How do I Save a .prn file in VB

I am trying to create a file that can be imported into Simply Accounting. This file will have all the account numbers and name for a chart of accounts.

I have fiqured out that if I create the file in Excel and then save it as a formatted text space delimited .prn file that I can then import it into Simply Accounting.

If I just create a text file with everything else the same. Ie. the file will look visually identical to the .prn file, it won't import into Simply Accounting.

Saving as a .prn in Excell must attach something to the file in the background that Simply Accounting needs to import properly.

I need to create the file in VB, ie. write to a file on a disk. I somehow need to get VB to save in the .prn format.

I have tried all option using:
SaveAs filename:="a:\fbc_Smplychart.prn", FileFormat:=2


But I just can't get the format.

Any Ideas?

[email protected]

Cheers,

[BruceG]

In VB (actually dating back to the good old days of QBasic and GW-BASIC), there are two different statements you can use to create text files: WRITE or PRINT.

When you use WRITE, VB will create a COMMA-DELIMITED file; whereas when you use PRINT, no special formatting (other than what you specify) will take place. I suspect you want to create the file using PRINT.

I'll give you two examples, both assuming the user enters "101" and "Account #1" for the first account, and "102" and "Account #2" for the second:

EXAMPLE 1

'Creating a text file using WRITE
Dim intFileNbr  As Integer
Dim strAcctNo   As String
Dim strAcctName As String

intFileNbr = FreeFile
Open "a:\fbc_Smplychart.prn" For Output As #intFileNbr
strAcctNo = InputBox _
    ("Enter an account number (leave blank to quit):", _
      "Account Number")
Do Until strAcctNo = ""
    strAcctName = InputBox _
           ("Enter the account name:", "Account Name")
    Write #intFileNbr, strAcctNo, strAcctName
    strAcctNo = InputBox _
        ("Enter an account number (leave blank to quit):", _
          "Account Number")
Loop
Close #intFileNbr

The above will produce the following (not what you want):
"101","Account #1"
"102","Account #2"

EXAMPLE 2

'Creating a text file using PRINT
Dim intFileNbr  As Integer
Dim strAcctNo   As String
Dim strAcctName As String

intFileNbr = FreeFile
Open "a:\fbc_Smplychart.prn" For Output As #intFileNbr
strAcctNo = InputBox _
    ("Enter an account number (leave blank to quit):", _
      "Account Number")
Do Until strAcctNo = ""
    strAcctName = InputBox _
           ("Enter the account name:", "Account Name")
    ' Watch your syntax here: comma after the file #, 
    ' but separate each item with a semicolon ...
    Print #intFileNbr, strAcctNo; strAcctName
    strAcctNo = InputBox _
        ("Enter an account number (leave blank to quit):", _
          "Account Number")
Loop
Close #intFileNbr

The above will produce the following (possibly what you want?):
101Account #1
102Account #2

If you want a space in between each item, you can change your Print statement to:
Print #intFileNbr, strAcctNo; Space$(1); strAcctName

I hope this helps. If not, post again and we'll give 'er another shot.