applescript pointer to read location in file

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applescript pointer to read location in file

In trying to do some Applescript programming that reads from a file I've hit a bit of roadblock. The applescript documentation refers to a pointer to the current read location in a file, but gives no listing of accessing it as a reference. For example. I have a file and I do a read unitl "whatever character." It would seem highly useful there be a way to access the new or current read location as a built in propery or something. It looks like the only way to really do this is to make your own secondary property/variable enumerating your position? So you have to set up a way to have a varialble that has a count of how far it has read in integer or character wise?

Maybe i am missing something.

Mike

Posted on Feb 11, 2013 3:34 PM

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Answer 1

Feb 11, 2013 5:46 PM in response to madelefant

Perhaps if you explained what you were trying a way could be suggested.

Why do you need the absolute value of the file pointer?

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Answer 2

madelefant Author

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Feb 11, 2013 7:29 PM in response to Frank Caggiano

I have a file listing networks and servers for irc exported from Ircle (irc client). Ircle doesn't have a setting to cycle through servers when one doesn't connect. (I think you can make it try the same one repeatedly). It needs to be able to read into a file to a specific network and then try each of the servers until it connects. The server file can change. The idea would be either to choose from a list of networks or enter a network, have it search into the file for that network and then try each of the servers. If I create a list of the networks it has to read into the network name, then past the servers for that network and read the next server name to populate the list. I already have it reading the network names into a separate variable to be returned (having created my own pointer tracking thingy) but it is majorly sluggish.

Mike

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Answer 3

Feb 11, 2013 8:04 PM in response to madelefant

How large is the file? Might be more efficient if you read the whole thing in and did the work in memory.

Can you post some of the file or make it available online. Might be easier to visualize the problem if we can see the file.

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Answer 4

madelefant Author

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Feb 11, 2013 9:41 PM in response to Frank Caggiano

The file is about 40 k. This is the code snippet I have that is working but I thought I was maybe missing an built in applescript file position pointer.

try

close access serverList

end try

try

set serverList to open for access file "Startup Disk MacPro:Users:michaelneal:Desktop:Programming:Server list"

end try

repeat

try

copy (read serverList from pointerLoc until "]") to end of networkStore

copy (read serverList before "[") to end of serverStore

set pointerLoc to the number of characters of ((networkStore as string) & (serverStore as string))

on error

exit repeat

end try

end repeat

display alert the "File Position: " & (pointerLoc) & " EOF: " & (get eof serverList)

close access serverList

I have it pulling the network names and then the server names into different files just so I could test that it was working from the results as well as a display dialog for feedback.

Here is a snippet from the file im reading:

[AbleNET]

A.AbleNET.org

Defcon.AbleNET.org

eXtreme.AbleNET.Org

irc.ablenet.org

Quantum.uk.AbleNET.org

[AccessIRC]

Copenhagen.DK.EU.AccessIRC.Net

Warwickshire.UK.EU.AccessIrc.Net

Lexington.KY.US.AccessIRC.Net

Detroit.MI.US.AccessIRC.Net

Hackettstown.NJ.US.AccessIRC.Net

Florence.OR.US.AccessIRC.Net

[AceStar]

jailhouse.ma.us.acestar.org

[AfterNet]

Boston.AfterNet.Org

IC5.EU.AfterNET.Org

Flying-Dutchman.AfterNET.org

London.AfterNet.Org

TuX.AfterNet.Org

suarez.NY.US.AfterNET.org

[AlphaLink]

irc.alphalink.com.au

[AltNet]

darkside.altnet.org

ie.altnet.org

phoenix.altnet.org

rollingrock.altnet.org

[Alternet]

alternet.luc.ac.be

alternet.cnmnetwork.com

irc.eng.3sheep.edu

alternet.bawx.net

alternet.llamas.net

irc.subtle.org

alternet.wox.org

[Ancients Net]

chaos.ancients.net

uranus.ancients.net

wicked.ancients.net

[Animenet]

irc.aus.org

[AnyNet]

anynet.brimac.com

irc.bluecherry.net

irc.getsome.org

[ArabChat]

Bahrain.ArabChat.Org

Beirut.ArabChat.Org

Doha.ArabChat.Org

Gulf.ArabChat.Org

Khobar.ArabChat.Org

KSA.ArabChat.Org

Kuwait.ArabChat.Org

Love.ArabChat.Org

Oman.ArabChat.Org

Palestine.ArabChat.Org

Q8.ArabChat.Org

Qatar.ArabChat.Org

QualityNet.ArabChat.Org

Riyadh.ArabChat.Org

Saudi.ArabChat.Org

UAE.ArabChat.Org

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Answer 5

madelefant Author

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Feb 28, 2013 11:43 PM in response to Frank Caggiano

I was abble to get this to do what I want using offset property. It is a roundabout way it seems but worked.

Mike

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Answer 6

Mar 1, 2013 10:36 AM in response to madelefant

Given the layout of the servers file 9as shown in the example you posted) this code will read it into a list (aa) with the servename as one list item and the servers for tat serve as the next list item

set fnum to open for access (((path to desktop) as text) & "Serverlist.txt")

set aa to read fnum using delimiter {space, "[", "]"}

repeat with i from 1 to length of aa

if item i of aa is equal to "AfterNet" then

display dialog item (i + 1) of aa

end if

end repeat

Depending on the file size and you machine this shouldn't be to much to run. You might want to give it a shot. With this then you can simply enter the serve name you are looking for and then access all its servers.

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