Input, Input$

Returns a fixed number of characters read from a file opened in Input or Binary mode.

Syntax:

  • Input( Number , [ # ] FileNumber ) — returns a Variant.
  • Input$( Number , [ # ] FileNumber ) — returns a String.
Number
required The number of characters to return.
FileNumber
required The file number used to open the file with the Open statement.

Data read with Input is usually written to a file with Print # or Put. Use this function only with files opened in Input or Binary mode.

Unlike the Input # statement, the Input function returns all the characters it reads, including commas, carriage returns, linefeeds, quotation marks, and leading spaces.

For files opened for Binary access, an attempt to read through the file using Input until EOF returns True generates an error. Use LOF and Loc instead of EOF when reading binary files with Input, or use Get when EOF is needed.

Note

Use InputB for byte data contained within text files. With InputB, Number specifies the number of bytes to return rather than the number of characters.

Common Errors

Error When
-2147467259 (&H80004005), Unspecified error Number is more characters than are left in a file open for Input
the file is open for Output, Append or Random
Number is negative, after rounding
FileNumber is not the number of an open file
Number is 0, after rounding
94 (&H5E), Invalid use of Null Number or FileNumber is Null

Note BETA 1034

When Number is more characters than are left in a file open for Input, VB6 and 64-bit VBA raise error 62 (&H3E), Input past end of file, instead.

Note BETA 1034

When the file is open for Output, Append or Random, VB6 and 64-bit VBA raise error 54 (&H36), Bad file mode, instead.

Note BETA 1034

When Number is negative, after rounding, VB6 and 64-bit VBA raise error 5 (&H5), Invalid procedure call or argument, instead.

Note BETA 1034

When FileNumber is not the number of an open file, VB6 and 64-bit VBA raise error 52 (&H34), Bad file name or number, instead.

Note BETA 1034

When Number is 0, after rounding, VB6 and 64-bit VBA raise no error.

Example

This example uses the Input function to read one character at a time from a file and print it to the Debug Console. TESTFILE is assumed to be a text file with a few lines of sample data.

Dim MyChar As Variant
Open "TESTFILE" For Input As #1     ' Open file.
Do While Not EOF(1)                 ' Loop until end of file.
    MyChar = Input(1, #1)           ' Get one character.
    Debug.Print MyChar              ' Print to the Debug Console.
Loop
Close #1                            ' Close file.

See Also