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<P>The date changes from what to what? Is it incremental in any way? If yes, then a loop oughta do it. Otherwise if it stays the same, what is the purpose of the search? Hope I'm not being dense.</P>
<P>_d<BR>"Things are only free to the extent that you don't pay for them." </P></DIV>
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<DIV></DIV>>From: rusty.hammond@cpiqpc.com
<DIV></DIV>>Reply-To: accessd@databaseadvisors.com
<DIV></DIV>>To: accessd@databaseadvisors.com
<DIV></DIV>>Subject: RE: [AccessD] Search for string with wildcard characters
<DIV></DIV>>Date: Mon, 14 Apr 2003 11:00:19 -0500
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>>I think if there was a way to incorporate the Like operator with the InStr
<DIV></DIV>>function then my problem would be solved.
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>>Let me explain what I'm doing and maybe someone will have suggestion for a
<DIV></DIV>>better way of doing it.
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>>My client sends a text file of invoices to a Railroad (RR) company. This RR
<DIV></DIV>>requires a specific file format for their billing system to import the
<DIV></DIV>>invoices. My client has tried working with their accounting software people
<DIV></DIV>>to get the format they need but they say they have done what they need to do
<DIV></DIV>>so if it requires more coding they will do at a fee of $250 per hour and
<DIV></DIV>>quoted 25 hours (great money if you can get it).
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>>Anyway, I'm taking the text file the accounting software creates which is
<DIV></DIV>>close to what is needed, and making the few more changes to it to make it
<DIV></DIV>>compatible with the RR company. So far, I've discoved that by searching the
<DIV></DIV>>file for certain strings, I can replace that string with something else.
<DIV></DIV>>It's been fairly simple up to this point since the strings I'm searching for
<DIV></DIV>>have all been static. I'm storing the strings to search for and replace
<DIV></DIV>>with in a table so if something changes they just adjust the strings in the
<DIV></DIV>>table and away we go.
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>>Now we have a change where the portion of the file I need to change includes
<DIV></DIV>>a date which changes with each new file. Now, I could have the client
<DIV></DIV>>change the date in the searchfor string each time they run the program for a
<DIV></DIV>>new file but it would be really nice if I could have a function search for
<DIV></DIV>>"N1~GA~????????" (where the ?'s represent a date in yyyymmdd format)in this
<DIV></DIV>>string "REF~03~!N1~GA~20020414" and return a 9.
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>>Clear as mud?
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>>Rusty
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>>-----Original Message-----
<DIV></DIV>>From: Mike and Doris Manning [mailto:mikedorism@ntelos.net]
<DIV></DIV>>Sent: Monday, April 14, 2003 10:20 AM
<DIV></DIV>>To: accessd@databaseadvisors.com
<DIV></DIV>>Subject: RE: [AccessD] Search for string with wildcard characters
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>>How about InStr function?
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>>Doris Manning
<DIV></DIV>>Database Administrator
<DIV></DIV>>Hargrove Inc.
<DIV></DIV>>www.hargroveinc.com
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>>-----Original Message-----
<DIV></DIV>>From: accessd-bounces@databaseadvisors.com
<DIV></DIV>>[mailto:accessd-bounces@databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of
<DIV></DIV>>rusty.hammond@cpiqpc.com
<DIV></DIV>>Sent: Monday, April 14, 2003 10:57 AM
<DIV></DIV>>To: accessd@databaseadvisors.com
<DIV></DIV>>Subject: [AccessD] Search for string with wildcard characters
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>>Does anyone have any code that will search a string variable for a string
<DIV></DIV>>that includes wildcard characters and returns the location?
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>>ie
<DIV></DIV>>strVariable="This is a test"
<DIV></DIV>>search strVariable for "te??" returns 11
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>>Rusty
<DIV></DIV>>
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