FYI with Greg's modified version 26Mb file is processed in 1.3 secs (pure VFP code).
Cetin

>Oops, it wasn't done by using vbscript. We used WSH. Filesize is no longer an issue compared to VFP.
>
>Regards,
>
>Ron
>
>>Doing this with vbscript is a lot easier and faster. I once needed to convert a file with generated by a telephonecentral and needed to put a CR in between two telephone numbers. I used VFP and a 25 Mb file took over 20 minutes. Someone pointed me towards vbscript and regular expressions and that did the same trick (with a pattern) under 2 seconds. Why should this be done explicitly by VFP. Some tools sometimes perform faster.
>>
>>Google on "vbscript regular expressions vfp". Lots of examples...
>>
>>Regards,
>>
>>Ron
>>>>>>>I don't understand.
>>>>>>>Cetin
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>In general case it's not simple because the STRTRAN() could create match for the next one.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>You're right. Not hard to handle luckily.
>>>>>>>>>Cetin
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>

>>>>>>* find BA replace with AB
>>>>>>* data    ....BAA....
>>>>>>* BLOCKS  ....BA|A...
>>>>>>* STRTRAN ....AB|A...
>>>>>>

>>>>>
>>>>>"AD00" and replace it with "BR77".
>>>>>Cetin
>>>>
>>>>but you are serious or you take around me.
>>>>
>>>>The issue is:
>>>>"find a string and replace with another string
>>>>without restrictions."
>>>
>>>Who said without restrictions:) Then I'd create a FLL.
>>>Cetin