Flat Data Files - ASCII

[CptTom]

How do open a flat text data file, so that I can read and validate its data? Everything I find is how to access MS Access, Foxpro, etc.

Larry

 

[vbMax]

Open "C:\whatever.txt" For Input As #1

Do While Not EOF(1)
' Line Input #n reads an entire line.
Line Input #1, inString
' Input #n reads until it finds a comma.
Input #1, xName, xCity, xAmount
Loop
Close #1

- vbMax

 

[CptTom]

These are 'Fixed Width' Fields. Now what?

 

[Brewman76]

Use a user defined type to read/write fixed width text from a file.

Private Type MyTable
Field1 As String * 5 'defines width of each field
Field2 As String * 10
Field3 As String * 12
End Type

Private Sub ReadFile()
Dim FileNum as Long
Dim OneRec as MyTable

FileNum = FreeFile
Open "C:\Whatever.TXT" For Random As #FileNum & _
Len = Len(OneRec)
Do Until EOF(FileNum)
Get #FileNum, ,OneRec
Validate (OneRec.Field1)
Validate (OneRec.Field2) 'and so forth
Loop
Close #FileNum
End Sub

To Write the data to the file, Open the file using the same open statement but use "Put" instead of "Get"

Adam

 

[CptTom]

Is it also possible to view the data? Do I need to use VISDATA? The strings run less than 100 characters in length * the number of records.

 

[Brewman76]

Depending on how you want to view it, the easiest would be to put a text box on a form, then append the text to the text box inside the do..while loop. If it's just for debugging probably having it open (or a copy of) in notepad would be fine.

 

[CptTom]

yeah, but they would want the columns separating the fields. I thought about creating something along the line of a data screen so they could scroll through the data.

 

[chrisdl]

You can use a listbox and format to space out the columns. You could also use a flexgrid control.
-Chris (Consultant / Software Engineer)