XL98: Input # Statement Does Not Retain Trailing Spaces

ID: Q184790

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Excel 98 Macintosh Edition

SYMPTOMS

When you use the Input # statement in a Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications macro to read data in a file, trailing spaces in unquoted data are ignored. For example, when you assign a field to the variable in the Input # statement, the field does not contain trailing spaces even if trailing spaces exist in the source file. This behavior differs from behavior in earlier versions of Microsoft Excel.

CAUSE

The behavior of the Input # statement in Microsoft Excel 98 has been changed to more closely match the behavior of the Input # statement that is used in Microsoft Visual Basic version 4.0 and later.

WORKAROUND

Microsoft provides programming examples for illustration only, without warranty either expressed or implied, including, but not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability and/or fitness for a particular purpose. This article assumes that you are familiar with the programming language being demonstrated and the tools used to create and debug procedures. Microsoft support professionals can help explain the functionality of a particular procedure, but they will not modify these examples to provide added functionality or construct procedures to meet your specific needs. If you have limited programming experience, you may want to contact the Microsoft fee-based consulting line at (800) 936-5200. For more information about the support options available from Microsoft, please see the following page on the World Wide Web:

http://www.microsoft.com/support/supportnet/overview/overview.asp

To work around this behavior, place quotation marks around any input strings that have trailing spaces. For example, if a source file contains the following data


   Fred     ,Albert
   Barney   ,Jefferson

change the source file to the following:


   "Fred     ",Albert
   "Barney   ",Jefferson

When you run the following macro on the file that contains fields that are enclosed in quotation marks, the trailing spaces are retained:


   Sub ReadFile()

       Open "test" For Input As #1         ' Open file for input.
       Do While Not EOF(1)                 ' Loop until end of file.
           Input #1, str1, str2            ' Read data into variables.
           Debug.Print "[" & str1 & "]"    ' Print variables in Debug
                                           ' window.
           Debug.Print "[" & str2 & "]"
       Loop
       Close #1                            ' Close the file.

   End Sub

The results in the Debug window are the following:


   [Fred     ]
   [Albert]
   [Barney   ]
   [Jefferson]

STATUS

This behavior is by design in Microsoft Excel 98.

REFERENCES

For more information about the Input # statement, in the Visual Basic Editor click the Office Assistant, type "input statement," click Search, and then click to view "Input # Statement."

NOTE: If the Assistant is hidden, click the Office Assistant button on the Standard toolbar. If Microsoft Help is not installed on your computer, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Q179216 OFF98: How to Use the Microsoft Office Installer Program

Additional query words: sequential i/o vba

Keywords : kbdta kbdtacode xlvbainfo OffVBA xlvbmigrate xlmac
Version :
Platform : MACINTOSH
Issue type : kbbug