How to read a binary file..

Hi
Dim b() as Byte
Open "c:\myfile" for binary as #1
Redim b(LOF(1))
for i=1 to LOF(1)
Get #1,,b(i)
Next i
Close #1

Actually Ark's code is really *slow*, the correct way of reading that byte array would be...

Dim b() as Byte

Open "c:\myfile" for binary as #1
Redim b(LOF(1))
Get #1,,b()
Close #1

Check your helpfile for Get and Put for more example code.

This was embarrassing, the right code should of course read like...

Dim b() as Byte

Open "c:\myfile" for binary as #1
If (LOF(1) > 0) Then                            '<- a error will occur if you try
                                                           ' to read a empty file, avoid
   ReDim b(0 To LOF(1) - 1)                  '<- changed
   Get #1,,b()
End If
Close #1

Adjusted points to 30

hi guys..
i am still not clear with this BINARY parsing..why did god create PARSING..

Well...back to business..
I have this Data Structure which come to me in the Binary file i was talking about..
---------------------------------------
DATA STRUCTURE..
Transaction Code short (2 Bytes)
Timestamp        long (4 Bytes)
Message Length        short (2 Bytes)
---------------------------------------
The records which come in the binary file have the above Datastructure..

Can anyone of you provide me with CODE TO DO THIS>>
Please help..its URGENT..(i will bargain more points..for it..)
Regards
Nitin

Adjusted points to 40

Thanx Mr. Vbmaster ... ur code was indeed of great help

VBMASTER I need some help ..again on Binary files..Please help
I have this structure..cna you tell me how to create a private type for it..
The structure is :
----------------------------------------
short iToken;                   //2
char cSymbol[10];//10
CHAR cSeries[2];//2
DOUBLE dIssuedCapital; //8
SHORT iWarningPercent;//2
SHORT iFreezePercent;//2
CHAR cCreditRating[12];//12
SHORT iIssueRate;//2
LONG lIssueStartDate;//4
----------------------------------------
It would help me a lot if you could Resopnd asap
I am fumbling with the char how to decalre it in a private type
Please help asap
Regards
khacharn

I'm a little confused by your //numbers to the right of the lines, looks loke you are defining the length of the respective line, but isn't

CHAR cSeries[2] defining a string with the length 3 (starts at index 0) and not //2 as the end-of-the-line-number states?

You can define these CHAR sequences as String*3 (cSeries[2]), String*13 (cCreditRating[12]) and String*11 (cSeries[10]).

SHORT -> Integer (2 bytes)
LONG -> Long (4 bytes)
DOUBLE -> Double? (8 bytes - don't know if this is right, is the mantissa size the same in C as in VB?)

VB master thanx for all the help..
I have solved the problem..
//2 is just a comment saying what the lenth of the field is(in bytes)
Regards
khacharn

"//2 is just a comment saying what the lenth of the field is(in bytes)"

this was what made me confused, since CHAR cSeries[2] has a length of 3 bytes and not 2 bytes (aint all arrays in C(++) 0-based?). ;)

But you got it working anyway. Great.