ini files in vb6

Create a new class, name it cIniClass and paste this into the class.  If you wish, leave a note here and I'll email you the entire class and the compiled DLL.

Usage is as follows:

dim oIni as cIniAccess
dim sValue as String

set oIni = new cIniClass
with oIni
    .File = "my.ini"
    .Section = "General"
   
    'read value from the Ini file
    sValue = .ReadSection("SomeSetting", "Default Value for this Setting")

    'write value to the Ini file
    .WriteSection "New Value", "SomeSetting"
end with
set oIni = nothing

'******START HERE*********
Option Explicit

Private Declare Function WritePrivateProfileString Lib "kernel32" Alias "WritePrivateProfileStringA" (ByVal lpApplicationName As String, ByVal lpKeyName As Any, ByVal lpString As Any, ByVal lpFileName As String) As Long
Private Declare Function GetPrivateProfileString Lib "kernel32" Alias "GetPrivateProfileStringA" (ByVal lpApplicationName As String, ByVal lpKeyName As Any, ByVal lpDefault As String, ByVal lpReturnedString As String, ByVal nSize As Long, ByVal lpFileName As String) As Long
Private mstrFile As String
Private mstrSection As String
Private mstrEntry As String
Private mstrValue As String
Private mstrDefault As String

Public Property Get Default() As String
   Default = mstrDefault
End Property

Public Property Let Default(ByVal strValue As String)
   mstrDefault = strValue
End Property

Public Property Get Value() As String
   Value = mstrValue
End Property

Public Property Let Value(ByVal strValue As String)
   mstrValue = strValue
End Property

Public Property Get Entry() As String
   Entry = mstrEntry
End Property

Public Property Let Entry(ByVal strEntry As String)
   mstrEntry = strEntry
End Property

Public Property Get Section() As String
   Section = mstrSection
End Property

Public Property Let Section(ByVal strSection As String)
   mstrSection = strSection
End Property

Public Property Get File() As String
   File = mstrFile
End Property

Public Property Let File(ByVal strFile As String)
   mstrFile = strFile
End Property
Public Function ReadSection(Optional Entry As Variant, Optional Default As Variant, Optional Section As Variant, Optional File As Variant) As String
    Dim ReturnString As String
    Dim NullPointer As Integer
   
    If Not IsMissing(Entry) Then mstrEntry = Entry
    If Not IsMissing(Section) Then mstrSection = Section
    If Not IsMissing(File) Then mstrFile = File
    If Not IsMissing(Default) Then mstrDefault = Default
   
    ReturnString = String$(255, Chr$(0))
    GetPrivateProfileString mstrSection, mstrEntry, mstrDefault, ReturnString, Len(ReturnString) + 1, mstrFile
    'If left$(ReturnString, InStr(ReturnString, Chr(0)) - 1) = "NotFound" Then
    '    WritePrivateProfileString section$, "SpySample.FileEventSpy", "0", "VB.INI"
    'End If
    NullPointer = InStr(ReturnString, Chr$(0))
    If NullPointer <= 1 Then
        mstrValue = ""
    Else
        mstrValue = Left$(ReturnString, NullPointer - 1)
    End If
    ReadSection = mstrValue
End Function

Public Sub WriteSection(Optional Value As Variant, Optional Entry As Variant, Optional Section As Variant, Optional File As Variant)
    If Not IsMissing(Entry) Then mstrEntry = Entry
    If Not IsMissing(Section) Then mstrSection = Section
    If Not IsMissing(File) Then mstrFile = File
    If Not IsMissing(Value) Then mstrValue = Value

    WritePrivateProfileString mstrSection, mstrEntry, mstrValue, mstrFile
End Sub

Sub FlushIni()
    'forces the memory contents of the ini writing to actually be written to the disk
    WritePrivateProfileString "x", "x", "x", mstrFile
End Sub

Public Sub DeleteSection()
    'Dim retcode As Long
    'retcode = WritePrivateProfileString(Section, 0&, 0&, filename)
    WritePrivateProfileString mstrSection, 0&, 0&, mstrFile
End Sub
'********END HERE********

Another thing you can do is add a reference to the Microsoft Scripting Runtime. Then use this kind of thing:


Dim fso as New FileSystemObject, mFile as file, stream as TextStream

Public Sub OpenFile(oFile as String, oReadWrite as IOMODE)
Set mFile = fso.GetFile(oFile)
Set stream = mFile.OpenAsTextStream(oReadWrite)
End Sub

Public Sub CloseFile()
stream.Close
End Sub

Public Sub ReadLinesFromFile() as Collection
Dim tmp as New Collection
start:
tmp.Add(stream.ReadLine)
if stream.AtEndOfStream Then Exit Sub
GoTo start
End Sub

Public Sub AddLineToFile(wText as String)
stream.WriteLine(wText)
End Sub

Private Sub Form_Load()
Dim lines as New Collection  'Used as "variable-size" array here
OpenFile("C:\file.ini", ForReading)
Set lines = ReadLinesFromFile
'You get the idea...
End Sub


Hope it's useful,
Burningmace

Professor,
    These are very good references for forking with ini files.

http://www.mvps.org/vbnet/code/file/pprofilebasic.htm
http://www.mvps.org/vbnet/code/file/pprofilesections.htm

Dang123