Question

I would like to remove the unwanted text from each string in a file.
the input string looks like this

username^time stamp^don't need this printed on printer name more useless info pages printed:some number 

I want to remove everything else but keep the username,time stamp,printer name and some number.Then write each line to a file so the output looks like this

username  timestamp printername some number 

This is the code I’m working with

Set fs = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
sf = "C:\test.txt"
Set f = fs.OpenTextFile(sf, 1) ''1=for reading
s = f.ReadAll
segments = Split(s,"^",-1)
s= segments(1,)
f.Close
Set f = fs.OpenTextFile(sf, 2) ''2=ForWriting
f.Write s
f.Close

Answer 1

There’s always a moment that somebody asks “Why not use a regular expression?”. This is that moment.

Try this:

Dim re, s, match, matches

s = "Chuck Norris^12-12-2012^don't need this printed on HAL9000 more useless info pages printed:42  "

Set re = new regexp
re.pattern = "(.*)\^(.*)\^.*printed on (\w+).*pages printed:(\d+).*"
re.Global = True

Set matches = re.Execute(s)
Set match = matches(0)

msgbox "username=" & match.submatches(0)
msgbox "time stamp=" & match.submatches(1)
msgbox "printer=" & match.submatches(2)
msgbox "pages printed=" & match.submatches(3)

Neat huh? And I bet you’ll figure out how to implement it in your existing code.