Binaryworld - Load a text file in one operation ... [ VB -> Files & Folder ]

The fastest way to read a text file is using the Input$ function, as shown in this reusable procedure:

Function FileText (filename$) As String
  Dim handle As Integer
  handle = FreeFile
  Open filename$ For Input As #handle
  FileText = Input$(LOF(handle), handle)
  Close #handle
End Function

This method is much faster than reading each single line of the file using a Line Input statements. Here's how you can load a multiline textbox control with the contents of Autoexec.bat:

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Text1.Text = FileText("c:\autoexec.bat")

UPDATE: Andrew Marshall wrote us to point out that the above routine fails when the file includes a Ctrl-Z (EOF) character, so we prepared a better version that works around that problem:

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Function FileText(ByVal filename As String) As String
  Dim handle As Integer

  ' ensure that the file exists
  If Len(Dir$(filename)) = 0 Then
    Err.Raise 53 ' File not found
  End If

  ' open in binary mode
  handle = FreeFile
  Open filename$ For Binary As #handle
  ' read the string and close the file
  FileText = Space$(LOF(handle))
  Get #handle, , FileText
  Close #handle
End Function