Using Seek In a Macro

Summary: When processing non-document text files in a macro, you have a wide range of commands available for your use. One of those is the Seek command, which allows you to position the internal file pointer within the text file. (This tip works with Microsoft Word 97, Word 2000, Word 2002, Word 2003, and Word 2007.)

Several other tips in other issues of WordTips discuss opening, reading, writing, appending, and closing text files. Another macro command associated with sequential text files is the Seek command. If used on an open file, it positions the internal file pointer at a specific character number in the file. The following code fragment is an example of how it is used:

Open "DOSTEXT.DAT" for Input as #1
iFileLen = LOF(1)
Seek 1, iFileLen / 2

These program lines use the LOF function to determine the length of the file. The last line then positions the internal file pointer half way through the file. All subsequent reading or writing of the file will take place from that position.

You can also use Seek as a function to determine your current position within a text file. This is what this code does:

iCurPos = Seek(1)

This command leaves the internal file pointer where it was, but sets iCurPos to a value representing how many characters into the file the pointer is. The iCurPos value is the position at which all subsequent reading and writing of the file will take place.

Tip #1385 applies to Microsoft Word versions: 97 | 2000 | 2002 | 2003 | 2007

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Using Seek In a Macro