If you are using vfp 7 or 8, you can use:
lcLine = FileToSTring(([C:\Spillman\FoxData\]+lcTable+[.txt])
=ALINES(laLines, lcLine, .T., '|')
>Here is the code that I used in a similar prg. My file was delimited with pipes.
>
>
> lnfile=Fopen([C:\Spillman\FoxData\]+lcTable+[.txt])
> If lnfile < 0
> Messagebox("Error opening file!")
> Else
>
> Do While Not Feof(lnfile)
> lcLine = Fgets(lnfile,700)
> lnOccur= Occurs('|',lcLine)
>
> lnPipe1 = At('|', lcLine , 1)
> lnPipe2 = At('|', lcLine , 2)
> lnPipe3 = At('|', lcLine , 3)
> lnPipe4 = At('|', lcLine , 4)
> lnPipe5 = At('|', lcLine , 5)
> lnPipe6 = At('|', lcLine , 6)
> lnPipe7 = At('|', lcLine , 7)
> lnPipe8 = At('|', lcLine , 8)
> lnPipe9 = At('|', lcLine , 9)
> lnPipe10 = At('|', lcLine , 10)
> lnPipe11 = At('|', lcLine , 11)
> lnPipe12 = At('|', lcLine , 12)
> lnPipe13 = At('|', lcLine , 13)
> lnPipe14 = At('|', lcLine , 14)
> lnPipe15 = At('|', lcLine , 15)
> lnPipe16 = At('|', lcLine , 16)
> lnPipe17 = At('|', lcLine , 17)
> lnPipe18 = At('|', lcLine , 18)
> lnPipe19 = At('|', lcLine , 19)
> lnPipe20 = At('|', lcLine , 20)
> lnPipe21 = At('|', lcLine , 21)
> lnPipe22 = At('|', lcLine , 22)
> lnPipe23 = At('|', lcLine , 23)
> lnPipe24 = At('|', lcLine , 24)
> lnPipe25 = At('|', lcLine , 25)
> lnPipe26 = At('|', lcLine , 26)
> lnPipe27 = At('|', lcLine , 27)
> lnPipe28 = At('|', lcLine , 28)
> lnPipe29 = At('|', lcLine , 29)
> lnPipe30 = At('|', lcLine , 30)
> lnPipe31 = At('|', lcLine , 31)
> lnPipe32 = At('|', lcLine , 32)
> lnPipe33 = At('|', lcLine , 33)
> lnPipe34 = At('|', lcLine , 34)
> lnPipe35 = At('|', lcLine , 35)
> lnPipe36 = At('|', lcLine , 36)
> lnPipe37 = At('|', lcLine , 37)
> lnPipe38 = At('|', lcLine , 38)
> lnPipe39 = At('|', lcLine , 39)
> lnPipe40 = At('|', lcLine , 40)
> lnPipe41 = At('|', lcLine , 41)
> lnPipe42 = At('|', lcLine , 42)
> lnPipe43 = At('|', lcLine , 43)
> lnPipe44 = At('|', lcLine , 44)
> lnPipe45 = At('|', lcLine , 45)
> lnPipe46 = At('|', lcLine , 46)
> lnPipe47 = At('|', lcLine , 47)
> lnPipe48 = At('|', lcLine , 48)
> lnPipe49 = At('|', lcLine , 49)
>
>
>*******************************
> lcF1 = Alltrim(Substr(lcLine,1,lnPipe1-1))
> lcF2 = Alltrim(Substr(lcLine,lnPipe1+1,lnPipe2-lnPipe1-1))
> lcF3 = Alltrim(Substr(lcLine,lnPipe2+1,lnPipe3-lnPipe2-1))
> lcF4 = Alltrim(Substr(lcLine,lnPipe3+1,lnPipe4-lnPipe3-1))
> lcF5 = Alltrim(Substr(lcLine,lnPipe4+1,lnPipe5-lnPipe4-1))
