Need some help parsing a delimited text file

[dymo]

I need some help getting my program to open a delimited text file and placing the information in the correct text boxes.

i have the following in the txt files
†charles
Intro to Win2k adv serv§Basic Admin course 3 days
Intro to ISA Server§Basic ISA server Install and config course

†is used to seperate users records
then comes the course on a new line
and the § seperates the course from its description

i can get it to open the entire file for editing which is useless, i need to be able to send each peice, seperated by user to a different box, ie lists the users in a text box and when you click on a user it would update the crstxtbox and update the course and description. which need to be editable seperatly but saved together.

I also have two other small things.

I need to add in a new field for each record which is a small picture which is stored in a seperate directory. and when you open the record it open the image in a picture box, and if it doesn't have a picture listed in the record it leaves it blank or loads a default picture.

and since many of these courses are the same i need the 2nd text box seperated with a drop down in which you can select the course, but not be limited to selecting a known course and be able to enter a new course

I hope this makes some sense
If some of you nice guys out there could help me with this. Also if you post code for if you have a chance could you please also post comments in it to what each part does, otherwise I am just coping and pasteing, and I would like to learn wht I am putting in so I can do it on my own next time I have a question

thanks

KC

[dymo]

Private Sub mnuFileOpen_Click()
   
   If Not SaveComplete() Then Exit Sub
   
   
   On Error GoTo EH
   With ComDlg
      .CancelError = True
      .Filter = "DMT Files (*.dmt)|*.dmt|All Files (*.*)|*.*"
      .DefaultExt = ".dmt"
      .DialogTitle = "Open File"
      .FilterIndex = 1
      .Flags = cdlOFNHideReadOnly
      .ShowOpen
      If .FileName <> "" Then m_strFilename = .FileName
   End With
   
   LoadFile
   AddToMRUList m_strFilename
   
   Exit Sub
   

EH:
   If Err.Number = cdlCancel Then
      Exit Sub
   Else
      MsgBox "ERROR: " & Err.Description _
         & ". [Error #" & Err.Number & "]", vbCritical
   End If
   
End Sub

[Muddy]

Are you stuck with using that format for your file? A database might work better if not.

Otherwise I think you might have to bite the bullet and read in one character at a time until you find your delimiters.

[dymo]

we have an exsisting program, some 1912 dos based thing, that i am trying to get rid of, i was just hoping to keep the exsisting file format, but if its too much work then I have no problem changing its format, but I know less about databases than I do about VB, which is already embarressing.

[Muddy]

I would suggest using ADO and storing your information in an mdb file. I can post a short project to show you how to get it going if your interested.