de-sorting the lines of a text delimited file

i have a delimited text file with thousands of records
however they are in alpha order,
one line has approx. 8 fields separated by comma's

i want to keep the fields in each line in their order but
mix up the order of the lines themselves....

anyone with an idea?

well first get then into an array.

Code:

---

Dim tmp As String
Open "C:\file.txt" For Binary As #1
tmp = space(LOF(1))
Get#1,,tmp
Close#1

Dim sLines() As String
sLines = Split(tmp,vbcrlf)

Dim done As String
Open "C:\newfile.txt" For Output As #1
Randomize
Do Until doneit = True
AGAIN:
num = int(Rnd*UBound(slines))
If slines(num) = "" Then GoTo again
Print#1,slines(num)
slines(num) = ""
For x = 0 To UBound(sLines)
If sLines(x) <> "" Then doneit = False:Exit For
doneit = true
Next
Loop
Close#1
ok..that is REALLY off the top of my head...not even tested...
give it a shot and let me know where it blows up! ;)




VBBrowser v2.2.1

---

Code:

---

Option Explicit

Dim myString As String


Public Sub MixMeUp()
    Dim nTry As Integer
    Dim nAddCount As Integer
    Dim bFound As Integer
    Dim intCre As Integer
    Dim nDummy As Integer
    Dim MyCollection As New Collection
   
    Dim myArr As Variant
    myArr = Split(myString, ",")
    nAddCount = UBound(myArr) + 1
   
    Randomize
   
    Do Until intCre = UBound(myArr) + 1
    nTry = Int((nAddCount * Rnd)) + 1
   
    On Error Resume Next
    nDummy = MyCollection.Item(CStr(nTry))
    bFound = (Err = 0)
    If bFound Then
    Err.Clear
    Else
    MyCollection.Add nTry, CStr(nTry)
    intCre = intCre + 1
    End If
    Loop
   
    Dim myArray()
    Dim i As Integer
   
   
   
    ReDim Preserve myArr(1 To nAddCount)
   
'open your file for output so you can rewrite it

    Open "C:\my documents\myfile.txt" For Output As #1
   
    For i = 1 To nAddCount
   
    ReDim Preserve myArray(i)
    myArray(i) = MyCollection(i)
   
    Print #1, myArray(i)  'write the new file
   
      Next i
      Close #1
End Sub


Private Sub Form_Load()
    Dim v As String
    Dim myArr()
    Dim myFile As String
    Dim iNum As Integer
    iNum = FreeFile
    Dim i As Integer, j As Integer
    myFile = "C:\my documents\myfile.txt"
   
    Open myFile For Input As #iNum
   
 'get the line count of your file
    Do Until EOF(iNum)
    Line Input #iNum, v
    i = i + 1
    Loop
    Close
    j = i 'lines in file
   
'load your file into an array
    Open myFile For Input As #iNum
   
    For i = 1 To j
    ReDim Preserve myArr(i)
    Line Input #iNum, myArr(i)
    myString = myString & "," & i
   
    Next i
    Close
'load the number of each string into a string seperated by a comma  ie..1,2,3,4,etc
'used in collection mix up
    myString = Right(myString, Len(myString) - 1)
'change the string order
    MixMeUp
End Sub

---

EEEEEP.

You guys ever read "the Art of Computing"? 3 volumes of algorithms.
90% of the questions about alogrithms in this board are in there - published 1968, by the way.

The one you want for this is called an array:
-- From ALGOL to vb

Sub rand(arr() As String)
Dim limit As Long, x As Long
limit = UBound(arr())
Do While limit > 0 ' assumes option base 1
x = Round(Rnd * limit)
swap arr(x), arr(limit)
limit = limit - 1
Loop
End Sub
Sub swap(i As String, j As String)
Dim tmp$
tmp$ = j
j = i
i = tmp$
End Sub

Maybe reading a really old book would help the "bloatware" thing...

MAybe I should read my posts first....

Algorithm == Randomizing an Array

Duh.

:(

well I feel put down....thanks jim.



:) just kiddng....

thanks everyone for all of your help..
i am ever grateful....

got it to work