topic Re: Behind the attribute value in VBA Forum

Behind the attribute value

Anonymous — Wed, 15 May 2002 07:30:21 GMT

Hi All,

I posted this same question in the 2002 newsgroup, but felt that someone
here may have a better feel for what I am asking.

Our sister company is forcing me to ask this question... its kind of strange
and I don't totally understand it, but here goes anyway.

They have code (I believe in VB or C++) that pulls our cad drawing attribute
values into a database (Access). They are saying that all of the values are
coming in as integer values rather than string values (or something to that
effect). I may have some of the particulars confused, but really I just
need to know the following: I know there is no way within AutoCAD to change
the attribute values to be either integer, string, etc..., so can someone
from AutoDesk or someone that has a larger amount of knowledge about the
code behind AutoCAD attributes please explain this to me? Any assistance
would be greatly appreciated. I really need a response from someone that
has AutoDesk behind their name or I will still have a hard time getting them
to believe it!

I hope this makes sense!

TIA,

Rob

Re: Behind the attribute value

Anonymous — Wed, 15 May 2002 07:49:51 GMT

Their code is bad. An attribute holds only strings, as you know. The string
may *look* like a number (integer or real) but needs to be converted from a
string to a number.

--
R. Robert Bell, MCSE
www.AcadX.com

"Rob Outman" wrote in message
news:E8F18CBBC79FDE79104579114D965F66@in.WebX.maYIadrTaRb...
| Hi All,
|
|
| I posted this same question in the 2002 newsgroup, but felt that someone
| here may have a better feel for what I am asking.
|
| Our sister company is forcing me to ask this question... its kind of
strange
| and I don't totally understand it, but here goes anyway.
|
| They have code (I believe in VB or C++) that pulls our cad drawing
attribute
| values into a database (Access). They are saying that all of the values
are
| coming in as integer values rather than string values (or something to
that
| effect). I may have some of the particulars confused, but really I just
| need to know the following: I know there is no way within AutoCAD to
change
| the attribute values to be either integer, string, etc..., so can someone
| from AutoDesk or someone that has a larger amount of knowledge about the
| code behind AutoCAD attributes please explain this to me? Any assistance
| would be greatly appreciated. I really need a response from someone that
| has AutoDesk behind their name or I will still have a hard time getting
them
| to believe it!
|
| I hope this makes sense!
|
| TIA,
|
| Rob
|
|
|
|

Re: Behind the attribute value

Anonymous — Wed, 15 May 2002 08:01:37 GMT

Depends on how the attribute are being accessed.

If the program is using AutoCAD to extract the attributes
to an SDF or CDF data file, then what form the values take
is determined by the attribute extraction template file.

If the program is accessing the values directly then
it is responsible for converting strings (which is what
all attributes are in AutoCAD) to numeric values, along
with the required conversion error checking.

If they're telling you they're getting integers, then
something is obviously very wrong.

"Rob Outman" wrote in message
news:E8F18CBBC79FDE79104579114D965F66@in.WebX.maYIadrTaRb...
> Hi All,
>
>
> I posted this same question in the 2002 newsgroup, but felt that someone
> here may have a better feel for what I am asking.
>
> Our sister company is forcing me to ask this question... its kind of
strange
> and I don't totally understand it, but here goes anyway.
>
> They have code (I believe in VB or C++) that pulls our cad drawing
attribute
> values into a database (Access). They are saying that all of the values
are
> coming in as integer values rather than string values (or something to
that
> effect). I may have some of the particulars confused, but really I just
> need to know the following: I know there is no way within AutoCAD to
change
> the attribute values to be either integer, string, etc..., so can someone
> from AutoDesk or someone that has a larger amount of knowledge about the
> code behind AutoCAD attributes please explain this to me? Any assistance
> would be greatly appreciated. I really need a response from someone that
> has AutoDesk behind their name or I will still have a hard time getting
them
> to believe it!
>
> I hope this makes sense!
>
> TIA,
>
> Rob
>
>
>
>

Re: Behind the attribute value

Anonymous — Wed, 15 May 2002 08:03:21 GMT

Hi,
I'm not from AutoDesk but i just feel like saying something 'cause we have
similar projects.
Mr Robert Bell is right if you're talking about Block Attributes.
But if not Block attributes:
In our project we store ENTITY attributes (attributes here is a generic
term) like polyline vertices (yes, they are float data types),
polygon centroids, polygon areas and many more we need in GIS. We store all
data in external MSSQL and Oracle
databases and we do not save dwg files.

