Does dictionary exist?

Quick question: What's the best way to determine if a dictionary (an
ACADDICTIONARY object) exists?
Right now I'm using an On Error Goto statement but I was wondering if
there's a better way (kind of like TBLSEARCH in LSP)?

I haven't seen anything yet, so I'm inclined to think that what I'm doing
currently is the best way. Am I wrong??



ACAD 2005

 

Matt..Dictionaries have and Exists Method

dict.Exists

Schilling...OUCH><

 

Thanks!
I didn't even see that.


I had to turn it off after the 1st I was so disgusted.
I decided to watch Bob the Builder with my son instead.

Let's hope Pedro can stop the bleeding tonight.

--
I support two teams: the Red Sox and whoever beats the Yankees.


| Matt..Dictionaries have and Exists Method
|
| dict.Exists
|
| Schilling...OUCH><
|
| | > Quick question: What's the best way to determine if a dictionary (an
| > ACADDICTIONARY object) exists?
| > Right now I'm using an On Error Goto statement but I was wondering if
| > there's a better way (kind of like TBLSEARCH in LSP)?
| >
| > I haven't seen anything yet, so I'm inclined to think that what I'm
doing
| > currently is the best way. Am I wrong??
| >
| >
| >
| > ACAD 2005
| >
| > --
| > I support two teams: the Red Sox and whoever beats the Yankees.
| >
| >
| >
|
|

 

Okay... I've searched high and low...

Where is the Exists method??
I can't find it.

--
I support two teams: the Red Sox and whoever beats the Yankees.


| Matt..Dictionaries have and Exists Method
|
| dict.Exists
|
| Schilling...OUCH><
|
| | > Quick question: What's the best way to determine if a dictionary (an
| > ACADDICTIONARY object) exists?
| > Right now I'm using an On Error Goto statement but I was wondering if
| > there's a better way (kind of like TBLSEARCH in LSP)?
| >
| > I haven't seen anything yet, so I'm inclined to think that what I'm
doing
| > currently is the best way. Am I wrong??
| >
| >
| >
| > ACAD 2005
| >
| > --
| > I support two teams: the Red Sox and whoever beats the Yankees.
| >
| >
| >
|
|

 

Paul was talking about the Scripting runtime dictionary, not AutoCAD's
dictionary.

Any particular reason why you are checking to see if it exists?

--
R. Robert Bell


Okay... I've searched high and low...

Where is the Exists method??
I can't find it.

--
I support two teams: the Red Sox and whoever beats the Yankees.


| Matt..Dictionaries have and Exists Method
|
| dict.Exists
|
| Schilling...OUCH><
|
| | > Quick question: What's the best way to determine if a dictionary (an
| > ACADDICTIONARY object) exists?
| > Right now I'm using an On Error Goto statement but I was wondering if
| > there's a better way (kind of like TBLSEARCH in LSP)?
| >
| > I haven't seen anything yet, so I'm inclined to think that what I'm
doing
| > currently is the best way. Am I wrong??
| >
| >
| >
| > ACAD 2005
| >
| > --
| > I support two teams: the Red Sox and whoever beats the Yankees.
| >
| >
| >
|
|

 

Sorry, *Exists* only works for the Items in the Dictionary...

 

all the samples I have use On Error...

 

That's what I thought.

If the dictionary doesn't exist, I'd like the program to do one thing. If
it does exist, do something else.
I was just wondering if there was a better way than what I'm currently doing
(On Error....)

Thanks guys!

--
I support two teams: the Red Sox and whoever beats the Yankees.


| Paul was talking about the Scripting runtime dictionary, not AutoCAD's
| dictionary.
|
| Any particular reason why you are checking to see if it exists?
|
| --
| R. Robert Bell

 

I'm asking because you *are* aware that the Add method will return the
Dictionary object if it already exists, aren't you?

--
R. Robert Bell


That's what I thought.

If the dictionary doesn't exist, I'd like the program to do one thing. If
it does exist, do something else.
I was just wondering if there was a better way than what I'm currently doing
(On Error....)

 

Okay... You lost me.
If you use the Add method, then the dictionary *will* exist.
Wha...??? I'm not following you.

--
I support two teams: the Red Sox and whoever beats the Yankees.


| I'm asking because you *are* aware that the Add method will return the
| Dictionary object if it already exists, aren't you?
|
| --
| R. Robert Bell
|
|
| | That's what I thought.
|
| If the dictionary doesn't exist, I'd like the program to do one thing. If
| it does exist, do something else.
| I was just wondering if there was a better way than what I'm currently
doing
| (On Error....)
|
|
|

 

Well, in most cases where someone is concerned if a dictionary exists it is
so that they don't use the Add method "accidentally" to create a dictionary
that already exists. But in that context it doesn't matter, Add blissfully
returns a dictionary in either case.

