75005 ABA1 95005 ABA2 15005 ABA3 35005 ABA4 55005 ABB 75007 ABB1 95007 ABB2 15007 ABB3 35007 ABB4 55007 ABC 75009* ABC1 95009* ABC2 15009* ABC3 35009* ABC4 55009* ABC 75001 ABC1 95001 ABC2 15001 ABC3 35001 ABC4 55001 ABD 75009* ABD1 95009* ABD2 15009* ABD3 35009* ABD4 55009* AC 8975043* ACA 75045 ACA1 95045 ACA2 15045 ACA3 35045 ACA4 55045 ACB 175047 ACB1 395047 ACB2 15047 ACB3 55047 ACB4 1235047* ACC 2475041 ACC1 95041 ACC2 15041 ACC3 35041 ACC4 55041 ACD 75049* ACD1 95049 ACD2 15049 ACD3 35049 ACD4 55049 AD 175063* ADA 75065 ADA1 95065 ADA2 15065 ADA3 35065 ADA4 55065 ADB 75069 ADB1 15069 ADB2 35069 ADB3 55069 ADB4 43295069* ADc 75061 ADC1 95061 ADC2 35061 ADC3 55061 ADC4 515061* ADD 75067* ADD1 95067 ADD2 15067 ADD3 35067 ADD4 55067

Re: Sorting an ASCII File

First - You want to retain Tabs in your ASCII data - Substitute a special Character for each as you extract your data to be sorted

eg, AA123456 <TAB> 1234 Could be extracted as AA123456:1234

You want to actually change the prefix of the data if it has an * - then change it as you create the data to be sorted (NOT WHILE YOU ARE SORTING)

To sort data of the quantity you have you have 2 alternatives

1) Update a Table in Access Database then using SQL use a Select statement ASC (Ascending) to sort it (Select * from myTable Order By MyData ASC)

2) Use a List Component on a Form which has been set up to be Sorted and add your data to it (Make it Not Visible). Then read the data back 1 row at a time and it will come back sorted

Option 2 is the easiest as you don't need a database

Re: Sorting an ASCII File

I would think this all could be easily accomplished with an internal data structure that you create, without creating any external files or databases. Then again, I am a C++ programmer. When I used to program in VB, I would create a user defined type to represent the nodes in a tree data structure. Then I would create an array of these nodes and use the array indexes as pointers. (I love pointers. :D)

Maybe you could put the data into a two dimensional array with a column for each level. Then sort the table as if the all of the columns are one big column. Then relabel the left side of the labels so that they are in order. When you extract the data from the sorted table, check if the left side of each label is different than the previous row. This will indicate that the previous row was a leaf in the tree.