creating totals from text file...

[FreakaZoid2]

i need to create totals from records read in from a text file.
code field, description field, amount field, date field
0001 WIDGETS A 1500.00 9/1/09
0002 WIDGETS B 200.00 9/1/09
0003 WIDGETS C 350.00 9/1/09
0001 WIDGETS A 1250.00 9/2/09
0002 WIDGETS B 375.00 9/2/09
0003 WIDGETS C 400.00 9/2/09

I am needing to keep totals by the code field and by the date field.
Currently i am using stringlists and doing a search thru them to match up the code or date and then adding the amount field to the next element in the stringlist.
stringlist1 stringlist2 (after reading 3 records)
0001 9/1/09
1500 2050
0002
200
0003
350

is there a better way?

[Norrit]

Just add the data to a (Client)DataSet... Then you can add complete records...

If you don't know how to, you can also add records to a TStringList, but then I think I would switch to a TObjectList very quickly...

But you initial method is good, you must have the data in memory, not in the file...

[FreakaZoid2]

however i was really hoping for some kind of super unknown function/procedure that did all the grunt work. the text file actually has 9 different fields in it that the client wants totaled and is subject increase depending on how much more info they can cram into it.
Anyways, thanks again...

[Norrit]

Well, if it's space delimited and in 1 line is only 1 space you can always try the TStringList.DelimitedText with TStringList.Delimiter = ' '. Then you'll have the structure already in a TStringList, Strings[0]=0001, Strings[1]=WIDGETS Strings[2]=A, and so on...
Otherwise it's old-fashioned string slicing...

[FreakaZoid2]

since i am having to keep up with the element in the array for adding up numbers and so forth. i have been trying to figure out how to use the tobjectlist to perform that which i need.
i have messed with records and am wondering if i could use them in the objectlist or should i create and array of my records....

code_totals = record
code = string;
total1 = single;
total2 = integer;
end;
how could i go about implimenting the record (adding new records, updating records, processing all records start to end...)

[Norrit]

Using a TObjectList (sample not tested, typed here directly):

type
  TCodeTotals = class
  private
    FCode: String;
    FTotal1: Integer;
    FTotal2: Integer;
  public
    constructor Create(ACode: String; Total1: Single; Total2: Integer;
  published
    property Code: String read FCode write FCode;
    property Total1: Single read FTotal1 write FTotal1;
    property Total2: Integer read FTotal2 write FTotal2;
  end;

  TTotals = class(TObjectList);
  private
    function GetItems(AIndex: Integer): TCodeTotals;
    procedure SetItems(AIndex: Integer; AValue: TCodeTotals);
  public
    function IndexOfCode(ACode: String): Integer;
    property Items[Index: Integer] read GetItems write SetItems; default;
  end;

constructor TCodeTotals.Create(ACode: String; ATotal1: Single; ATotal2: Integer);
begin
  inherited;
  FCode := ACode;
  FTotal1 := ATotal1;
  FTotal2 := ATotal2;
end;

function TTotals.GetItems(AIndex: Integer): TCodeTotals
begin
  Result := TCodeTotals(inherited(Items[AIndex]));
end;

procedure SetItems(AIndex: Integer; Value: TCodeTotals);
begin
  inherited Items[AIndex] := Value;
end;

function IndexOfCode(ACode: String): Integer;
var
  i: Integer;
begin
  for i := ItemCount - 1 downto 0 do
  begin
    if SameText(Items[i].Code, ACode) then
    begin
      Result := i;
      Exit;
    end;
  end;
  Result := -1;
end;

And to add a record to the TObjectList just do:

MyTotals.Add(TCodeTotals.Create('a code', 0.0, 1));

Updating is nothing more then:

MyTotals[0].Code := 'a new code';

And processing all records start to end is a simple loop:

for i := 0 to MyTotals.ItemCount - 1 do
begin
  ShowMessage(MyTotals[i].Code);
end;