VBS script runs when variable is hard coded but not when variable comes from an argument drag and drop - vbscript

Question

I hope that some brains out there can solve this frustrating puzzle for me.
The script (cobbled together from various bits from on the net) works perfectly when run by double clicking, the file to be split is hard coded.
When dragging and dropping the file onto the script, there is an error for 'File not found'
Please help!
I have tried the answer provided, but then the script runs without failure, but also does not output the three files as it does when 'textFile' value is hard coded.
if WScript.Arguments.Count <> 0 then
textFile = WScript.Arguments(0)
else
textFile = "multi2.txt"
end if
saveTo = ""
writeTo = ""
strNewLine = "%_N_"
headingPattern = "(%_N_)"
dim fileFrom, regex, fileTo
Set fso = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
set fileFrom = fso.OpenTextFile(textFile)
set regex = new RegExp
set fileTo = nothing
with regex
.Pattern = headingPattern
.IgnoreCase = false
.Global = true
end with
while fileFrom.AtEndOfStream <> true
line = fileFrom.ReadLine
set matches = regex.Execute(line)
if matches.Count > 0 then
strCheckForString = UCase("%")
strNewLine = "%_N_"
StrContents = Split(fso.OpenTextFile(textFile).ReadAll, vbNewLine)
If (Left(UCase(LTrim(line)),Len(strCheckForString)) = strCheckForString) Then
line = Right(line, len(line)-4)
line1 = Left(line, len(line)-4)
writeTo = saveTo & (line1 & ".arc")
if not(fileTo is nothing) then fileTo.Close()
set fileTo = fso.CreateTextFile(writeTo)
fileTo.WriteLine(strNewLine & line)
else
fileTo.WriteLine(line)
End If
else
fileTo.WriteLine(line)
end if
wend
fileFrom.Close()
set fileFrom = nothing
set fso = nothing
set regex = nothing
The text file looks like this:
%_N_160_SP01_MPF
;$PATH=/_N_WKS_DIR/_N_AFO160_WPD
blah blah blah
%_N_160_SP02_MPF
;$PATH=/_N_WKS_DIR/_N_AFO160_WPD
blah blah blah
%_N_160_SP99_MPF
;$PATH=/_N_WKS_DIR/_N_AFO160_WPD
blah blah blah

Answer 1

It looks like your code is supposed to extract the filename from the first argument:
textFile = Right(WScript.Arguments(0), len(WScript.Arguments(0))-44)
and then open the file using just the filename:
set fileFrom = fso.OpenTextFile(textFile)
OpenTextFile is looking for a relative path below the current working directory, unless it's provided with an absolute path. When you run the script by double-clicking it, the working directory is the folder from which you launch the script. When you drop a file onto the script, the working directory may be something entirely different.
If your input file is located in the same folder as the script, that would explain why it works when started via double-click, but not when dropping the file on the script. In the latter case the script would be looking for multi2.txt in the wrong place.
You can verify that by adding the following lines at the beginning of your script.
WScript.Echo CreateObject("WScript.Shell").CurrentDirectory
WScript.Echo CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject").GetParentFolderName(WScript.ScriptFullName)
I suspect you'll get two different paths.
You can fix this issue by not removing the path from the argument. Change this:
if WScript.Arguments.Count <> 0 then
textFile = Right(WScript.Arguments(0), len(WScript.Arguments(0))-44)
'textFile = (chr(34) & textFile & chr(34))
else
textFile = "multi2.txt"
end if
into this:
If WScript.Arguments.Count <> 0 Then
textFile = WScript.Arguments(0)
Else
textFile = "multi2.txt"
End If
and the code should work as expected.