Getting info from a text file

[borg.stef]

This is my code where im getting information from a text file. it is a loop like this: 0th line in variable machine (string), 1nd line in variable x (integer), 2rd line in variable y (integer), 3th line in var rot (integer), 4th line in machine again etc. however if in the string line there is "floor" written, those 4 lines will be skipped and go to the next string line (therefore counter = counter +4). However when i run it, nothing happens

	a = []
	counter = 0
	file = File.new("trial.txt", "r")
	while (line = file.gets)
		a[counter] = line

		if counter % 4 == 0.0         # lines 0 , 4, 8 etc
			if a[counter] = #{floor}
				counter = counter + 4
			 else machine = "#{a[counter].3ds"
			end
		elsif counter % 4 == 1.0    # lines 1 , 5, 9 etc
			x = a[counter].to_f
		elsif counter % 4 == 2.0     # lines 2 , 6, 10 etc
			y = a[counter].to_f
		elsif counter % 4 == 3.0    # lines 3 , 7, 11 etc
			rot = a[counter].to_i

[TIG]

A much simpler way is to read all of the file's lines into an array like this
lines=IO.readlines(file_path)
then process the lines in turn...
lines.each{|line| ...### do something to 'line' or use 'next' if it's not a type you want... }
This way you don't need to open/close the file or use 'counters' etc...

[Dan Rathbun]

But if you still wish to use a counter, you may by using the each_with_index iterator (that is mixed into the Array class, from module Enumerable.)

lines.each_with_index {|line,counter| ...### do something to 'line' or use 'next' if it's not a type you want... }

[Dan Rathbun]

The reason it does not work is this line:

if a[counter] = #{floor}

should be:

if a[counter] == "floor"

Because:
(1) = is the assignment operator, and == is the equality method for class String.

(2) the #{var} replacement operator must be nested within a double-quoted String literal.
BUT... in your case, "floor" is NOT a variable (reference), it is a String value, so you just need to specify the literal String.

[Dan Rathbun]

By the way... if YOU are creating the files.. why not simplify things and write out CSV records, where each line is:
"string tag",x,y,rot

We have a topic on reading CSV text files:
[code] reading a CSV file

EDIT: Oh you are using MatLab written files, as in this post http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?f=180&t=35961&start=30#p319047