How to remove semi colons from OBX messages

[Yamil Velez]

Hi All

   Is there a way to create a pre proc TCL that would remove semi colons from any OBX starting from field 5 onward.   Below is the code I have,  I am able to put all the OBX segments into a list but I am not able to remove semi colon starting from field 5 onward with out effect the fields before.

Note that this character is the subfield delimiter for the sending system HL7 messages.

#Note: $segid = OBX

                              set i 0

                              set segmentList [split $msgdata r]

                              foreach segment $segmentList {

                                    if [cequal [csubstr $segment 0 3] $segid] {

                                     lappend segment3 $segment

               

                 }

                     

                         

                            incr i

        }

set b [regsub -all {x3b} $segment3 {}]

Thanks in advance for any help provided.

Yamil

Topic

[David Barr]

There are many ways to do this.  Probably the easiest thing for you to do is to add another loop in your segment loop to go through each field in the segment. Replace the semicolons in each field, join them back together into a new segment and append the new segment to a new message.

[Yamil Velez]

Hi David

  The problem is that I need to start the semi colon replace from field 5 onward.  I need to keep the semi colons before that field.   How can I guid my regsub to start in field 5

Thanks

Yamil

[Daniel Lee]

I think what David is saying is just loop through your fields like you’re looping through your segments.

Code:

set fieldCount 0
foreach field $segment3 {
  if {$fieldCount >= 5} {
     set field [regsub -all {x3b} $field {}]
  }
  lappend newSegment3 $field
  incr fieldCount
}

There may be bugs in the above code but it should be enough to get you started if that’s the way you want to do it.

[Max Drown (Infor)]

I would use string map instad of regsub.

Code:

set var “ansdandnfd;sadflkasdflkasd”
puts $var
set var [string map {; {}} $var]
puts $var

-- Max Drown (Infor)

[Daniel Lee]

Quote:

I would use string map instad of regsub.

Is it faster?  If so do you know why?

[James Cobane]

I believe it is more efficient/faster since the ‘string’ command is an internal Tcl command vs. ‘regsub’ which is an extended/external command.

Jim Cobane

Henry Ford Health

[Jim Kosloskey]

Just my .02 – it is also easier for most folks to understand.

email: jim.kosloskey@jim-kosloskey.com 29+ years Cloverleaf, 59 years IT - old fart.

[Tom Rioux]

Ah Max!  Charlie has taught you well!

[Simone Heckmann]

Just because I’m in love with regular expressions

and solving problems with no more than one line of code is my hobby,

let me give this a try:

Code:

while {[regsub -all -linestop {(OBX(?:|.*?){4}|.*);(.*)} $msg {12} msg]} {}

This is the result I get when running it with a bogus test string:

Code:

hcitcl>set msg “OBX|asdf;asdf|xcvbx;yxcv|sdfg|sdfg;sdfg|rtzu;ertz;|
OBX|asdf;asdf|xcvbx;yxcv|sdfg|sdfg;sdfg|rtzu;ertz;|sdfg ; sdfg |;|sdjfgsj|sdjfhg
OBX|asdf;asdf|xcvbx;yxcv|sdfg|sdfg;sdfg|rtzu;ertz;|;
OBX|asdf;asdf||sdfg|sdfg;sdfg|rtzu;ertz;|”;
hcitcl>
hcitcl>
hcitcl>while {[regsub -all -linestop {(OBX(?:|.*?){4}|.*);(.*)} $msg {12} ms
g]} {}
hcitcl>echo $msg
OBX|asdf;asdf|xcvbx;yxcv|sdfg|sdfg;sdfg|rtzuertz|
OBX|asdf;asdf|xcvbx;yxcv|sdfg|sdfg;sdfg|rtzuertz|sdfg  sdfg ||sdjfgsj|sdjfhg
OBX|asdf;asdf|xcvbx;yxcv|sdfg|sdfg;sdfg|rtzuertz|
OBX|asdf;asdf||sdfg|sdfg;sdfg|rtzuertz|
hcitcl>

Don’t forget to be awesome!

Simone

[Author]

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