Visual Basic Programming Code Examples

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Join the contents of two files together

Join the contents of two files together

The routine below joins the contents of two files together:

Option Explicit


'Purpose     :  Joins the contents of two files together
'Inputs      :  sFirstFileName              The file name and path to the first file
'               sSecondFileName             The file name and path to the second file
'               [sNewFileName]              The file name and path to the new file. If
'                                           no value is specified then the second file is
'                                           added to the first file.
'Outputs     :  Returns True if an error occurred
'Notes       :  The files can be of any type.
'               In the MSDOS command prompt you can type the following to join files together:
'               type *.txt >> ALL.txt
'Revisions   :

Function FilesJoin(ByVal sFirstFileName As String, ByVal sSecondFileName As String, Optional ByVal sNewFileName As String) As Boolean
    Dim abBuffer() As Byte, iFirstFile As Integer, iSecondFile As Integer, iNewFile As Integer
    Dim bCreateNew As Boolean
    
    On Error GoTo ErrFailed

    'Open the file handles
    bCreateNew = CBool(Len(sNewFileName))
    iFirstFile = FreeFile
    Open sFirstFileName For Binary Access Read As #iFirstFile
    iSecondFile = FreeFile
    Open sSecondFileName For Binary Access Read As #iSecondFile
    iNewFile = FreeFile
    
    If bCreateNew Then
        'Create a New file
        Open sNewFileName For Binary Access Write As #iNewFile
        
        'Size the array to hold the file contents
        ReDim abBuffer(1 To LOF(iFirstFile))
        'Read the file contents
        Get #iFirstFile, , abBuffer
        Put #iNewFile, , abBuffer

        'Size the array to hold the file contents
        ReDim abBuffer(1 To LOF(iSecondFile))
        'Read the file contents
        Get #iSecondFile, , abBuffer
        Put #iNewFile, , abBuffer
    Else
        'Join SecondFile to FirstFile
        Open sFirstFileName For Binary Access Write As #iFirstFile
        'Size the array to hold the file contents
        ReDim abBuffer(1 To LOF(iSecondFile))
        'Read the file contents
        Get #iSecondFile, , abBuffer
        Put #iFirstFile, , abBuffer
    End If

    'Close the file handles
    Close #iFirstFile, #iSecondFile, #iNewFile   'Close the files
    Exit Function

ErrFailed:
    'Failed to join files
    Close #iFirstFile, #iSecondFile, #iNewFile
    FilesJoin = True
End Function