VBscript - select file based on priority - vbscript

Question

I have a folder that I will be looping through to process files differently based on their filenames. Doing good on my script (first one!), until I realized there will be filenames that have also have numbers representing priority. For example in the folder there may be:
'NV_CX67_mainx.dxf'
'NV_CX67_mainx1.dxf'
'NV_CX67_mainx2.dxf '
'NV_CX67_mainxroad.dxf'
'NV_CX67_motx.dxf'
'NV_CX67_resxroad.dxf'
The mainx, mainx1 and mainx2 are the same file type but mainx2 has priority and should be the only one processed. Currently, my statement is:
If Instr(1,FileRef, "mainx",1) then
How might I add a 2nd filter to process only the file with the highest number before moving onto the next file?

Answer 1

You are going to have run through the following process
Sort your input files
Loop through each file one by one
Compare the current file to the previous one you looked at minus the numbers to see if it greater.
Only process an item you have scanned all the similar items to ensure this one has the largest number
I wrote up an example below. Notice only NV_CX67_mainx4.dxf, and NV_CX67_mainxroad.dxf get processed:
Option Explicit
Dim i, sBaseFileName, sPrevFileName, prevBaseFile
sPrevFileName = "~"
prevBaseFile = "~"
Dim arr(5)
'Initialize test array. This will need to be sorted for this code to work properly
arr(0) = "NV_CX67_mainx.dxf"
arr(1) = "NV_CX67_mainx4.dxf"
arr(2) = "NV_CX67_mainx2.dxf"
arr(3) = "NV_CX67_mainxroad.dxf"
arr(4) = "NV_CX67_motx.dxf"
arr(5) = "NV_CX67_resxroad.dxf"
'Loop through the array
For i = LBound(arr) to UBound(arr)
If Instr(1, arr(i), "mainx",1) Then 'Check prev qualifier
sBaseFileName = getsBaseFileName(arr(i))
'First Case
If prevBaseFile = "~" Then
prevBaseFile = sBaseFileName
sPrevFileName = arr(i)
'Tie - Figure out which one to keep based on number at end of file name
ElseIf prevBaseFile = sBaseFileName Then
sPrevFileName = GetMaxFile(sPrevFileName, arr(i))
prevBaseFile = getsBaseFileName(sPrevFileName)
'New Case - Process prev case
Else
'Process File
MsgBox ("Processing " + sPrevFileName)
'Capture new current file for future processing
sPrevFileName = arr(i)
prevBaseFile = getsBaseFileName(sPrevFileName)
End If
End If
Next
'If last file was valid process it
If sPrevFileName <> "~" Then
MsgBox ("Processing " + sPrevFileName)
End If
'Return the larger of the two files based on numbers at end.
'Note "file9.txt" > "file10.txt" in this code
Function GetMaxFile(sFile1, sFile2)
GetMaxFile = sFile1
If sFile2 > sFile1 Then
GetMaxFile = sFile2
End If
End Function
'Return the file without extension and trailing numbers
'getsBaseFileName("hello123.txt") returns "hello"
Function getsBaseFileName(sFile)
Dim sFileRev
Dim iPos
getsBaseFileName = sFile
sFileRev = StrReverse(sFile)
'Get rid of the extension
iPos = Instr(1, sFileRev, ".",1)
If iPos < 1 Then
Exit Function
End If
sFileRev = Right(sFileRev, Len(sFileRev)-iPos)
'Get rid of trailing numbers
Do
If InStr(1, "1234567890", Left(sFileRev, 1), 1) Then
sFileRev = Right(sFileRev, Len(sFileRev)-1)
Else
Exit Do
End If
Loop While(Len(sFileRev) > 0)
getsBaseFileName = StrReverse(sFileRev)
End Function