*** Archive *** Remove Alternatives From a Locator

Question / Problem: 

Is it possible to remove alternatives from a locator?

Answer / Solution: 

It is possible to remove alternatives from a locator using scripting. It is easier to use a script locator to remove alternatives from a locator than copy the alternatives from a locator to the script locator. Otherwise you have to create new alternatives, subfields and copy all properties (left, width, top, height, pageIndex, words) manually

Example: A format locator finds 5 digit numbers, and you want to remove "12345".

Use the following locators:

• Format Locator: FL_5Digits
• Script Locator: SL_Clean5Digits

If you use a for loop to remove alternatives, then you must count down to 0.

Simple Solution:

Private Sub SL_5Digit_LocateAlternatives(ByVal pXDoc As CASCADELib.CscXDocument, ByVal pLocator As CASCADELib.CscXDocField)

   Dim FL As CscXDocField
   Set FL = pXDoc.Locators.ItemByName("FL_5Digit")

   Dim a As Integer
   'Loop through all alternatives from last to first
   For a = FL.Alternatives.Count-1 To 0 Step -1
      If FL.Alternatives(a).Text="12345" Then FL.Alternatives.Remove(a)
   Next
End Sub

 

A more generic solution is to remove values that fail a formatter:

Private Sub SL_5Digit_LocateAlternatives(ByVal pXDoc As CASCADELib.CscXDocument, ByVal pLocator As CASCADELib.CscXDocField)

   'This formats all alternatives of a locator and removes values that fail formatting
   Dim Loc As CscXDocField
   Set Loc = pXDoc.Locators.ItemByName("FL_5Digit")

   Dim formatter As ICscFieldFormatter
   Set formatter= Project.FieldFormatters.ItemByName("Clean5Digits")

   Dim formattedText As String
   Dim errDescription As String

   Dim a As Integer
   For a = Loc.Alternatives.Count-1 To 0 Step -1
      If formatter.FormatFieldText(Loc.Alternatives(a).Text, formattedText, errDescription) Then
         'This alternative passed the formatter
         Loc.Alternatives(a).Text = formattedText
      Else
         'This alternative failed to format
         Loc.Alternatives.Remove(a)
      End If
   Next
End Sub

Applies to:  

Product	Version	Category
KTM	6.3	Scripting
KTM	6.2	Scripting