When reading data from a text file, you may find that it is in a format that needs seperating which could be Comma Seperated file which could use ',' as it's delimiter. To be able to seperate the different records you can create a function to parse the files that you read into your program. I have released a OCX Control on my web site which does this for you without any code.   Here Goes   1. Start a new Standard-EXE project, form1 is created by default   2. Add a module to your project. Project, Add Module. The code window is displayed by default. Add the following code :

Public Function ParseString(ByVal vsString As _
String, ByVal vsDelimiter As String, ByVal _
viNumber As Integer)

'Author: Steve Anderson
'Created : 13/08/98
'Purpose : Parses out a section
'from a delimited string

Dim iFoundat As Integer
Dim iFoundatold As Integer
Dim iCurrentSection As Integer
Dim sText As String
If Len(vsString) > 0 And InStr(vsString, _
vsDelimiter) > 0 And viNumber > 0 Then
  iFoundat = 1
  iFoundatold = 1
  Do While InStr(iFoundatold + 1, vsString, _
  vsDelimiter) > 0
  iFoundatold = iFoundat
  iFoundat = InStr(iFoundat + 1, vsString, _
  vsDelimiter)
  iCurrentSection = iCurrentSection + 1
  Loop
  If viNumber > iCurrentSection Then
    Exit Function
  End If
  iFoundat = 1
  iCurrentSection = 0
  Do
    iFoundatold = iFoundat
    iFoundat = InStr(iFoundat + 1, vsString, _
    vsDelimiter)
    If Trim(sText) = "" Then
      sText = Mid(vsString, 1, iFoundat - 1)
      iCurrentSection = iCurrentSection + 1
    Else
      If iFoundat > 0 Then
        sText = Mid(vsString, iFoundatold + 1, _
        (iFoundat - 1) - iFoundatold)
      Else
        sText = Mid(vsString, iFoundatold + 1)
      End If
      iCurrentSection = iCurrentSection + 1
    End If
    If iCurrentSection = viNumber Then
      ParseString = sText
      Exit Do
    End If
  Loop
End If
ParseString = sText
End Function

3. Open up form1's and add a command button. Open up the click even for the command button and type the following:

Msgbox ParseString("Visit - allapi.mentalis.org - for everything on Visual Basic", "-", 2)

4. Run the project (F5) and click on the command button and 'www.microweird.demon.co.uk' will be displayed in a message box.