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R
ReedError
Inspiring
June 4, 2019
Answered

Set text using a TextItems structure

  • June 4, 2019
  • 2 replies
  • 1915 views

Hi,

I am getting TextItems out of an element using:

     currentElem.GetText(Constants.FTF_ALL);

I am then modifying the sdata for some of the items, and want to write this structure back into the element I got it from.

If I just use doc.Clear then doc.AddText, I have to pass in a string, and thus lose all the markers, anchors etc in the TextItems.

I can't find a documented way to pass in TextItems to a function, anyone got ideas/workarounds to preserve the non-string text items?

Or a way to modify the TextItems on an object directly?

Thanks in advance,

Dan

This topic has been closed for replies.
Correct answer 4everJang

No, that is not how it works.

If you want to replace text in some of the text items, you need to make changes to the individual text strings, not to the entire contents of the element. Something like this:

1. Get all text items in the element

2. Loop through all text items

3. For each text item of type string that requires replacing:

     Set TextLoc 1 to point to the start of that string ( offset property of your text item )

     Set TextLoc 2 to point to the end of the string ( offset property plus length of text string )

     Create a text range from these two TextLoc objects

     Set the TextSelection property of your Doc object to this text range

     Use the Doc.Clear method

     Add new text to the document, using TextLoc 1.

Note that after doing this you should get the text items again, as the offsets might have changed by replacing text. The way to get around this hassle is to work through the list of text items from the back to the front.

Good luck

4everJang

2 replies

frameexpert
Community Expert
frameexpertCommunity Expert
Community Expert
June 4, 2019

Hi,

I have a function that just deletes the strings from a text range. I am not sure if this will help you, but it may get you started.

Rick

function deleteStrings (textRange, doc) {    
    
    var textItems, i, tRange;
    
    // Get a list of strings in the text range.
    textItems = doc.GetTextForRange (textRange, Constants.FTI_String);
    for (i = textItems.len - 1; i >= 0; i -= 1) {
        // Make a text range from the string and delete it.
        tRange = new TextRange (
            new TextLoc (textRange.beg.obj, textItems.offset),
            new TextLoc (textRange.beg.obj, textItems.offset + textItems.sdata.length));
        doc.DeleteText (tRange);
    }
}
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4everJang
4everJangCorrect answer
Legend
June 4, 2019

No, that is not how it works.

If you want to replace text in some of the text items, you need to make changes to the individual text strings, not to the entire contents of the element. Something like this:

1. Get all text items in the element

2. Loop through all text items

3. For each text item of type string that requires replacing:

     Set TextLoc 1 to point to the start of that string ( offset property of your text item )

     Set TextLoc 2 to point to the end of the string ( offset property plus length of text string )

     Create a text range from these two TextLoc objects

     Set the TextSelection property of your Doc object to this text range

     Use the Doc.Clear method

     Add new text to the document, using TextLoc 1.

Note that after doing this you should get the text items again, as the offsets might have changed by replacing text. The way to get around this hassle is to work through the list of text items from the back to the front.

Good luck

4everJang

R
ReedErrorAuthor
Inspiring
June 4, 2019

Perfect!

This makes so much sense now, I was already looping through the text items to modify them, so I feel silly for not putting 2 and 2 together.

Thanks for your help!

4everJang
4everJang
Legend
June 4, 2019

Just make sure to work from back to front - as shown in Rick's example - as the changes in the offsets will not affect the offsets of text items before it.

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