What I do is use the Add method without checking for dictionary existence,
but then perform the "exists" check on the XRecord data itself.

--
R. Robert Bell


Okay... You lost me.
If you use the Add method, then the dictionary *will* exist.
Wha...??? I'm not following you.

--
I support two teams: the Red Sox and whoever beats the Yankees.


| I'm asking because you *are* aware that the Add method will return the
| Dictionary object if it already exists, aren't you?
|
| --
| R. Robert Bell
|
|
| | That's what I thought.
|
| If the dictionary doesn't exist, I'd like the program to do one thing. If
| it does exist, do something else.
| I was just wondering if there was a better way than what I'm currently
doing
| (On Error....)
|
|
|

 

Okaaaaay... Now I'm following you.
Since I've got you on the line, let me ask you this...

I've started dabbling with dictionaries recently in an effort to create a
kind of layer management system.
I've got two buttons on a toolbar; one that saves the current layer state,
the other restores it after freezing all layers, thus, leaving you with only
the layers you *want* to see.

So my question is... Is there a better, more efficient way to do this? Would
you suggest *not* using a dictionary??

Here's what I've got.

Code:

Option Explicit

Public Const strErrPath = "S:\CADDStds\Error_Logs\"


Public Sub SaveLayerState()
Dim oXrec As AcadXRecord
Dim oDict As AcadDictionary
Dim oLayer As AcadLayer
Dim vType() As Integer
Dim vData() As Variant
Dim i As Integer

On Error GoTo ErrMsg

ReDim Preserve vData(0 To i)
ReDim Preserve vType(0 To i)

Set oDict = ThisDrawing.Dictionaries.Add("BVH_LAYERS")
For Each oLayer In ThisDrawing.Layers
vType(i) = 1
vData(i) = oLayer.Name & "~!~" & oLayer.TrueColor.ColorIndex & "~!~"
& oLayer.Linetype & "~!~" & oLayer.Plottable & "~!~" & oLayer.Lock & "~!~" &
oLayer.LayerOn & "~!~" & oLayer.Freeze
Set oXrec = oDict.AddXRecord("BVH_LAYER_STATES")
oXrec.SetXRecordData vType, vData
i = i + 1
ReDim Preserve vData(0 To i)
ReDim Preserve vType(0 To i)
Next

Set oXrec = Nothing
Exit Sub

ErrMsg:
WriteError Err.Number, Err.Description, "Layer_State.dvb :: modMain.Main
:: SaveLayerState", Now, ""
End Sub

Public Sub RestoreLayerState()
Dim oLayer As AcadLayer
Dim color As AcadAcCmColor
Dim varResult As Variant
Dim myDict As AcadDictionary
Dim i As Integer
Dim myXRec As AcadXRecord
Dim dxfCode, dxfData
Dim iLayer As Integer

On Error GoTo ErrMsg

Set myDict = ThisDrawing.Dictionaries.Item("BVH_LAYERS")
Set myXRec = myDict.Item("BVH_LAYER_STATES")
myXRec.GetXRecordData dxfCode, dxfData

ThisDrawing.SetVariable "regenmode", 0

On Error Resume Next
For Each oLayer In ThisDrawing.Layers
oLayer.Freeze = True
oLayer.LayerOn = False
Next oLayer

For i = LBound(dxfData) To UBound(dxfData)
varResult = Split(dxfData(i), "~!~", , vbTextCompare)
Set color = New AcadAcCmColor
With color
.ColorMethod = acColorMethodByACI
.ColorIndex = varResult(1)
End With
Set oLayer = ThisDrawing.Layers(varResult(0))
With oLayer
.TrueColor = color
.Linetype = varResult(2)
.Plottable = varResult(3)
.Lock = varResult(4)
.LayerOn = varResult(5)
.Freeze = varResult(6)
End With
Next i
ThisDrawing.SetVariable "regenmode", 1
ThisDrawing.Regen acAllViewports
Exit Sub

ErrMsg:
WriteError Err.Number, Err.Description, "Layer_State.dvb :: modMain.Main
:: RestoreLayerState", Now, ""
Resume Next
End Sub

Public Sub WriteError(iErrNum As Integer, sDesc As String, sSource As
String, sDate As String, sOptionalInfo As String)
'// Writes all errors to err.log
Dim F As Integer
F = FreeFile
Open strErrPath & Format(Now, "mm-dd-yy__hh.mm.ss") & ".log" For Output
As #F
Print #F, "Error Number: " & iErrNum
Print #F, "Description: " & sDesc
Print #F, "Source: " & sSource
Print #F, "Date: " & sDate
Print #F, "More Info: " & sOptionalInfo
Print #F, ""
Close #F
End Sub

--
I support two teams: the Red Sox and whoever beats the Yankees.


| Well, in most cases where someone is concerned if a dictionary exists it
is
| so that they don't use the Add method "accidentally" to create a
dictionary
| that already exists. But in that context it doesn't matter, Add blissfully
| returns a dictionary in either case.
|
| What I do is use the Add method without checking for dictionary existence,
| but then perform the "exists" check on the XRecord data itself.
|
| --
| R. Robert Bell

 

Any reason you are not using the LayerStateManger object? (I might be
missing something.)

