Extract values from specific attributes in a block based on tag name

I’m new to using AutoLISP and have been trying to educate myself on how it works. By looking at examples, I’m able to determine what is happening. However, I’m having a difficult time trying to update an existing LISP routine that my company uses. The creator has recently left. I don’t know what to change, where exactly to change it, or how to change/add anything.

Here is my situation. Our current LISP routine asks the user to select the standard blocks that they want to include. Every block that is selected will always has the same 4 attribute tags embedded within (values change). Three of these attributes (“FAMILY”, “DESCRIPTION”, & “PN”) are set to constant and the 4th (“SEC_NO”) can be user defined. The LIPS routine takes these values and creates a table w/ the headings “SECTION NO”, “FAMILY”, “DESCRIPTION”, & “PN” in that order. This works perfectly.

However, I am changing the way the blocks are created so they are more easily created and managed (turned them into dynamic blocks). By doing this, I have created extra attributes in the new blocks. These extra attributes screw up our current LISP routine. I would like to modify this routine so that it creates a list of the attribute values pulled from the same 4 attributes listed above (“SEC_NO”, “FAMILY”, “DESCRIPTION”, & “PN”) and ignore the rest. The tag names of the attributes will always remain the same.

Below is the part of the routine that creates the list used for the table. Any help would be greatly appreciated. If there is a simpler way to do it, I’m all ears.

-Mark

(defun get-all-atts (obj / atts 
att_list const_atts const_list ent)
 (and

(if (and obj
     (vlax-property-available-p 
obj 'Hasattributes)
     (eq :vlax-true 
(vla-get-hasattributes obj))
)



(progn
(if
  (not

(vl-catch-all-error-p

(vl-catch-all-apply
 (function
   (lambda 
()
     (setq atts (vlax-invoke obj 
'Getattributes))

)
 )

)
    )

)

(setq
   (progn
     (foreach 
att atts
       (setq 
att_list
       (cons (cons 
(vla-get-tagstring att)
     (vla-get-textstring 
att)

)

att_list

)

)
     )

)
)
(if
  (not

(vl-catch-all-error-p

(vl-catch-all-apply
 (function
   (lambda 
()
     (setq 
const_atts

(vlax-invoke

obj

'Getconstantattributes

)
     )

)
 )

)
    )
  )

(progn
     (foreach att 
const_atts
       (setq 
const_list
       (cons (cons 
(vla-get-tagstring att)
     (vla-get-textstring 
att)

)

const_list

)

)
     )
     (setq 
att_list (append const_list att_list))

)
)
     )

)
 )
 (reverse att_list)
)

Hi Mark,

Substitute the following in place of your code:

(defun get-all-atts ( obj / lst tag )
   (if (and obj (vlax-property-available-p obj 'hasattributes) (= :vlax-true (vla-get-hasattributes obj)))
       (foreach att (append (vlax-invoke obj 'getattributes) (vlax-invoke obj 'getconstantattributes))
           (if (member (strcase (setq tag (vla-get-tagstring att))) '("FAMILY" "DESCRIPTION" "PN" "SEC_NO"))
               (setq lst (cons (cons tag (vla-get-textstring att)) lst))
           )
       )
   )
   (reverse lst)
)

You may also find my library of Attribute Functions useful.

Welcome to CADTutor

Why you don't use EATTEXT

prodromosm,

I thought about EATTEXT at one point, but didn't want to use attribute extraction in order to keep our process as simple as possible for our designers to use. I'm trying to minimize the number of clicks and make it fool proof. Thanks for the reply though.

Lee Mac,

Your code works perfectly. I had a feeling it could've been written a lot cleaner and simpler. Also, I have been to your "Attribute Functions" page last week looking for help. However, since I'm new to LISP, I had a hard time determining what to use and what I needed to add/change to make it work for my application. I'm more familiar w/ VBA in Excel.

Thanks for the help. I really appreciate it!

You're most welcome - Just ask if you are unsure how to call my Attribute Functions from your program.