ACC: How to Import a Data File to a Control on a Form

ID: Q109393

The information in this article applies to:

SUMMARY

Moderate: Requires basic macro, coding, and interoperability skills.

This article shows you how to write the contents of a text data file to a control on a form.

This article assumes that you are familiar with Visual Basic for Applications and with creating Microsoft Access applications using the programming tools provided with Microsoft Access. For more information about Visual Basic for Applications, please refer to your version of the "Building Applications with Microsoft Access" manual.

NOTE: Visual Basic for Applications is called Access Basic in Microsoft Access versions 1.x and 2.0. For more information about Access Basic, please refer to the "Introduction to Programming" manual in Microsoft Access version 1.x or the "Building Applications" manual in Microsoft Access version 2.0

MORE INFORMATION

The following sample code will read the contents of your Config.sys file into a text box on a form. Note that you can substitute any text file for the Config.sys file in this example.

1. Create a new, blank form.

2. Add a text box to the form. Set its Name property to My_Text1. Size 

   the text box large enough to fit the contents of the text file that it
   will contain.

   NOTE: In Microsoft Access version 1.x, the Name property is called the
   ControlName property.
3. Add a command button to the form. Set the button's properties as 
   follows:

      OnClick: =WriteFile()
      Caption: Import Text

   NOTE: In Microsoft Access version 1.x, the OnClick property is called
   the OnPush property.
4. Save the form as Form1.

5. Create a module and type the following line in the Declarations section 

   if it is not already there:

      Option Explicit
6. Type the following procedure: 

      Function WriteFile ()
         ' These variables store the text of the file.
         Dim Linedata as String
         Dim WholeFile as String
         ' Open the file.
         Open "C:\CONFIG.SYS" For Input As #1
         ' Continue reading until end-of-file.
         Do While Not EOF(1)
            ' Read a line of data.
            Line Input #1, Linedata
            ' Store each line of data in the WholeFile variable.
            WholeFile = WholeFile + Chr(13) & Chr(10) + Linedata
         Loop
         ' Transfer contents of file to text box on form.
         Forms!Form1![My_Text1] = WholeFile
         ' Close the data file.
         Close #1
      End Function
7. Open Form1 in Form view and click the Import Text button.

Note that you can erase the contents of the text box by setting it to an empty variable, such as: 

   Forms!Form1![My_Text1] = Null   ' Erases the text.
You can call this expression from the Debug window (or Immediate window in versions 1.x and 2.0), or you can assign it to another button on the form.

Additional query words: 

Keywords          : kbprg
Version           : 1.0 1.1 2.0 7.0 97
Platform          : WINDOWS
Hardware          : x86
Issue type        : kbhowto

Last Reviewed: November 20, 1998