>I need to read in a ascii file and do a string search on each line and
>denpending on what is found with the string search, I will write out to another ascii file. The form will be:
>open first ascii file
>open second ascii file
>do while .t.
> read in a line of the first ascii
> if search criteria is met
> write out a line to the second ascii file
> else
> loop
>endif
>endo
>
>I will then do a APPEND FROM to bring the second ascii file into a vfp dbf. Any ideas?

To do the above, you would do something like:

* Method One, which you described above.

procedure flImport1
parameters pcSource, pcTarget, pcCriteria
private all like l*

lnFpRead = fopen(pcSource)
if lnFpRead == -1
   messagebox("Error opening source file.")
   return(.F.)
endif

lnFpWrite = fcreate(pcTarget)
if lnFpWrite == -1 
   = fclose(lnFpRead)
   messagebox("Error opening target file.")
   return(.F.)
endif

llFailed = .F.

do while not feof(lnFpRead) and not llFailed
   lcLine = fgets(lnFpRead)
   if lower(pcCriteria) $ lower(lcLine)
      if fputs(lnFpWrite, lcLine) == 0
         llFailed = .T.
      endif
   endif
enddo

= fclose(lnFpRead)
= fclose(lnFpWrite)

* I showed above how to read and write to two files just so you know
* how for future use. However, the better method would be to instead
* replace the fputs() above with an INSERT INTO TABLE VALUES ( lcLine )
* where the table would have a simple memo field for example. This would
* accomodate very long lines where as your append from will only work
* up to 254 character field line lengths due to limitations in VFP tables.
*
* If the file you are reading in has less than 254 characters/line ALWAYS,
* then you should use Method Two below since its obviously easier.
   
endif
return(llFailed)


* Method Two, faster and easier.

procedure flImport2
parameters pcSource, pcCriteria
private all like l*

create cursor import ( line char(254) )
append from (pcSource) delimited
delete for lower(pcCriteria) $ lower(line)

* Results are already in temporary cursor tabled called "import"
* Usage later:

* scan for not deleted()
*   ...
*   blah blah blah
*   ...
*   ...
* endscan

return

Please beware that I didnt test the above code. :-)