How to use "while" in PCM

[[Ri...]]

This brings up too many errors, but I think I need to know how to use "while" or if I can with PCM.

(AI generated)

Any help is appreciated. 

Blocked_Chars = "~`!@#$%^&*()+={}[]|:;',<>./?"
setRecordHead("u_PartNumb",PN)

Part_Numb = getRecordHead("u_PartNumb")  // or however you retrieve the input
i = 1
while (i <= length(Blocked_Chars))
    currentChar = substring(Blocked_Chars, i, 1)
    if (instr(Part_Numb, currentChar) > 0)
        message("Invalid character '" + currentChar + "' found in part name.")
        stop()
    endif
    i = i + 1
endwhile

 

[[Ri...]]

Im learning Copilot isnt very good at PCM.

Now I am trying GTP5, but it is still full of errors.

What are some of you using for AI and PCM?

[[Ma...]]

I don't know if while is supported.

I found:

for next
if else endif
if endif
repeat until
selectCase endSelect

Calypso_02_PCM

[[Ri...]]

The goal is to create a blacklist of characters when read from variables.

u_PartNumb is just one example.

[[Ma...]]

I would use FOR cycle and to find occurence of char use "inStr()"

From posted link to pcm manual it's on page 1-65 and 1-142

Do you want to just find occurence or substitute / remove them?

Edited October 21

[[No...]]

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I still prefer "NI" over AI. Less hallucinations😄

Couldn't you get the same result with repeat / until? You only need to modify the condition and put it at the end:

i=1
repeat
	currentChar=.....
	if (instr(.....
		nessage(....
		stop()		//???? --> cncBreak() ?
	endif
	i=i+1
until (i > length(Blocked_Chars))

 

[[Ri...]]

I do have to go with repeat, Calypso v2017 doesn't support what I posted. Of course that was after trying AI.

[[Ri...]]

// Edit this list with what you don't want
NOT_ALLOWED_LIST = list("~", "`", "!", "@", "#", "$", "%", "^", "&", "*", "(", ")", "+", "=", "{", "}", "[", "]", "|", ":", ";", "'", ",", "<", ">", ".", "/", "?")
NOT_ALLOWED_LIST_NAME = "NOT_ALLOWED_LIST"

Part_Numb = getRecordHead("u_PartNumb")

// Begin searching for not-allowed strings
for not_allowed_index = 1 to NOT_ALLOWED_LIST.size
    repeat 
        // Get the first not-allowed string to check
        this_not_allowed_str = getParameterNamed(NOT_ALLOWED_LIST_NAME, not_allowed_index)
        this_not_allowed_len = len(this_not_allowed_str)
        
        // Attempt to find the not-allowed string
        //  - if found, will be non-zero
        //  - if not found, will be zero
        attempt = inStr(Part_Numb, this_not_allowed_str)
        
        // If the not allowed string was found,
        //  - from: the start of the original string (1)
        //  - to:   the attempt index (minus 1 to not include the 1st character)
        //  - PLUS
        //  - from: attempt index + the length of the search string
        //  - to:   the end of what remains
        if attempt <> 0 then
            Part_Numb = subStr(Part_Numb, 1, attempt - 1) + mid(Part_Numb, attempt + this_not_allowed_len)
        endif
    until attempt == 0
    // repeat for all not-allowed strings
next not_allowed_index

Someone else wrote this for me when I was trying to strip specific phrases out of header information. I would think this would work for you as well. 

[[An...]]

(Edit:

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 & I were writing the same response! He beat me to the reply 😅)

I believe the solution you're looking to create exists already in my post here:

You will need to:

• fill out the rest of the NOT_ALLOWED_LIST with characters that are not allowed
  • I did about half of Blocked_Chars
  • Could sneak a " character in with qm() or chr(34), among other methods...
• replace sourceStr with something more meaningful to your use case

 

Updated for 2025:

// Edit this list with what you don't want
NOT_ALLOWED_LIST = list("~", "`", "!", "@", "#", "$", "%", "^", "&", "*", "(", ")")
NOT_ALLOWED_LIST_NAME = "NOT_ALLOWED_LIST"

sourceStr = inquireText("Enter something to be filtered:")

// Begin searching for not-allowed strings
for notAllowedIndex = 1 to NOT_ALLOWED_LIST.size
    repeat 
        // Get the first not-allowed string to check
        thisNotAllowedStr = getParameterNamed(NOT_ALLOWED_LIST_NAME, notAllowedIndex)
        thisNotAllowedLen = len(thisNotAllowedStr)
        
        // Attempt to find the not-allowed string
        //  - if found, will be non-zero
        //  - if not found, will be zero
        attempt = inStr(sourceStr, thisNotAllowedStr)
        
        // If the not allowed string was found,
        //  - from: the start of the original string (1)
        //  - to:   the attempt index (minus 1 to not include the 1st character)
        //  - PLUS
        //  - from: attempt index + the length of the search string
        //  - to:   the end of what remains
        if attempt <> 0 then
            sourceStr = subStr(sourceStr, 1, attempt - 1) + mid(sourceStr, attempt + thisNotAllowedLen)
        endif
    until attempt == 0
    // repeat for all not-allowed strings
next notAllowedIndex

// Output
display(sourceStr)

See attached for the above code 😇

general.txt

Edited October 22
Richard Shomaker beat me to the punch

[[Ri...]]

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 I couldn't have done it without you though, so many thanks once again for the piece of code that you wrote for me. 🙂 

[[Ri...]]

Thank you all!!

[[Ri...]]

I have been working on this with the supplied code above.

So far this code is working.

Thank you to all!

//Character Black List
NOT_ALLOWED_LIST = list("~", "`", "!", "@", "$", "%", "^", "&", "*", "(", ")", "+", "=", "{", "}", "[", "]", "|", ":", ";", "'", ",", "<", ">", ".", "/", "\", "?", "--", "__")
NOT_ALLOWED_LIST_NAME = "NOT_ALLOWED_LIST"
//End Character Black List

//Begin WOID validation
// Initial input
idtest = getRecordHead("u_WorkOrderID")
repeat
    invalid_found = false

    for not_allowed_index = 1 to NOT_ALLOWED_LIST.size
        this_not_allowed_str = getParameterNamed(NOT_ALLOWED_LIST_NAME, not_allowed_index)
        attempt = inStr(idtest, this_not_allowed_str)

        if attempt <> 0 then
            message("Invalid character '" + this_not_allowed_str + "' found in input '" + idtest + "'. Please re-enter a valid value.")
            idtest = inquireText("Please enter the correct ""Work Order ID"".")
            setRecordHead("u_WorkOrderID_Corrected", idtest)
            invalid_found = true
            not_allowed_index = NOT_ALLOWED_LIST.size + 1  // Force exit from for-loop
        endif
    next not_allowed_index

until invalid_found == false

// Prompt for Stamp ID after successful validation
idtest = inquireText("Please enter the correct ""Work Order ID"".")
setRecordHead("u_WorkOrderID", idtest)
//End WOID validation

 

[[Ri...]]

Curious, I thought "setRecordHead" would physically change the value in the "Printer header data" dialog box.

Edited October 31

[[Ri...]]

After running the program, it is physically changed.

[[Ri...]]

And just like that, the code no longer functions.