Your ReDim Preserve in the loop is going to kill performance. Use the
Layer.Count property to ReDim the array before going into the loop, removing
the need for a ReDim at each iteration.

--
R. Robert Bell


Okaaaaay... Now I'm following you.
Since I've got you on the line, let me ask you this...

I've started dabbling with dictionaries recently in an effort to create a
kind of layer management system.
I've got two buttons on a toolbar; one that saves the current layer state,
the other restores it after freezing all layers, thus, leaving you with only
the layers you *want* to see.

So my question is... Is there a better, more efficient way to do this? Would
you suggest *not* using a dictionary??

Here's what I've got.

Code:

Option Explicit

Public Const strErrPath = "S:\CADDStds\Error_Logs\"


Public Sub SaveLayerState()
Dim oXrec As AcadXRecord
Dim oDict As AcadDictionary
Dim oLayer As AcadLayer
Dim vType() As Integer
Dim vData() As Variant
Dim i As Integer

On Error GoTo ErrMsg

ReDim Preserve vData(0 To i)
ReDim Preserve vType(0 To i)

Set oDict = ThisDrawing.Dictionaries.Add("BVH_LAYERS")
For Each oLayer In ThisDrawing.Layers
vType(i) = 1
vData(i) = oLayer.Name & "~!~" & oLayer.TrueColor.ColorIndex & "~!~"
& oLayer.Linetype & "~!~" & oLayer.Plottable & "~!~" & oLayer.Lock & "~!~" &
oLayer.LayerOn & "~!~" & oLayer.Freeze
Set oXrec = oDict.AddXRecord("BVH_LAYER_STATES")
oXrec.SetXRecordData vType, vData
i = i + 1
ReDim Preserve vData(0 To i)
ReDim Preserve vType(0 To i)
Next

Set oXrec = Nothing
Exit Sub

ErrMsg:
WriteError Err.Number, Err.Description, "Layer_State.dvb :: modMain.Main
:: SaveLayerState", Now, ""
End Sub

Public Sub RestoreLayerState()
Dim oLayer As AcadLayer
Dim color As AcadAcCmColor
Dim varResult As Variant
Dim myDict As AcadDictionary
Dim i As Integer
Dim myXRec As AcadXRecord
Dim dxfCode, dxfData
Dim iLayer As Integer

On Error GoTo ErrMsg

Set myDict = ThisDrawing.Dictionaries.Item("BVH_LAYERS")
Set myXRec = myDict.Item("BVH_LAYER_STATES")
myXRec.GetXRecordData dxfCode, dxfData

ThisDrawing.SetVariable "regenmode", 0

On Error Resume Next
For Each oLayer In ThisDrawing.Layers
oLayer.Freeze = True
oLayer.LayerOn = False
Next oLayer

For i = LBound(dxfData) To UBound(dxfData)
varResult = Split(dxfData(i), "~!~", , vbTextCompare)
Set color = New AcadAcCmColor
With color
.ColorMethod = acColorMethodByACI
.ColorIndex = varResult(1)
End With
Set oLayer = ThisDrawing.Layers(varResult(0))
With oLayer
.TrueColor = color
.Linetype = varResult(2)
.Plottable = varResult(3)
.Lock = varResult(4)
.LayerOn = varResult(5)
.Freeze = varResult(6)
End With
Next i
ThisDrawing.SetVariable "regenmode", 1
ThisDrawing.Regen acAllViewports
Exit Sub

ErrMsg:
WriteError Err.Number, Err.Description, "Layer_State.dvb :: modMain.Main
:: RestoreLayerState", Now, ""
Resume Next
End Sub

Public Sub WriteError(iErrNum As Integer, sDesc As String, sSource As
String, sDate As String, sOptionalInfo As String)
'// Writes all errors to err.log
Dim F As Integer
F = FreeFile
Open strErrPath & Format(Now, "mm-dd-yy__hh.mm.ss") & ".log" For Output
As #F
Print #F, "Error Number: " & iErrNum
Print #F, "Description: " & sDesc
Print #F, "Source: " & sSource
Print #F, "Date: " & sDate
Print #F, "More Info: " & sOptionalInfo
Print #F, ""
Close #F
End Sub

--
I support two teams: the Red Sox and whoever beats the Yankees.


| Well, in most cases where someone is concerned if a dictionary exists it
is
| so that they don't use the Add method "accidentally" to create a
dictionary
| that already exists. But in that context it doesn't matter, Add blissfully
| returns a dictionary in either case.
|
| What I do is use the Add method without checking for dictionary existence,
| but then perform the "exists" check on the XRecord data itself.
|
| --
| R. Robert Bell

 

I didn't know anything about it until right now.

