Load a text file in one operation

The fastest way to read a text file is using the Input$ function, as shown in this reusable procedure:

Function FileText (filename$) As String    Dim handle As Integer    handle = FreeFile    Open filename$ For Input As #handle    FileText = Input$(LOF(handle), handle)    Close #handleEnd Function

This method is much faster than reading each single line of the file using a Line Input statements. Here’s how you can load a multiline textbox control with the contents of Autoexec.bat:

Text1.Text = FileText("c:autoexec.bat")

UPDATE: Andrew Marshall wrote us to point out that the above routine fails when the file includes a Ctrl-Z (EOF) character, so we prepared a better version that works around that problem:

Function FileText(ByVal filename As String) As String    Dim handle As Integer        ' ensure that the file exists    If Len(Dir$(filename)) = 0 Then        Err.Raise 53   ' File not found    End If        ' open in binary mode    handle = FreeFile    Open filename$ For Binary As #handle    ' read the string and close the file    FileText = Space$(LOF(handle))    Get #handle, , FileText    Close #handleEnd Function