using vplayer and -layer commands on layers with wildcards in their names

[deheylen690271]

I'm writing a lisp routine to vpfreeze/vpthaw or freeze/thaw layers based on parameters. My problem is that my company designates layers with existing equipment using the format 'AR.[E].EQUIP' or 'EL.[E].EQUIP' or 'ME.[E].EQUIP' and so on.

when I invoke (command "VPLAYER" "T" "AR.[E].EQUIP" "C" "") or (command "-LAYER" "T" "AR.[E].EQUIP" "") in my routine, it crashes because AutoCAD is trying to match what it thinks is a wildcard and of course there is no matching layer 'AR.E.EQUIP'

This is also a problem when I'm just using these commands straight from the command line but I'm only concerned with getting my routine to run.

Is there any way to turn off or override the wildcard matching in -LAYER and VPLAYER or is there any LISP workaround for this?

[BlackBox]

Welcome to AUGI.

No, there is no way to prevent WCMATCH in the -LAYER Command... It really is unfortunate that your employer has intentionally used a layer naming convention that introduces this issue into your work.

That said, you can either do this by substituting * for [ and ] using "AR.*E*.EQUIP"... Or perhaps using the Visual LISP approach using the Layer Table Record Object directly for Freeze/Thaw... The latter is not as straight forward when dealing with Viewport Freeze/Thaw.


Cheers

[deheylen690271]

Hey, thanks for the response.

I kind of figured I was up s* creek without a paddle (in a chicken-wire canoe & heading for Deadman's Falls) on this one. I used your solution, though I used 'AR.?E?.EQUIP' to try and avoid as many unintended matches as I can. I can assure you, using that character wasn't intentional though it certainly was unfortunate. But you know what I find REALLY unfortunate? That AutoDesk would (actually) intentionally allow the use of characters in layer names that the layer & vplayer commands can't deal with! It's pretty much programming 101 that you don't allow the user to input data your program can't handle. Sheesh.

[BlackBox]

Being that ? will match any single character, perhaps using . would 'avoid [more] unintended matches'; examples:

_$ (wcmatch "AR.[E].EQUIP" "AR.?E?.EQUIP")
T
_$ (wcmatch "AR.7EZ.EQUIP" "AR.?E?.EQUIP")
T
_$ (wcmatch "AR.7EZ.EQUIP" "AR..E..EQUIP")
nil
_$ (wcmatch "AR.[E].EQUIP" "AR..E..EQUIP")
T
_$

Cheers