Extract Field Types

This field type extracts information from a single line in a named text file.

A useful file extracts include the predefined SMS file which extracts the SMS Unique Machine ID.

The file you wish to extract from must be a file that is included in the Stored Files section. If the file is not there it will not work. In other words, the Scanner has to be set up to store the file before you can extract from it in Viewer.

To set up a new text file extract asset field:

1. Select Text File Extract as the field type
2. In the File Name box, specify the name of the text file that the information is to be extracted from.
3. In the Search String box, specify the text string that is going to be located.
4. Assign the number for the analysis field by selecting it from the Field drop-down list.
5. Assign a caption for the field if required, by typing it in the Caption field.
6. Check the Remove leading blanks box, to remove blank spaces (if there are any) before the search string located in the text file.
7. Check the Remove trailing blanks box, to remove blank spaces (if there are any) after the search string located in the text file.
8. In the File Directory group box specify where to look for the file. This is a prioritized search sequence list. Select one of the following options:
• Use first occurrence – Viewer uses the first match of the file that it encounters.
• Use prioritized directory list – A list box is enabled, which allows you to specify the priority of directories where the file might be located.

%BASEOS% (the base operating system directory). For example:

C:\Winnt

This location will have the highest priority, that is, if the file is located in this directory, then this file will be used.

%BASEOS%\System (the System directory in the base operating system directory). For example:

C:\Winnt\System

If the file is not located in the %BASEOS% directory and is encountered in the %BASEOS%\System location, then this location will have priority as the source for the text file, and so on.

9. Specify any extract options as required by clicking the Options… button. See Specifying Extract Options for Text Files, INI Files, CSV Files and Environment Variables for information about how to do this.

Initialization files (.ini files) contain a number of different sections. Each section contains lines of settings (Key Names) applicable to that section. The format of the ini file is as follows:

[Section Name1] - (The name of the first section)

Key Name1 = Value (The first setting)

Key Name2 = Value (The second setting)

[Section Name2] - (The name of the next section)

Key Name1 = Value (The first setting)

Key Name2 = Value (The second setting)

The advantage of using this type of asset field instead of using a text file extract asset field, is that it is possible to pinpoint precisely the Key Name you require and in the section in which it resides.

To set up an ini file extract asset field:

1. Select Ini File Extract as the field type.
2. In the File Name box, specify the name of the ini file that the information is to be extracted from.
3. Assign the number for the analysis field by selecting it from the Field drop-down list.
4. Assign a caption for the field if required, by typing it in the Caption field.
5. In the File Directory group box, specify where to look for the file. This is a prioritized search sequence list. Select one of the following options:
• Use first occurrence – Viewer will use the first match of the file that is encountered.
• Use prioritized directory list – Selecting this option enables a list box, which is used to specify the priority of directories where the file might be located. For example:

%BASEOS% (the base operating system directory). For example:

C:\Winnt

This location will have the highest priority, that is, if the file is located in this directory, then this file will be used.

%BASEOS%\System (the System directory in the base operating system directory) for example, C:\Winnt\System

If the file is not located in the %BASEOS% directory and is encountered in the %BASEOS%\System location, then this location will have priority as the source for the text file, and so on.

6. In the Ini file section box, specify the section of the ini file that the asset field extract is located in. This is the section identifier in the ini file (surrounded by square brackets []). Do not include the brackets [].
7. In the Key Name box, specify the Key Name contained in the specified section of the ini file. This is the start of the string before the equals (=) sign. Do not include the = sign.
8. Check the Remove leading blanks box to remove blank spaces (if there are any) before the Key Name located in the ini file.
9. Check the Remove trailing blanks box to remove blank spaces (if there are any) after the Key Name located in the ini file.
10. Specify any extract options as required by clicking the Options… button. See Specifying Extract Options for Text Files, INI Files, CSV Files and Environment Variables for information about how to do this.

This type of field allows an external Comma Separated Variable (CSV) file, containing a list of data associated with asset numbers to be parsed and loaded along side the other data.

To set up a CSV file extract asset field:

1. Select CSV File as the field type.
2. In the CSV File box, navigate to the CSV file.

The first row of this file must contain column headers.

