lcErg = ""
for lnRun to alines(laLines, FileToStr("c:\mydir\m.txt"))
    If !Empty(laLines[m.lnRun])
       lcErg = m.lcErg + laLines[m.lnRun] + Chr(13) + Chr(10)
    endif
next
= StrToFile(m.lcErg, "c:\mydir\m_Clean.txt")

This should work, as the number of closing parenthesis is correct -
>>for lnRun = 1 to alines(laLines, FileToStr("c:\mydir\m.txt")
should NOT work as opening # closing...

baffled

thomas

>ahhh - that worked. thanks mike
>same problem with sergey's solution - i have lost 'all' carriage returns now and text appears as one line.
>back to the drawing board.
>
>thanks all
>
>k
>
>
>
>>>thanks for the clarification thomas. that is in fact what i had tried however
>>>vfp underlines the sentence (ie syntax wrong)
>>
>>for lnRun = 1 to alines(laLines, FileToStr("c:\mydir\m.txt")
>>
>>alines returns number of lines. The syntax of the for next is FOR x = 1 to y ... NEXT x
>>
>>>

>>>for lnRun to alines(laLines, FileToStr("c:\mydir\m.txt"))
>>>

>>>is there an alternative?
>>>
>>>thanks
>>>k
>>>
>>>>

lcErg = ""
>>>>for lnRun to alines(laLines, FileToStr("c:\mydir\m.txt"))
>>>>    If !Empty(laLines[m.lnRun])
>>>>       lcErg = m.lcErg + laLines[m.lnRun]
>>>>    endif
>>>>next
>>>>= StrToFile(m.lcErg, "c:\mydir\m_Clean.txt")

>>>>
>>>>Overwriting with the same name might get you into other troubles,
>>>>so I prefer to keep original file unchanged.
>>>>
>>>>HTH
>>>>
>>>>thomas