Input text from an INI file

[Killer42]

Please help me.

I am a really ... really... new comer to this VB. I never got any tiny experience using this program.

Now, i'm going to break my rule and start learning VB which is i think it's very useful.

Well, I have an ".ini" file that contains my setting configuration. Below is the example of my ".ini" file :


#Please do not delete this file
#file type : testing program only
#Application name : testing program
#Created by : myself, just try to understand
#created date : July 25, 2007
#Modified date : July 25, 2007
#
[PreText]
"^S "
[PostText]
"N- "
[FromDirectory]
E:\Test
[ToDirectory]
E:\Test\Update




Then, I try to make a FORM (standard .EXE), which contains TEXT1 for my Indication of "FromDirectory", TEXT2 for my "ToDirectory", TEXT3 for my "PreText", and TEXT4 for my "ToDirectory".

So, when I try to compile the program, first it will appear to user the current configuration of ".ini" file for designated TEXT box.

Here's my "premature" program, which I can not get the selected row for my program.


Dim pretext As String
Dim posttext As String
Dim fromdirectory As String
Dim todirectory As String
Open "E:\Test\settings.ini" For Input As #1

Input #1, a$, b$, c$, d$
pretext = a
posttext = b
fromdirectory = c
todirectory = d

Text1.Text = fromdirectory
Text2.Text = todirectory
Text3.Text = pretext
Text4.Text = posttext
Close #1

End Sub




But, by above program, I only available to read the first line. When I tried to change to #2, or #10, or #14, still the program ONLY read my first line... ughhh..

Please help me with this.

I'm currently using Visual Basic 6 (not visual studio 2005).

Thank you.

The Input #1 statement simply reads in one line from a text file (in this case you INI file) and places the values from it into one or more variables. So what you are reading in this statement is "#Please do not delete this file". My guess is that would all be placed in the first variable, a$.

The information held in your file is much more complex than can be handled by a single Input # statement. Probably your best bet is to keep looping and grabbing lines until you find the one you want. Here's a sample routine...

  Dim pretext As String
  Dim posttext As String
  Dim fromdirectory As String
  Dim todirectory As String
  Dim a As String
  Open "E:\Test\settings.ini" For Input As #1
 
  Do Until EOF(1)
 
    Input #1, a
    Select Case a
      Case "[PreText]"
        Input #1, pretext
      Case "[PostText]"
        Input #1, posttext
      Case "[FromDirectory]"
        Input #1, fromdirectory
      Case "[ToDirectory]"
        Input #1, todirectory
    End Select
  Loop
  Close #1
 
  Text1.Text = fromdirectory
  Text2.Text = todirectory
  Text3.Text = pretext
  Text4.Text = posttext

A couple of tips...

• Keep your variable references consistent. If you are going to use the name a$, then stick to that name, don't call it a somewhere else. You'll just confuse yourself, later.
• Go to Tool | Options[/b], Editor tab, and turn on Require Variable Declaration. Trust me, you will save yourself a lot of headaches further down the track.
• In the above code, depending on the contents of the file, you might need to change Input # to Line Input # to grab the entire line. The Input # statement will break off when it hits a comma or various other delimiters, I think.

[mortinrido]

WOW..

I tried, and it works !

Well, i don't know how to thank you for this matter. You make my spirit on again..

I also have turned the "require variable declaration", and I want to follow your suggestion as well.

Hm, think i'd like to modify some areas then. It's from how to open the ".ini" file from random directory (as user dialog box), and after that save the modified ".ini" file if user changed it from the interactive menu i've made.


Regards,

[Killer42]

I'm glad to hear it worked out. :)

Couldn't quite tell, though, whether you were asking for further help, or just "thinking out loud". If the former, could you try to describe in more detail what the issue is?