3. Enter the number of the column that contains the machine asset number (that is, the primary identifier field). As the number changes so does the fields selection. For example, if the primary identifier is column 2 in the CSV file, then specify this as the number ‘2’ by either typing it directly into the field or by using the arrows.

The fields contained in the CSV file are displayed in the Fields list box. Select the fields to be included by selecting the check boxes next to the field names.

The primary identifier column (asset number field) check box is disabled and cannot be selected. This is because it is necessary to load this field.

4. Specify any extract options as required by clicking the Options… button. See Specifying Extract Options for Text Files, INI Files, CSV Files and Environment Variables for information about how to do this.

This type of field accepts data from a specified environment variable. This can be checked by looking in the Operating System data > Environment folder in the Hardware and Configuration tab page.

To set up an environment variable extract asset field:

1. Select Environment as the field type.
2. Enter the variable name in the Environment variable name field. An example of an environment variable is:

ComSpec

Where ComSpec could be C:\WinNT\System32\cmd.exe

3. Assign the number for the analysis field by selecting it from the Field drop-down list.
4. Assign a caption for the field if required, by typing it in the Caption field.
5. Specify any extract options as required by clicking the Options… button. See Specifying Extract Options for Text Files, INI Files, CSV Files and Environment Variables for information about how to do this.

This field type extracts information from one of up to ten specified fields. The value returned as the results of the sequence field, will be the first of these fields which contains a non-blank value.

To set up a sequence asset field:

1. Select Sequence as the field type.
2. In the Field Sequence box, click in the Field Name column, and from the drop-down list, select the desired field.
3. In the Ignore strings group box, specify the criteria for a blank field using one or all of the following methods:
4. In the Matching box, enter a sequence of strings (case-sensitive) separated by semicolons.

If the content of the field matches (is equal to) any of the strings specified here, the field is considered to be blank. For example, if the text string “Not Found” is entered here, then a field that has the value “Not Found” is considered to be blank.

Multiple entries must be separated by semicolons ( ;), for example:

‘Unknown;Not Tested’

5. You can type a string in the form: *STRING*

Here the asterisks (*) are ignored and any string that contains the text between the two asterisks will be ignored too.

Specify ignore strings that are less than ‘n’ characters.

In the Shorter than box, use the arrow keys or type in a number to specify the maximum length of text strings that are to be used to define a blank field (between 1 and 255). If the string is shorter than the specified number, then the field will be considered blank.

6. Assign the number for the analysis field by selecting it from the Field drop-down list.
7. Assign a caption for the field if required, by typing it in the Caption field.
8. Specify any extract options as required by clicking the Options… button. See Specifying Extract Options for Text Files, INI Files, CSV Files and Environment Variables for information about how to do this.

Text file, ini file and environment variable asset fields can be set up so that only part of the string is extracted instead of the entire string.

They can also be set up, for example, to use the last part rather than the first part of the string. This can be very useful for obtaining the last part of an automatic field that is too long.

In addition, a default value can be specified for situations where no matching data has been found.

To specify extract options for text, ini and environment variables:

1. Click the Options button in the New Analysis Asset Field dialog box. The Asset Field Extract Options dialog box appears.
2. In the Extract characters from group box, specify whether you want to use the last part or the first part of the string. Select one of the following options:
• Start

Uses the first part of the string. Use the arrows in the Skip characters box to specify how many characters you want to skip from the beginning of the string.

• End

Uses the last part of the string. Use the arrows in the Skip characters box to specify how many characters you want to skip from the end of the string.

3. In the Options group box, select the options you want:
• Convert to upper case

Select this option to convert the alphabetic characters to upper case.

• Treat field as File Name

Select this option to treat the string in the asset field as a file name. Some characters are however invalid in file names, so any invalid characters can be replaced with the character specified in the Replace invalid characters with box.

For example, underscore ‘_’ is a valid file name character and can be used to replace invalid characters.

Alternatively, invalid characters can be deleted by checking the Delete invalid characters box.

If the extracted field is empty or is not found (that is, there is no matching data), then a default value for the string can be specified in the Default Value box.

For example, if the text string ‘Not Found’ is entered in this box, then an empty field or a field that has not been found will be displayed with this text.