Or another case is the Map Object tables that can be synchronised with
external database.

"Rob Outman" wrote in message
news:E8F18CBBC79FDE79104579114D965F66@in.WebX.maYIadrTaRb...
> Hi All,
>
>
> I posted this same question in the 2002 newsgroup, but felt that someone
> here may have a better feel for what I am asking.
>
> Our sister company is forcing me to ask this question... its kind of
strange
> and I don't totally understand it, but here goes anyway.
>
> They have code (I believe in VB or C++) that pulls our cad drawing
attribute
> values into a database (Access). They are saying that all of the values
are
> coming in as integer values rather than string values (or something to
that
> effect). I may have some of the particulars confused, but really I just
> need to know the following: I know there is no way within AutoCAD to
change
> the attribute values to be either integer, string, etc..., so can someone
> from AutoDesk or someone that has a larger amount of knowledge about the
> code behind AutoCAD attributes please explain this to me? Any assistance
> would be greatly appreciated. I really need a response from someone that
> has AutoDesk behind their name or I will still have a hard time getting
them
> to believe it!
>
> I hope this makes sense!
>
> TIA,
>
> Rob
>
>
>
>

Re:

Anonymous — Wed, 15 May 2002 09:08:41 GMT

Thanx for the input everyone!

Does anyone know where I might find something that documents the fact that
AutoCAD attributes are stored only as string values? I have looked through
the AutoCAD help and AutoCAD VBA help files, but have had no luck finding
any such info.

Can someone point me in the right direction.

TIA,

Rob

"rover" wrote in message
news:81E470DD560B68E47958ED8C257D5202@in.WebX.maYIadrTaRb...
> Hi,
> I'm not from AutoDesk but i just feel like saying something 'cause we have
> similar projects.
> Mr Robert Bell is right if you're talking about Block Attributes.
> But if not Block attributes:
> In our project we store ENTITY attributes (attributes here is a generic
> term) like polyline vertices (yes, they are float data types),
> polygon centroids, polygon areas and many more we need in GIS. We store
all
> data in external MSSQL and Oracle
> databases and we do not save dwg files.
>
> Or another case is the Map Object tables that can be synchronised with
> external database.
>
>
>
>
> "Rob Outman" wrote in message
> news:E8F18CBBC79FDE79104579114D965F66@in.WebX.maYIadrTaRb...
> > Hi All,
> >
> >
> > I posted this same question in the 2002 newsgroup, but felt that someone
> > here may have a better feel for what I am asking.
> >
> > Our sister company is forcing me to ask this question... its kind of
> strange
> > and I don't totally understand it, but here goes anyway.
> >
> > They have code (I believe in VB or C++) that pulls our cad drawing
> attribute
> > values into a database (Access). They are saying that all of the values
> are
> > coming in as integer values rather than string values (or something to
> that
> > effect). I may have some of the particulars confused, but really I just
> > need to know the following: I know there is no way within AutoCAD to
> change
> > the attribute values to be either integer, string, etc..., so can
someone
> > from AutoDesk or someone that has a larger amount of knowledge about the
> > code behind AutoCAD attributes please explain this to me? Any
assistance
> > would be greatly appreciated. I really need a response from someone
that
> > has AutoDesk behind their name or I will still have a hard time getting
> them
> > to believe it!
> >
> > I hope this makes sense!
> >
> > TIA,
> >
> > Rob
> >
> >
> >
> >
>
>

Re:

Ed__Jobe — Wed, 15 May 2002 09:31:06 GMT

How about the fact that an Attribute's value is held in the TextString property.

