No API Ini Reader Update

[BenJones]

This is an example class i made of showing how to read information form an INI file without using any api calls, this maybe usfull for people that want to learn about working with strings

features include:

• GetSelections will return all the selections as a collection
• GetKeyNames will return all the keys in a selection to a collection
• ReadString will return a key from a selection
• ToString will return the whole ini file as one string
• SaveFile saves the ini file

Like to thank LaVolpe for helping me out with this code. and giveing suggestions

[LaVolpe]

Two suggestions.

1. When you read the ini file, you can improve retrieval significantly.
a. Your lines can be keyed when adding to the collection: Selection.KeyName
b. Now your ReadString can quickly return value via the collection key: Selection & "." & KeyName; no looping needed

2. Most people that read INIs also need to update them too. Maybe consider adding functions to your class to change the collection items & write collection to an INI file.

As long as you keep your ini sections in order, within the collection, you shouldn't have any problems with any of your other functions.

[BenJones]

Thanks for the suggestions LaVolpe I also try adding some more things to it.
is there any chance you can show me an example of "Your lines can be keyed when adding to the collection: Selection.KeyName"

[LaVolpe]

Something like this... Tweak as needed, but you'll get the idea.

Public Sub LoadFile(ByVal Filename As String)
Dim sLine As String
Dim fp As Long

Dim sCurSection As String, iPos As Integer
    
    Set Lines = New Collection
    
    fp = FreeFile
    
    Open Filename For Input As #fp
        Do Until EOF(fp)
            'Read in each line
            Line Input #fp, sLine
            If Len(sLine) Then
                'Add line to the collection
                If IsSelection(sLine) Then
                    sCurSection = Mid$(sLine, 2, Len(sLine) - 2)
                    Call Lines.Add(sCurSection, vbNullString) ' placeholder in collection
                Else
                    iPos = InStr(sLine, "=")
                    If iPos = 0 Then
                        ' do what? Not a selection, not a key
                    Else
                        Call Lines.Add(Mid$(sLine, iPos + 1), sCurSection & "." & Left$(sLine, iPos - 1))
                    End If
                End If
            End If
        Loop
    Close #fp
    
End Sub

Edited: The above isn't fool-proof. What happens if someone enters two sections of the same name? What if someone enters the same key twice under a single selection? What happens if someone adds extra spaces before/after section/key names? What if someone adds spaces around the equal sign in a key? As you can guess by what I just asked, there are so many ways a user can hose up the ini file. Windows takes care of this by making decisions. Your routines should also make decisions. Purposely hose up an INI and use APIs to read/write it. Determine how Windows handles duplicate/badly formatted entries & you may want to replicate the logic.

[BenJones]

Thanks for the code LaVolpe I give it a go