Function to delete blank lines

[Peter.Greulich]

Useful, among other things, when copying code from the help files to use in your own code. Typically, when you copy the code, every other line will be blank upon pasting. This function delete the blank lines before you paste.

'Date Created: 21-Jul-2008 04:14:40 PM
'Last Updated: 04-May-2009 03:45:32 PM
'Created By  : PG
'Updated By  : Peter Greulich

FUNCTION f_BlankDelete AS V ( )
    ''Remove blank lines from text data in the Window's clipboard
    
    vClipContents = CLIPBOARD.GET_DATA()
    vLineNos = w_count(vClipContents,crlf())
    IF vLineNos = 0
        EXIT FUNCTION
    END IF
    
    vNewClipper = ""
    FOR i = 1 TO vLineNos
        vLine = ALLTRIM(word(vClipContents,i,crlf()))
        
        IF vLine = ""
            .T.        ''skip to next line if current line is blank
        ELSE
            vNewClipper = vNewClipper + vLine + crlf()
        END IF
    next
    
    CLIPBOARD.SET_DATA(vNewClipper)
END FUNCTION

[Stan Mathews]

Re: Function to delete blank lines

Sweet.

If you change vLine = ALLTRIM(word(vClipContents,i,crlf())) to
vLine = Rtrim(word(vClipContents,i,crlf())) you can preserve the indentation.

[Peter.Greulich]

Re: Function to delete blank lines

If you change vLine = ALLTRIM(word(vClipContents,i,crlf())) to
vLine = Rtrim(word(vClipContents,i,crlf())) you can preserve the indentation.

By your command...

'Date Created: 21-Jul-2008 04:14:40 PM
'Last Updated: 11-Aug-2009 02:49:37 PM
'Created By  : PG
'Updated By  : Peter Greulich

FUNCTION f_BlankDelete AS V (vTrim=0 as N )
    ''Remove blank lines from text data in the Window's clipboard
    ''vTrim=0 remove both leading and trainimng spaces
    ''vTrim=1 remove trainimng spaces only (preserves indentation) - credit to Mr. Stan Mathews!
    
    vClipContents = CLIPBOARD.GET_DATA()
    vLineNos = w_count(vClipContents,crlf())
    IF vLineNos = 0
        EXIT FUNCTION
    END IF
    
    vNewClipper = ""
    FOR i = 1 TO vLineNos
        IF vTrim = 1
            vLine = Rtrim(word(vClipContents,i,crlf()))
        ELSE
            vLine = ALLTRIM(word(vClipContents,i,crlf()))
        END IF
        
        IF vLine = ""
            .T.        ''skip to next line if current line is blank
        ELSE
            vNewClipper = vNewClipper + vLine + crlf()
        END IF
    next
    
    CLIPBOARD.SET_DATA(vNewClipper)
END FUNCTION

[CALocklin]

Re: Function to delete blank lines

Peter - Does this function have an open software license?

Here's a revision that also maintains any existing blank lines. (I like blank lines in my code to separate each logic group. I find it easier to read.) Since a blank line is being added after every line, a "desired blank line" will actually be 3 blank lines.

It also correctly handles the situation where there are two lines with NO blank line between them. Just in case someone starts to fix the code manually first. (As do the previous methods - it was just a bit tougher to do in this revision.) The only thing it can't check for is when someone partially fixes the original and deletes one of the 3 blank lines. In that case, it assumes there should be no blank line at that point in the final version. I also think (didn't check but dinner's waiting) that it will not leave multiple sequential blank lines.

And, I took the liberty of changing the default for vTrim to 1 -- can't imagine why anyone would want to remove all leading spaces/tabs since that just makes it harder to read.

FWIW: The DIM statements were added just so there is no chance of interfering with some other GLOBAL or SHARE variable outside of the function.

