The LINE INPUT # file statement reads an entire line from a text file into a string variable.

Syntax

LINE INPUT #fileNumber&, stringVariable$

Parameter(s)

• fileNumber& is the INTEGER number of the file previously opened with the OPEN statement.
• stringVariable$ holds the text line read from the file.

Description

• Reads a file using the fileNumber& OPENed in the INPUT (file mode) or BINARY file mode as one file line text string.
• NOTE: LINE INPUT (file statement) will work faster in BINARY mode than in INPUT (file mode) mode.
  • Using LINE INPUT # in BINARY mode is possible in version 1.000 and up
• Can be used with EOF to count the number of lines of data (records) in a file using a loop.
• Use the EOF function to avoid going past the end of a file and creating an error.
• LINE INPUT # can even retain the original quotation marks in text.
• Note: QB64 will not remove CHR$(0) from the end of LINE INPUT # string return values like QBasic did.

Error(s)

• If an “Input past End of file” error occurs, check for CHR$(26) (end of file character) in the files being read.
• Warning: files must exist to be opened in **INPUT mode. Use _FILEEXISTS to avoid program ERROR Codes.**

Example(s)

Finding the number of filenames listed in a file to dimension an array to hold them.

REDIM FileArray$(100) 'create dynamic array
SHELL _HIDE "DIR /B *.* > D0S-DATA.INF"  
IF _FILEEXISTS("D0S-DATA.INF") THEN 
  OPEN "D0S-DATA.INF" FOR INPUT AS #1 
  DO UNTIL EOF(1)
    LINE INPUT #1, file$        'read entire text file line
    filecount% = filecount% + 1
  LOOP
  CLOSE #1
END IF
REDIM FileArray$(filecount%)
PRINT filecount% 

See Also

• OPEN, CLOSE
• INPUT (file mode), INPUT (file statement), INPUT$ (file input)
• INPUT, LINE INPUT, INPUT$ (keyboard input)
• _FILEEXISTS, _DIREXISTS
• FILELIST$ (member-contributed function replacement for FILES)