Using Linq for Filtering File Types etc

Hi,

If you have a List of Type IO.File and you want to filter this list to contain only valid images. Then follow the following approach:

Define your array of Valid extensions :

Private IMAGES() As String = {".JPG", ".PNG", ".GIF", ".JPEG"}

The following function returns a list with Valid Images extensions as mentioned in the above array :

Public Function GetValidImage(ByVal files As List(Of File)) As List(Of File)
Dim tmpList As List(Of File) = New List(Of File)
Dim result = From s In files Group Join p In IMAGES On s.Extension.ToUpper() Equals p.ToUpper() Into Group From p In Group Select s


For Each file As File In result
tmpList.Add(file)
Next file

Return tmpList

End Function

Let me know if you have any other questions.

HTH,
Vikas

Office 2007 SP2 Release

Hi All,

Though the release has been done almost a month ago...I missed to include it here in my blog.

They(Microsoft) have fixed a bunch of bugs found in SP1...and I am sure, 2007 is going to be stable very very soon. This is the reason that most of big organisations, who work on Office rigorously, for example Investment banks like GS or Morgan stanley, they have been shifting their documents to 2007 versions. The office 2007 is certainly going to be much much more popular than it is right now. Lots of cool features. I love themes by the way.

So lets get back to SP2. Microsoft found so many bugs in the previous versions, which forced them to issue a very heavy service pack because the number of bugs they have fixed is huge. Around 600 they have posted here in the link :

Microsoft Office 2007 SP2 Bug Fixes.

For me, the best thing is the chart object for PowerPoint and Word is unlocked. Now you can format/edit the chart source data etc from PowerPoint only. Earlier, before SP2, for formatting a chart programmatically, one had to take the chart to excel and paste it back to PowerPoint. A big pain for me. Using OpenXML was also a big big Pain.

So now, if you have to delete a Series, you can just create the chart object and then add/delete a series. Bingo :)

I love SP2, and I am sure, it will definitely help the Office developers like me, who have to work hard with Charts in PP/Word.

HTH :)

Thanks,
Vikas

Automatic Updating chart

Hi All,

I was reading a forum : Powerpoint Forum where I found a query. And since I have not tried working rigorously with Charts, I thought it will be a worth trying. A guy in the forum asked a question see the question here :

Click me for the Question

Basically he wants to something like following :

He has a Chart in a PowerPoint Slide, and the series will be added/ removed through click of checkbox buttons as given in the following image







And if user unchecks a checkbox, then the series will be removed from the Chart. For example, if I uncheck the 2nd checkbox, the output will be like following:



The 2nd option is deleted.

I did it...though through a tweak, but yes I did it. I am sure that someone may have a better solution and if someone has then please do forward me @ vikasbhandari2@gmail.com

Would like to add again, that since I don't access a file hosting site so I am adding the code here only. Send me a mail if you want a copy of it. :P

Private Sub CheckBox1_Click()
UpdateChart

End Sub

Private Sub CheckBox2_Click()
UpdateChart
End Sub

Private Sub CheckBox3_Click()
UpdateChart
End Sub

Private Sub CheckBox4_Click()
UpdateChart
End Sub

Private Sub CheckBox5_Click()
UpdateChart
End Sub


Sub UpdateChart()
Dim chrt As Chart
Dim chrtShape As Shape
Dim seriesList As seriesCollection
Dim iSeries As Series
Dim chrtWorkbook As Excel.Workbook
Dim seriesSelected(5) As Boolean
Dim wrkbook As Object

seriesSelected(1) = CheckBox1.Value
seriesSelected(2) = CheckBox2.Value
seriesSelected(3) = CheckBox3.Value
seriesSelected(4) = CheckBox4.Value
seriesSelected(5) = CheckBox5.Value



If seriesSelected(1) = False And seriesSelected(2) = False And _
seriesSelected(2) = False And seriesSelected(2) = False And _
seriesSelected(2) = False Then

