Microstation ConnectSDK I cannot modify existing text in textblock

Hi John,

please (it seems I have to ask everybody) read and follow this forum best practices!

• There is recommended subject format [<product> <version> <API>] <Issue> that helps to navigate in the list of posts and also provides basic information about the issue context.
• Specify what product and version do you use (e.g. there have been 17 different versions of MicroStation CE released so far).
• Always use Insert > Insert code tool every time you share any code snippet (even one line). To read code formatted as a plain text is confusing.

John Schenk said:

but my ability to modify the existing simple text string seems to be lacking something

Did you search this forum for similar discussions? How to edit text using C++ API was discussed several times.

John Schenk said:

EditElementHandle eeh(elm, true, true, 0);

I am not sure whether 0 is right.

To use explicit ISessionMgr::GetActiveDgnModelP() is better in my opinion.

John Schenk said:

//eeh.ReplaceInModel(erp); //doesn't work

EditElementHandle::ReplaceInModel() method is (I think) the only correct method how to update element existing in DGN file.

But your code does not tell too much. What value is returned by the method?

John Schenk said:

I am fairly new to programming for Microstation, are there any books explaining how to program for Microstation using Visual Studio 2017 in c++?

Please respect the rule "one post = one topic" and do not merge more problems into one discussion. But anyway...

There is no official book for MicroStation developers.

The best sources are MicroStationAPI help file, combined with examples delivered with MicroStation SDK.

Plus, Bentley Developer Portal lists a few more sources (e.g. MicroStation Programming blog is not bad).

Personally, I think one from the best sources is this forum, because typical problems were discussed here already.

With regards,

  Jan

John Schenk said:

I am scanning a file for text and pass the MSElementDescr to my function

Here's a MicroStationAPI way to enumerate elements in a model.  The enumeration gives you an immutable ElementHandle.  If you want to modify it, construct an EditElementHandle from it. 

You may want to test the element first, using ITextQuery.IsTextElement (ElementHandleRC el), as you have done in your code above.  Look in the IncrementText example to see how to implement that test.

From the MicroStationAPI help about TextBlock: To create a free-standing text element from a TextBlock, use TextHandlerBase::CreateElement.  That creates a new EditElementHandle, which you then add to the DGN model.

Still nothing, 2 weeks of simply trying to modify an existing text string.  Non of the examples demonstrate what I'm trying to do, which is change a string of text in a design file from aaaa to bbbbbbbb.  There has to be something missing, the "eeh.ReplaceInModel(erp)" shown in my code above returns a status of 32768.  But then, none of the other examples show any type of element rewrite back into the file, simply change the textblock using textBlock->ReplaceText(ts.GetWCharCP(), *caretStart, *caretEnd) according to the sample routines should do the trick, but doesn't.

Help....please!

I've created a new version of the ModifyTextTool example.  It has two key-ins: CHANGECASE and CHANGETEXT.

• CHANGECASE is the existing command
• CHANGETEXT new text is new and implements text substitution

Both commands behave the same idiosyncratic way as the original example: the text element isn't replaced, but a new text element is created with the substitution. 

ModifyTextTool.zip

Hello Jon, 

"the text element isn't replaced, but a new text element is created with the substitution. "

I have no problems "adding" the text to my file... my whole problem is to simply alter the existing text string characters.  My text strings contain MSLINKS that need to remain in place, so I want to modify the existing string from stringY to stringX but not delete, or add.

CaretPtr caretStart = textBlock->CreateStartCaret();

CaretPtr caretEnd = textBlock->CreateEndCaret();

textBlock->ReplaceText(changeText.c_str(), *caretStart, *caretEnd)

changing the variable "changeText shows as altered text in my textBlock, but not in my design file. textBlock->ToString() shows the correct value, but no change in the design file.

Is is possible to simply change the existing string by not adding or deleting?

Thanks for your efforts.

John

I've published an article about an example ReplaceTextTool.

It adds some commands to replace text, rather than copy text as in the SDK example.  In particular, it shows how to extract text from a TextBlock, and how to update the text in a TextBlock.

Thanks SOOOO much Jon, this is exactly what I needed!!!!!!

Please use the 'This Answered My Question' button to mark this thread as answered.