Plus we have a tendency in this office to clean our drawings quite
frequently. There's a little program we use that will purge the drawing a
couple of times, run an audit and fix any errors that are found, remove
annonymous groups, and last but not least, it gets rid of those pesky layer
states that have a way of showing up in our drawings.

The layer state removal portion is pretty slick. Have you ever seen it
before??!?
I found it on the NG written by some guy... I can't remember his name... Bob
Rell?? Robert something I think...
The name eludes me.

--
I support two teams: the Red Sox and whoever beats the Yankees.


| Any reason you are not using the LayerStateManger object? (I might be
| missing something.)
|
| Your ReDim Preserve in the loop is going to kill performance. Use the
| Layer.Count property to ReDim the array before going into the loop,
removing
| the need for a ReDim at each iteration.
|
| --
| R. Robert Bell

 

Well you *must* be confusing me with someone else, since I've only written
stuff to delete layer _filters_, not states… BwaHaHa!!!

--
R. Robert Bell


I didn't know anything about it until right now.

Plus we have a tendency in this office to clean our drawings quite
frequently. There's a little program we use that will purge the drawing a
couple of times, run an audit and fix any errors that are found, remove
annonymous groups, and last but not least, it gets rid of those pesky layer
states that have a way of showing up in our drawings.

The layer state removal portion is pretty slick. Have you ever seen it
before??!?
I found it on the NG written by some guy... I can't remember his name... Bob
Rell?? Robert something I think...
The name eludes me.

 

Ahhh.... touché
So tell me a little more about this layer states thing.
Is it a reference to a DLL??
How does it work and what is it exactly??
Is it like the Snapshots in the layer manager??


--
I support two teams: the Red Sox and whoever beats the Yankees.


"R. Robert Bell" wrote in message
| Well you *must* be confusing me with someone else, since I've only written
| stuff to delete layer _filters_, not states… BwaHaHa!!!
|
| --
| R. Robert Bell
|
|
| "Matt W" wrote in message
| | I didn't know anything about it until right now.
|
| Plus we have a tendency in this office to clean our drawings quite
| frequently. There's a little program we use that will purge the drawing a
| couple of times, run an audit and fix any errors that are found, remove
| annonymous groups, and last but not least, it gets rid of those pesky
layer
| states that have a way of showing up in our drawings.
|
| The layer state removal portion is pretty slick. Have you ever seen it
| before??!?
| I found it on the NG written by some guy... I can't remember his name...
Bob
| Rell?? Robert something I think...
| The name eludes me.
|
|
|

 

Not that anyone has asked, but I don't like this feature :-(

Although I too have code that utilizes it.

 

Don't like what feature: Dictionaries??

--
I support two teams: the Red Sox and whoever beats the Yankees.


"Bobby C. Jones" <bjones (at) beazer (dot) com> wrote in message
| Not that anyone has asked, but I don't like this feature :-(
|
| Although I too have code that utilizes it.
| --
| Bobby C. Jones
|
| | > I'm asking because you *are* aware that the Add method will return the
| > Dictionary object if it already exists, aren't you?
| >
| > --
| > R. Robert Bell
| >
| >
| > | > That's what I thought.
| >
| > If the dictionary doesn't exist, I'd like the program to do one thing.
If
| > it does exist, do something else.
| > I was just wondering if there was a better way than what I'm currently
| doing
| > (On Error....)
| >
| >
| >
|
|

 

Bobby is whining that Add should throw an exception if the object already
exists.

Granted, it should, as most Add methods will do this. But Bobby has caved to
expedience, just as I have. <esg>

--
R. Robert Bell


Don't like what feature: Dictionaries??

--
I support two teams: the Red Sox and whoever beats the Yankees.


"Bobby C. Jones" <bjones (at) beazer (dot) com> wrote in message
| Not that anyone has asked, but I don't like this feature :-(
|
| Although I too have code that utilizes it.
| --
| Bobby C. Jones

 

Nope. Dictionaries I like. The fact that the Add method will return an
existing item in a collection, I don't like.