MsgBox "No checkbox checked. Exiting sub"
Exit Sub
End If


On Error Resume Next
Set chrtShape = ActivePresentation.Slides(1).Shapes("Chart 3")
Set chrt = chrtShape.Chart
chrt.ChartData.Activate
Err.Clear


Dim xValue As String
Dim rowCounter As Integer
Dim addedOnce As Boolean
Dim frstTime As Boolean
Dim brCounter As Integer
Dim prefixY As String
frstTime = True
addedOnce = False

rowCounter = 1
xValue = "$A$1:$A$6"
brCounter = 0
rowCounter = 1
On Error GoTo 0
Set iSeries = chrt.seriesCollection(1)

For i = 1 To 5
rowCounter = rowCounter + 1

If seriesSelected(i) = False Then
brCounter = rowCounter
If addedOnce Then
If frstTime Then
prefixX = xValue
xValue = ""
frstTime = False
Else
prefixX = prefixX & "," & xValue
xValue = ""
End If
Else

End If
Else
addedOnce = True
xValue = "Sheet1!$A$" & brCounter + 1 & ":$B$" & rowCounter
End If

Next i

Dim allRemoved As Boolean

allRemoved = False

While Not allRemoved
If InStr(1, prefixX, ",,") > 0 Then
prefixX = Replace(prefixX, ",,", ",")
Else
allRemoved = True
End If
Wend

prefixX = prefixX & "," & xValue
xValue = Replace(prefixX, ",,", ",")


If Right(xValue, 1) = "," Then
xValue = Mid(xValue, 1, Len(xValue) - 1)
End If

If Left(xValue, 1) = "," Then
xValue = Mid(xValue, 2, Len(xValue) - 1)
End If

chrt.SetSourceData xValue
chrt.ChartData.Workbook.Close
Err.Clear
End Sub


HTH.

Thanks,
Vikas

Auto Complete Textbox for Vb.Net Desktop Applications

Hi all,

Ever tried the google toolbar? Whenever you type something, the results are displayed related to the type text just below the textbox. Have you ever wondered if you can include the same thing in your project.


Edited on < 10 AM EST, 19th May 2009: >
Click here for the complete project


I tried to achieve the following :

If I enter a file name, then all the file names which has the text entered by me should appear in a pop up just below my textbox. If somebody cannot access the code at the codeplex, or if somebody cannot download, I have added the code right here :

I applied the following trick :

I loaded few paths to a collection. Created a textbox, and a combobox just behind the textbox so that it should not be visible, but its drop down should be. If I enter some name, and if the text is present in the combobbox items, then the combobox dropdown should display all the items which has that text. Ofcourse, the items should be grouped accordingly.

First step, add a class "AutoCompleteEntry". This will be the class which will be bound to the collection as Combobox Items.

Imports System.IO

Public Class AutoCompleteEntry
Public type As String

Public information As FileInfo

Public Sub New(ByVal type As String, ByVal fileInformation As FileInfo)
Me.type = type
information = fileInformation
End Sub

Public Property FileType() As String
Get
Return type
End Get
Set(ByVal value As String)
type = value
End Set
End Property

Public Property FileInformation() As FileInfo
Get
Return information
End Get
Set(ByVal value As FileInfo)
information = value
End Set
End Property

Public ReadOnly Property ParentFolder() As String
Get
Return information.Name
End Get
End Property

Public ReadOnly Property Name() As String
Get
Return information.Name
End Get
End Property

Public ReadOnly Property Size() As String
Get
Return information.Length & " bytes"
End Get
End Property

End Class

2nd Step, create a Xaml File with the Name of SearchControl.Xaml and add the following code there.

