How do search for a certain probe across multiple programs with VBS

Ok,

I'd like to put forth this question,

I have 1400+ programs for my CMM and I'd like to search them and see which ones have a particular probe.
Is there anyway to do this with automation? I have done some searching here and found a few threads.

http://www.pcdmisforum.com/showthread.php?25931-probes-used-in-program&highlight=searching+programs

http://www.pcdmisforum.com/showthread.php?20996-Retrieving-Tip-File-from-external-program&highlight=searching+programs This one actually asks the same question, and the answer says it's theoretically possible.

This just beyond my ability to program at this point. I was hoping someone had done the work already

vpt.se over 10 years ago

1) Code a script that opens each of your 1400+ programs, parses each program for a LOADPROBE command, writes this to a textfile, closes the opened program and moves on to the next.

2) If you know what probefile to search for, you can use the Windows search function to find all programs that have the particular probefile in the program.
Let's say I want to find all programs that uses the probefile named "VPTPROBE1". If you type that in the search box you'd find nothing, but if you separate each character with a space, it will find it for you. Like this "V P T P R O B E 1".

I forgot to mention that you type this in the "Contains the text" search box in Windows.

Good luck!
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ewe0006 over 10 years ago

As far as #1 of vpt.se's suggestions, I wrote a simple VB application to do a batch change for someone not too long ago (posted in this thread: http://www.pcdmisforum.com/showthread.php?26953-Script-to-make-a-change-in-all-programs). If you have experience working with VB (as in Visual Studio or Visual Basic Express), this app could easily be modified to do what you need done.

I've never done anything like suggestion #2, but it sounds super easy.
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Moolvie over 10 years ago

I couldn't get vpt.se's suggestion to work under windows XP or 7 but I have cygwin installed on my computer and was able to enter the command: grep "V.P.T.P.R.O.B.E.1" */*.PRG > vptprobe1.txt and get a list.
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vpt.se over 10 years ago

There are several ways to skin a cat ;P

So, it worked?
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Moolvie over 10 years ago

yes, it worked. you definitely pointed me in the right direction. I am wanting to phase out a star 5 probe and I needed to know all the programs that used it.
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vpt.se over 10 years ago

Great! Happy to have helped!
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Moolvie over 10 years ago

found a Windows method: FINDSTR

Open a DOS shell window. Change to your main program directory and type the following command, replacing your probe name with the one in the example.

FINDSTR /S/M "V.P.T.P.R.O.B.E.1" *.PRG

the /s and /m switches will recurse into all the subdirectories and display only the name of the program i.e.:

VPTPROGS/VPTPROGRAMNAME.PRG
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