Reading a binary file?

[John Graham]

Hi,
I have a binary file which has a format consisting of an X value stored as a 32 bit signed integer, a Y value stored as a 32 bit signed integer and a 24 bit character array etc etc.

My questions are:

How do I read the data in and store the X, Y and character?

How do I convert the X, Y and characters so I can use them in my program?

I've read up a bit on binary files but I can't seem to get the data in and converted.

Any help would be much appreciated.

many thanks

john

[Flustor]

A long way round would be reading this info through 4, 8 bit (256) lumps and then converting to binary, putting them together, converting them back so that they end up as 32 bit numbers.
Sorry I can't do better...

Flustor

[Tygur]

Originally posted by John Graham
Hi,
I have a binary file which has a format consisting of an X value stored as a 32 bit signed integer, a Y value stored as a 32 bit signed integer and a 24 bit character array etc etc.

Do you mean a 24 byte character array?

[Tygur]

Assuming you do, you can open the file as a random access file, which is easier:

'This declares our data type used to access the file
'Put it in the top of the form (the General Declarations Area)
'You might want to give it a more meaningful name than "Info"
Private Type Info
    X As Long
    Y As Long
    Chars(1 To 24) As Byte
End Type
 
'This code will read all the data in the file and display the X and Y
'values, and also the text in the Character array on the form.  I
'don't think you will have much trouble uderstanding it and
'applying it for your app.  You might want to change it so it uses
'the FreeFile function instead of just using 1 for the file number.
'If you don't know how, just ask.
Dim Rec As Info
Dim I As Long
Open "c:\testfile" For Random As #1 Len = 32
Do
    I = I + 1
    Get #1, I, Rec
    If EOF(1) Then
        Exit Do
    End If
    Print "X = "; Rec.X; "; Y = "; Rec.Y; "; Chars = "; StrConv(Rec.Chars, vbUnicode)
Loop
Close #1

[John Graham]

thanks Tygur , I did mean a 24 byte character array, I'll try your code today, thanks again for the help

john