Text File Processing

Harbour have many features for text file processing, manipulation.

Global Processing : taking text files as a single string.

MemoRead	Return the text file’s contents as a character string
MemoWrit	Write a memo field or character string to a text file on disk
HB_MemoRead	Return the text file’s contents as a character string
HB_MemoWrit	Write a memo field or character string to a text file on disk

A Class to read a text file

TFileRead

Read a file one line at a time

In Harbour it’s possible also manipulate text files same as table ( .dbf ) files.

This group of function may be used for this purpose.

The basic structure is :

HB_FUse( <cTextFile> ) <-- open text file as a table

 WHILE .NOT. HB_FEof() <-- continue process for all lines in the file

c1Line := HB_FReadLN() <-- read a record (line) from file

 .... <-- process line 

 HB_FSkip() <-- advance record ( line ) pointer

 ENDDO

 HB_FUse() <-- close file

Special Text File Processing Functions

HB_FAtEOF()	Chech EOF status of given work area
HB_FEof()	Check end of text file status
HB_FGoBottom()	Go to the last record in a text file
HB_FGoto()	Move record pointer to specific record in the selected text file
HB_FGoTop()	Move the record pointer to the first record in selected text file
HB_FInfo()	Retrieves status information about the currently selected text file
HB_FLastRec()	Get the number of records in the currently selected text file
HB_FReadAndSkip()	Reads the current line and moves the record pointer to the next line
HB_FreadLN()	Read a line from the selected text file without moving the record pointer
HB_FRecno()	Return the current line / record number of a text file
HB_FSelect()	Select a text file work area
HB_FSkip()	Move the record pointer to a new position in a text file
HB_FUse()	Open or close a text file for use by the HB_F* functions

A ‘global’ sample for HB_F* text  file processing functions : download.