Command Line Parsing and More

Entry (position,txt,delim)
Numentries (txt,delim)
ParseCommandLine ()

The Entry function is usefull in many other areas. If you had a string that was "a/b/c/d" and you wanted to find out what the 3rd entry was you would use:

x$ = entry(3,"a/b/c/d","/")       '  x$ would = "c".
x% = NumEntries("a/b/c/d","/")    ' x% = 4.

Run the ParaCommandLine from the main Form to set variables or actually run the various requests from the command$.

Add the following code to a module called ENTRY.BAS.

public Function Entry(byval Position as Integer, byval Txt as string, _
       byval Delim as string) as string 
   'This function is the same as Progress' Entry function 
   on error resume next 

   Dim CurrentPosition as Integer, StrStart as Integer, _
       StrEnd as Integer, StrCntr as Integer 

   StrStart = 1 
   CurrentPosition = 1 
   Txt = Txt & " "  'add a space to the end of the string 
  
   for StrCntr = 1 to len(Txt) 
     If mid(Txt, StrCntr, 1) = Delim Or StrCntr = len(Txt) then 
       StrEnd = StrCntr - 1 
  
       If StrEnd - StrStart < 0 then 
         Entry = "" 
         StrStart = StrCntr + 1 
         If CurrentPosition = Position then Exit Function 
       else 
         Entry = Trim(mid(Txt, StrStart, StrEnd - StrStart + 1)) 
         If CurrentPosition = Position then Exit Function 
         StrStart = StrCntr + 1 
       End If 
       CurrentPosition = CurrentPosition + 1 
     End If 
  next 

End Function 

public Function NumEntries(byval Txt as string, _
       byval Delim as string) as Integer 
  on error resume next 
  Dim StrCntr, DelimCntr as Integer 
  
  DelimCntr = 1 
  for StrCntr = 1 to len(Txt) 
    If mid(Txt, StrCntr, 1) = Delim then DelimCntr = DelimCntr + 1 
  next StrCntr 
  
  NumEntries = DelimCntr 
End Function 

The following sub can be placed on any form (usually them main form/module).

public Type Parse 
 Param1 as Integer 
 Param2 as string 
 Param3 as Boolean 
 ... how ever many parameters you will have 
End Type 

public CommandLine as Parse 

public Sub ParseCommandLine() 
Dim ThisParam as Integer 
Dim CCntr as Integer 
Dim CVCntr as Integer 
Dim StartCmnd as Integer 
Dim ParamType as string 
Dim ParamValue as string 

on error resume next 

for ThisParam = 2 to NumEntries(Command$, "/") 
    ParamType = Trim(Entry(1, Entry(ThisParam, _
                     Command$, "/"), " ")) 

    'Find the entire parameter value (upto next / or
    'end of command$) 
    ParamValue = "" 
    for CCntr = 1 to len(Command$) 
      If mid(Command$, CCntr, len(ParamType)) = ParamType then 
        StartCmnd = CCntr 
        for CVCntr = CCntr + len(ParamType) to len(Command$) + 1 
          If mid(Command$, CVCntr, 1) = "/" Or CVCntr = _
             len(Command$) + 1 then 
            ParamValue = Trim(mid(Command$, StartCmnd + len(ParamType), _
                              CVCntr - StartCmnd - len(ParamType))) 
            Exit for 
          End If 
        next CVCntr 
        Exit for 
      End If 
    next CCntr 
  
    'set variables 
    Select Case UCase((ParamType)) 
     Case "PARAM1" 
       ' set THE CommandLine.xxxxx variable type here or
       ' perform operation 
     Case "PARAM2" 
       ' set THE CommandLine.xxxxx variable type here or
       ' perform operation 
     Case "PARAM3" 
       ' set THE CommandLine.xxxxx variable type here or
       ' perform operation ... HOW EVER MANY PARAMETERS YOU HAVE 
    End Select 
  next ThisParam 
End Sub