Using .ini files

[thebloke]

This is gonna sound dumb (no change there then) but it's something I've never done before so please be patient!

All I want to do is store a database path and a string variable (eg: strlettercode = "SL42") in an .ini file so I can alter it whenever I need to.

I'm guessing it's simple but then again, so am I!

Cheers

[laserman]

This will show you how to do it.sorry no vb on this pc.

The Writeprofile code will save your data to the file.
The Getprofile retreives it from the file to say a texbox for you to either alter or just view it.

Private Declare Function GetPrivateProfileString Lib "kernel32" Alias "GetPrivateProfileStringA" (ByVal lpApplicationName As String, ByVal lpKeyName As Any, ByVal lpDefault As String, ByVal lpReturnedString As String, ByVal nSize As Long, ByVal lpFileName As String) As Long
Private Declare Function WritePrivateProfileString Lib "kernel32" Alias "WritePrivateProfileStringA" (ByVal lpApplicationName As String, ByVal lpKeyName As Any, ByVal lpString As Any, ByVal lpFileName As String) As Long
Private Sub Form_Load()
    'KPD-Team 1999
    'URL: [url]http://www.allapi.net/[/url]
    'E-Mail: [email][email protected][/email]
    Dim Ret As String, NC As Long
    'Write the setting to the file (c:\test.ini) under
    '   Project1 -> Keyname
    WritePrivateProfileString App.Title, "KeyName", "This is the value", "c:\test.ini"
    'Create a buffer
    Ret = String(255, 0)
    'Retrieve the string
    NC = GetPrivateProfileString(App.Title, "KeyName", "Default", Ret, 255, "C:\test.ini")
    'NC is the number of characters copied to the buffer
    If NC <> 0 Then Ret = Left$(Ret, NC)
    'Show our string
    MsgBox Ret
    'Delete the file
    Kill "c:\test.ini"
End

[MartinLiss]

A more modern way is to use the Registry. Click the Use SaveSetting and GetSetting to store and retrieve data from the Registry link in my signature for an example.

[laserman]

1. Open notepad and create a file called value.ini
2.Save your project and the value.ini file to same directory
3.Add a textbox to your form and 2 x command buttons and when you add any value to the textbox it will save it in the inifile.
4. You will be able to open the file with command2 and view it
5. Copy code to form

Hope this is what you require

Private Declare Function GetPrivateProfileString Lib "kernel32" Alias "GetPrivateProfileStringA" (ByVal lpApplicationName As String, ByVal lpKeyName As Any, ByVal lpDefault As String, ByVal lpReturnedString As String, ByVal nSize As Long, ByVal lpFileName As String) As Long
Private Declare Function ShellExecute Lib "shell32.dll" Alias "ShellExecuteA" (ByVal hwnd As Long, ByVal lpOperation As String, ByVal lpFile As String, ByVal lpParameters As String, ByVal lpDirectory As String, ByVal nShowCmd As Long) As Long
Const SW_SHOWMAXIMIZED = 3
Private Declare Function WritePrivateProfileString Lib "kernel32" Alias "WritePrivateProfileStringA" (ByVal lpApplicationName As String, ByVal lpKeyName As Any, ByVal lpString As Any, ByVal lpFileName As String) As Long
 
Private Sub Command1_Click()
 
Dim Ret As String, NC As Long
    'Write the setting to the file (c:\test.ini) under
    '   Project1 -> Keyname
    WritePrivateProfileString "HEADING", "strlettercode", Text1.Text, App.Path & "\VALUE.INI"
    'Create a buffer
    
End Sub
 
Private Sub Command2_Click()
 
 
    
    ShellExecute Me.hwnd, vbNullString, "C:\VALUE.INI", vbNullString, "C:\", SW_SHOWMAXIMIZED