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Hello, I originally posted this idea in lugnet.cad.dev, and Jacob Sparre Andersen suggested I consult with the patrons of this group. For the Lego CAD program I'm developing, I got the idea for allowing users to load a set inventory file if they (...) (25 years ago, 18-Sep-99, to lugnet.db.inv)
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| | Re: Standardized Inventory File Format?
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(...) I solve that problem by using *3 or more spaces* as the delimiter. If you want to delimit the next field, you must always use at least 3 spaces in a row. This allows things like color names to include spaces and allows for a little human error (...) (25 years ago, 22-Sep-99, to lugnet.db.inv)
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(...) This (...) Let's do it. 3 spaces between fields: count DATfilename Color Optional description Now, not being a CAD nut, where would I find the DATfilenames? And what do we put for parts without DATfilenames? as evah, John C. (25 years ago, 22-Sep-99, to lugnet.db.inv)
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John Cromer wrote in message ... (...) I'd start at (URL) and try printing the Word version of the parts catalog. M$IE garbled the images and then crashed badly on me when I tried viewing the HTML version from the zip file. Forced a reboot (I made (...) (25 years ago, 23-Sep-99, to lugnet.db.inv)
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| | Re: Standardized Inventory File Format?
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(...) Are there many programs that support multi-character delimiters in their import function? I'm fairly certain Excel and MS-Access do not. The point of making a standard format is to make the data more accessible to everyone. Not just coders. I (...) (25 years ago, 23-Sep-99, to lugnet.db.inv)
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(...) Look at (URL) The LDraw numbers are included there, and there are links to Technica and Lutz Uhlman's parts list. Steve (25 years ago, 23-Sep-99, to lugnet.db.inv)
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| | Re: Standardized Inventory File Format?
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Steve Bliss wrote in message <37ea300b.59491442@l...et.com>... (...) People may end up with multiple commas if there happens to be a gap of six or more spaces, then. Of course after replacing ' ' with ',', they could replace ',,' with ','. It might (...) (25 years ago, 23-Sep-99, to lugnet.db.inv)
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| | Re: Standardized Inventory File Format?
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(...) My parts database format is human-readable and well-suited to use by programs as well as humans, and solves your problem quite well. My inventory scripts use it. Look at: (URL) are some sample entries: ld2412, mr0055 Name: 1 x 2 tile with (...) (25 years ago, 23-Sep-99, to lugnet.db.inv)
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(...) Yes -- the way to do that type of transformation in a single operation is to replace the grep expression / +/ with /,/. Of course, if you don't have grep replace in your text editor, get a real text editor (-: Just kidding! Every major OS can (...) (25 years ago, 23-Sep-99, to lugnet.db.inv)
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| | Re: Standardized Inventory File Format?
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(...) It doesn't do much good if the use of commas makes it so the columns don't line up. You want these inventory files to be easy to read by humans, and that means the columns need to line up! If we use commas as delimeters, we also need to add (...) (25 years ago, 23-Sep-99, to lugnet.db.inv)
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(...) But not every major user wants to run Perl. Steve (25 years ago, 24-Sep-99, to lugnet.db.inv)
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| | Re: Standardized Inventory File Format?
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Steve Bliss wrote in message <37ebce49.24708031@l...et.com>... (...) will do (...) I could easily write an inventory file formatting program to perform this task. It would give the user full control over how he/she wanted a file to be formatted, and (...) (25 years ago, 24-Sep-99, to lugnet.db.inv)
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| | Re: Standardized Inventory File Format?
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(...) But any major dude with half a heart surely will tell you, my friend... - ABSie Dan (well. it seemed funny at the time, but I still have coaster hair so what do I know. Could be all the mosquitoes I inhaled while screaming.) -- Larry Pieniazek (...) (25 years ago, 25-Sep-99, to lugnet.db.inv, lugnet.off-topic.fun)
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| | Re: Standardized Inventory File Format?
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In article <37EC3B39.70B577CA@v...ager.net>, Larry Pieniazek <lar@voyager.net> writes (...) Just *how* do you do that? A third lung? Breathing through your ears? (25 years ago, 25-Sep-99, to lugnet.off-topic.fun)
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OK, technically, it wasn't WHILE I was screaming in a strict time sense. It was while gulping air for the NEXT scream. It IS possible to make sounds while inhaling, but not screams. (...) (25 years ago, 25-Sep-99, to lugnet.off-topic.fun)
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| | Re: Standardized Inventory File Format?
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Op een zekere dag, te weten Thu, 23 Sep 1999 13:54:23 GMT, klom blisses@worldnet.att.net (Steve Bliss) in het toetsenbord en schreef ons: (...) Excel (97) at least can import multi-char delimeters. In the import-window, you can choose the delimeter (...) (25 years ago, 25-Sep-99, to lugnet.db.inv)
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(...) Huh? (...) Gotta watch out for those Minnesota songbirds. Steve (25 years ago, 27-Sep-99, to lugnet.off-topic.fun)
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(...) Are you speaking for yourself? If so, explain why you'd rather use some other programming language system in place of Perl. Remember, we're trying to design a standard that will work for lots of people who aren't here to represent themselves. (...) (25 years ago, 27-Sep-99, to lugnet.db.inv)
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(...) I wasn't speaking for myself--I could learn Perl, if I wanted. I haven't needed to yet, and haven't felt like making the time--other activities have higher priorities. I was thinking of people who aren't programmers, don't know how to program, (...) (25 years ago, 28-Sep-99, to lugnet.db.inv)
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(...) Why not adopt XML? Watching this thread, I have seen discussions about parsing such inventories in different programming languages and about the fact that it should be readable by human beings. XML is designed exactly for that. There are a (...) (25 years ago, 3-Oct-99, to lugnet.db.inv)
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(...) Hmm, interesting. Are there any XML writers, to convert flat-ASCII to flat-XML? Steve (25 years ago, 4-Oct-99, to lugnet.db.inv)
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(...) I am not sure I understand your question completely. There certainly are XML-writers available. One is included in the new Java extension Project X available from Sun at (URL) You probably have to register, but that is free and pretty simple. (...) (25 years ago, 4-Oct-99, to lugnet.db.inv)
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(...) I don't suppose I'd have a problem myself. My code is a little messy, but it (usually) gets the job done. I was thinking of other people, who may have recorded inventories in spreadsheets, or HTML, or whatever document format they found handy. (...) (25 years ago, 5-Oct-99, to lugnet.db.inv)
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| | Re: Standardized Inventory File Format?
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Hi, I'm new here but I live in database land. The work already put into the CAD program inventories should not be underestimated. For your text file format, use columns, use tabs or commas for delimiters. People should be able and expected to enter (...) (25 years ago, 14-Oct-99, to lugnet.db.inv)
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| | Re: Standardized Inventory File Format?
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(...) So will: sed "s/ +/,/g" <spaces.txt >comma.txt Which will run on any machine (even an 8088 laptop) that has a DOS- or *nix-style command line. And sed is small enough that most people who might balk at Perl wouldn't mind installing it, even as (...) (25 years ago, 22-May-00, to lugnet.db.inv)
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