'Date Created: 21-Jul-2008 04:14:40 PM
'Last Updated: 11-Aug-2009 05:18:27 PM
'Created By  : PG
'Updated By  : Cal Locklin
 
FUNCTION f_BlankDelete AS V ( vTrim=1 as N )
   [COLOR=blue]''Remove blank lines from text data in the Window's clipboard
[/COLOR]   [COLOR=blue]''vTrim=0 remove both leading and trailing spaces
   ''vTrim=1 remove trailing spaces only (preserves indentation) - credit to Mr. Stan Mathews![/COLOR]
 
   DIM last_line_found as L
   DIM next3lines as C
   DIM this_line as C
   DIM vClipContents as C
   DIM vNewClipper as C

   vClipContents = CLIPBOARD.GET_DATA()
   vLineNos = w_count( vClipContents, crlf() )
   IF vLineNos = 0
      EXIT FUNCTION
   END IF
 
   vNewClipper = ""
   last_line_found = .F.

   WHILE vClipContents <> "" .and. .not. last_line_found
      IF atc( crlf(), vClipContents, 1 ) = 0
         last_line_found = .T.
      END IF
      [COLOR=blue]'Get next 3 lines of text.
[/COLOR]      next3lines = left( vClipContents, atc( crlf(), vClipContents, 3 ) + 1 )
      IF remspecial( next3lines ) = ""
         [COLOR=blue]'If there are 3 "blank" lines (possibly with leading spaces or tabs), there 
         'should really be only one blank line.
[/COLOR]         this_line = ""
         [COLOR=blue]'Remove these 3 blank lines from whatever is left of vClipContents.
[/COLOR]         vClipContents = substr( vClipContents, atc( crlf(), vClipContents, 3 ) + 2 )
      ELSE
         [COLOR=blue]'Remove any leading blank lines.
[/COLOR]         WHILE left( vClipContents, atc( crlf(), vClipContents, 1 ) + 1 ) = "" .and. .not. last_line_found
            vClipContents = substr( vClipContents, atc( crlf(), vClipContents, 1 ) + 2 )
         END WHILE
         [COLOR=blue]'Get everything up to the next crlf()
[/COLOR]         IF vtrim = 0
            this_line = alltrim( word( vClipContents, 1, crlf() ) )
         ELSE
            this_line = rtrim( word( vClipContents, 1, crlf() ) )
         END IF
         [COLOR=blue]'Remove the first line ("this_line") from whatever is left of vClipContents.
[/COLOR]         vClipContents = substr( vClipContents, atc( crlf(), vClipContents, 1 ) + 2 )
      END IF
      [COLOR=blue]'Add "this_line" to the next text string -- with a crlf() on the end!
[/COLOR]      vNewClipper = vNewClipper + this_line + crlf()
   END WHILE

   CLIPBOARD.SET_DATA( vNewClipper )

END FUNCTION

[Allen Klimeck]

Re: Function to delete blank lines

Great idea Peter however:

'Date Created: 11-Aug-2009 10:28:36 PM
'Last Updated: 11-Aug-2009 10:28:36 PM
'Created By  : AJK
'Updated By  : AJK
FUNCTION clipb_clean AS V ( )
	'Remove extra blank lines from data copied to the clip board from a help file
	ClipBoard.Set_Data(strtran(ClipBoard.Get_Data(),crlf(2),crlf(1)))
END FUNCTION

Allen

[Peter.Greulich]

Re: Function to delete blank lines

Great idea Peter however:

There's always a wise guy in every crowd. ;)

[Ton Spies]

Re: Function to delete blank lines

There's always a wise guy in every crowd.

Sure, but that's not the point.
You never learned the names of them who polished inventions, however much we like them gleaming.

Great names are Bell, Edison, Stephenson.
They had the idea's / were the initiators.

An inventor is someone who does or has done inventions.
Important characteristics of an inventor are:
1. Knows the problem;
2. Uses technical knowledge and / or creativity to solve the problem;
3. Has been successful certainly once in life.

Yeah, I also deleted all that extra lines by hand .... many many times.

Today I enjoy the creativities of the many inventors we have on this board
and their polishers!

Thank you Peter!;)