Re:

Anonymous — Wed, 15 May 2002 09:32:12 GMT

Re:

Anonymous — Wed, 15 May 2002 09:57:56 GMT

Thanx guys,

That's exactly what I was looking for!

Rob

"R. Robert Bell" wrote in message
news:B76F855E8C87122298B646995B2D0663@in.WebX.maYIadrTaRb...
> Look at the Developer's Guide: ActiveX and VBA Reference, Object Model,
> AttributeRef, TextString property for one; DXF Reference, ENTITIES
Section,
> ATTRIB, Group code 1 for another.
>
> --
> R. Robert Bell, MCSE
> www.AcadX.com
>
>
> "Rob Outman" wrote in message
> news:DB9DA4CAF27B284CACB6C2F25234FC5C@in.WebX.maYIadrTaRb...
> | Thanx for the input everyone!
> |
> | Does anyone know where I might find something that documents the fact
that
> | AutoCAD attributes are stored only as string values? I have looked
> through
> | the AutoCAD help and AutoCAD VBA help files, but have had no luck
finding
> | any such info.
> |
> | Can someone point me in the right direction.
> |
> | TIA,
> |
> | Rob
> |
> | "rover" wrote in message
> | news:81E470DD560B68E47958ED8C257D5202@in.WebX.maYIadrTaRb...
> | > Hi,
> | > I'm not from AutoDesk but i just feel like saying something 'cause we
> have
> | > similar projects.
> | > Mr Robert Bell is right if you're talking about Block Attributes.
> | > But if not Block attributes:
> | > In our project we store ENTITY attributes (attributes here is a
generic
> | > term) like polyline vertices (yes, they are float data types),
> | > polygon centroids, polygon areas and many more we need in GIS. We
store
> | all
> | > data in external MSSQL and Oracle
> | > databases and we do not save dwg files.
> | >
> | > Or another case is the Map Object tables that can be synchronised with
> | > external database.
> | >
> | >
> | >
> | >
> | > "Rob Outman" wrote in message
> | > news:E8F18CBBC79FDE79104579114D965F66@in.WebX.maYIadrTaRb...
> | > > Hi All,
> | > >
> | > >
> | > > I posted this same question in the 2002 newsgroup, but felt that
> someone
> | > > here may have a better feel for what I am asking.
> | > >
> | > > Our sister company is forcing me to ask this question... its kind of
> | > strange
> | > > and I don't totally understand it, but here goes anyway.
> | > >
> | > > They have code (I believe in VB or C++) that pulls our cad drawing
> | > attribute
> | > > values into a database (Access). They are saying that all of the
> values
> | > are
> | > > coming in as integer values rather than string values (or something
to
> | > that
> | > > effect). I may have some of the particulars confused, but really I
> just
> | > > need to know the following: I know there is no way within AutoCAD
to
> | > change
> | > > the attribute values to be either integer, string, etc..., so can
> | someone
> | > > from AutoDesk or someone that has a larger amount of knowledge about
> the
> | > > code behind AutoCAD attributes please explain this to me? Any
> | assistance
> | > > would be greatly appreciated. I really need a response from someone
> | that
> | > > has AutoDesk behind their name or I will still have a hard time
> getting
> | > them
> | > > to believe it!
> | > >
> | > > I hope this makes sense!
> | > >
> | > > TIA,
> | > >
> | > > Rob
> | > >
> | > >
> | > >
> | > >
> | >
> | >
> |
> |
>
>

Re: Behind the attribute value

Anonymous — Wed, 22 May 2002 02:36:28 GMT

Look in the Autocad VB help file under
Textstring.

Also, If they are writing information to an
Access database, the database fields should
be set up with the type of data they hold...
text, number, etc...