Hi!

Why you use 'Allt(str(asc(' for fread??? fread already returns data you need. They will be binary data in the VFP character string. VFP character strin can contain eny codes include zero code (Zero byte don't cause VFP string to finish). So feel free to use VFP character strings to store any binary data - be sure data will not be corrupted.

Following is my edition of your sample:

bytes = fread(f_hand,2)
Number = ascc(left(pcValue,1)) + ;
asc(substr(pcValue,2,1))*256

You need nothing else!

HTH.


>I guess this is more of an annoyance. Here is an example sequence.
>
>ideal:
>file data = 2C01
>flip = 0x012C = 300 decimal
>
>foxpro:
>file data = 2C01
>lower_byte = alltrim(str(asc(fread(f_hand,1))))
>upper_byte = alltrim(str(asc(fread(f_hand,1))))
>
>upper_byte and lower_byte are now integers because fread() interprets them as characters which I convert to their ascii equivalents.
>
>convert uppper_byte and lower_byte *BACK* to to Hex values!
>
>(Notice I can't swap here becase 0144 != 300 because the hex value is stored as an upper and lower byte.)
>
>hex_val = upper_byte + lower_byte (this is the swap)
>evaluate("0x" + hex_val)
>
>AARGH!