< UserControl x:Class="SearchControl"
xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
>
< UserControl.Resources>
< DataTemplate x:Key="cmbTemplate">
< StackPanel Orientation="Horizontal" Width="250">
< TextBlock Text="{Binding Path=Name}" Width="100" />
< TextBlock Text="{Binding Path=ParentFolder}" Width="70" HorizontalAlignment="Left" Margin="5,0,0,0"/>
< TextBlock Text="{Binding Path=Size}" Width="80" HorizontalAlignment="Left" Margin="5,0,0,0"/>
< /StackPanel>
< /DataTemplate>

< /UserControl.Resources>
< Grid>

< ComboBox Margin="2,28,0,0" Name="cmbAutoComplete"
ItemsSource="{Binding}" ItemTemplate="{StaticResource cmbTemplate}" MaxDropDownHeight="200" Height="24" VerticalAlignment="Top">
< ComboBox.GroupStyle>
< GroupStyle>
< GroupStyle.HeaderTemplate>
< DataTemplate>
< StackPanel>
< Border BorderThickness="1" BorderBrush="Black">
< TextBlock Text="{Binding Items[0].FileType}" Background="AliceBlue"/>
< /Border>
< /StackPanel>
< /DataTemplate>
< /GroupStyle.HeaderTemplate>

< /GroupStyle>
< /ComboBox.GroupStyle>
< /ComboBox>
< TextBox Margin="2,28,0,0" Name="TextBox1" TextChanged="TextBox1_TextChanged" Height="24" VerticalAlignment="Top" />
< Label Margin="22,2,0,0" Name="Label1" Height="23" VerticalAlignment="Top" FontWeight="Bold" Foreground="DarkBlue" HorizontalAlignment="Left" Width="119">Enter Text Criteria< /Label>
< /Grid>
< /UserControl>

3rd Step, copy the following code and paste in the SearchControl.Xaml file.

Imports System.Collections.ObjectModel
Imports System.ComponentModel

''' < summary >
''' This class takes the path of the file which user can search and sees how big file it is.
''' < /summary >
''' < remarks>< /remarks>

Partial Public Class SearchControl

Private _threshold As Integer = 2

Private path As String = "C:\Vikas-Data\" ' set the path here which you want to search

Private items As ObservableCollection(Of AutoCompleteEntry)
Private view As IcollectionView

Public Sub New()

' This call is required by the Windows Form Designer.
InitializeComponent()

' Add any initialization after the InitializeComponent() call.


items = New ObservableCollection(Of AutoCompleteEntry)

LoadPaths(New IO.DirectoryInfo(path))

view = CollectionViewSource.GetDefaultView(items)
view.GroupDescriptions.Add(New PropertyGroupDescription("FileType"))

cmbAutoComplete.DataContext = items

End Sub

Private Sub LoadPaths(ByVal dInfo As IO.DirectoryInfo)
Dim info As IO.DirectoryInfo

For Each info In dInfo.GetDirectories()
LoadPaths(info)
Next info


For Each fInfo As IO.FileInfo In dInfo.GetFiles()
items.Add(New AutoCompleteEntry(dInfo.FullName, fInfo))
Next fInfo

End Sub

Private Sub TextBox1_TextChanged(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.Windows.Controls.TextChangedEventArgs)
Dim text As String


text = TextBox1.Text

If (text.Length < _threshold) Then

Else
view.Filter = New Predicate(Of Object)(AddressOf MyPredicate)

If (cmbAutoComplete.HasItems) Then
cmbAutoComplete.IsDropDownOpen = True
End If
End If
End Sub

Private Function MyPredicate(ByVal item As Object) As Boolean
Dim text As String
Dim itemEntry As AutoCompleteEntry

text = TextBox1.Text
itemEntry = TryCast(item, AutoCompleteEntry)

If (itemEntry.Name.IndexOf(text) > -1) Then
Return True
End If

Return False

End Function

End Class

The output is like following screenshot :



I entered "VB" and I had various file names in the collection which contain vb so it displayed file names grouped by the folder names.

Hope this article will help you!

Thanks,
Vikas