> lcF6 = Alltrim(Substr(lcLine,lnPipe5+1,lnPipe6-lnPipe5-1))
> lcF7 = Alltrim(Substr(lcLine,lnPipe6+1,lnPipe7-lnPipe6-1))
> lcF8 = Alltrim(Substr(lcLine,lnPipe7+1,lnPipe8-lnPipe7-1))
> lcF9 = Alltrim(Substr(lcLine,lnPipe8+1,lnPipe9-lnPipe8-1))
> lcF10 = Alltrim(Substr(lcLine,lnPipe9+1,lnPipe10-lnPipe9-1))
> lcF11 = Alltrim(Substr(lcLine,lnPipe10+1,lnPipe11-lnPipe10-1))
> lcF12 = Alltrim(Substr(lcLine,lnPipe11+1,lnPipe12-lnPipe11-1))
> lcF13 = Alltrim(Substr(lcLine,lnPipe12+1,lnPipe13-lnPipe12-1))
> lcF14 = Alltrim(Substr(lcLine,lnPipe13+1,lnPipe14-lnPipe13-1))
> lcF15 = Alltrim(Substr(lcLine,lnPipe14+1,lnPipe15-lnPipe14-1))
> lcF16 = Alltrim(Substr(lcLine,lnPipe15+1,lnPipe16-lnPipe15-1))
> lcF17 = Alltrim(Substr(lcLine,lnPipe16+1,lnPipe17-lnPipe16-1))
> lcF18 = Alltrim(Substr(lcLine,lnPipe17+1,lnPipe18-lnPipe17-1))
> lcF19 = Alltrim(Substr(lcLine,lnPipe18+1,lnPipe19-lnPipe18-1))
> lcF20 = Alltrim(Substr(lcLine,lnPipe19+1,lnPipe20-lnPipe19-1))
> lcF21 = Alltrim(Substr(lcLine,lnPipe20+1,lnPipe21-lnPipe20-1))
> lcF22 = Alltrim(Substr(lcLine,lnPipe21+1,lnPipe22-lnPipe21-1))
> lcF23 = Alltrim(Substr(lcLine,lnPipe22+1,lnPipe23-lnPipe22-1))
> lcF24 = Alltrim(Substr(lcLine,lnPipe23+1,lnPipe24-lnPipe23-1))
> lcF25 = Alltrim(Substr(lcLine,lnPipe24+1,lnPipe25-lnPipe24-1))
> lcF26 = Alltrim(Substr(lcLine,lnPipe25+1,lnPipe26-lnPipe25-1))
> lcF27 = Alltrim(Substr(lcLine,lnPipe26+1,lnPipe27-lnPipe26-1))
> lcF28 = Alltrim(Substr(lcLine,lnPipe27+1,lnPipe28-lnPipe27-1))
> lcF29 = Alltrim(Substr(lcLine,lnPipe28+1,lnPipe29-lnPipe28-1))
> lcF30 = Alltrim(Substr(lcLine,lnPipe29+1,lnPipe30-lnPipe29-1))
> lcF31 = Alltrim(Substr(lcLine,lnPipe30+1,lnPipe31-lnPipe30-1))
> lcF32 = Alltrim(Substr(lcLine,lnPipe31+1,lnPipe32-lnPipe31-1))
> lcF33 = Alltrim(Substr(lcLine,lnPipe32+1,lnPipe33-lnPipe32-1))
> lcF34 = Alltrim(Substr(lcLine,lnPipe33+1,lnPipe34-lnPipe33-1))
> lcF35 = Alltrim(Substr(lcLine,lnPipe34+1,lnPipe35-lnPipe34-1))
> lcF36 = Alltrim(Substr(lcLine,lnPipe35+1,lnPipe36-lnPipe35-1))
> lcF37 = Alltrim(Substr(lcLine,lnPipe36+1,lnPipe37-lnPipe36-1))
> lcF38 = Alltrim(Substr(lcLine,lnPipe37+1,lnPipe38-lnPipe37-1))
> lcF39 = Alltrim(Substr(lcLine,lnPipe38+1,lnPipe39-lnPipe38-1))
> lcF40 = Alltrim(Substr(lcLine,lnPipe39+1,lnPipe40-lnPipe39-1))
> lcF41 = Alltrim(Substr(lcLine,lnPipe40+1,lnPipe41-lnPipe40-1))
> lcF42 = Alltrim(Substr(lcLine,lnPipe41+1,lnPipe42-lnPipe41-1))
> lcF43 = Alltrim(Substr(lcLine,lnPipe42+1,lnPipe43-lnPipe42-1))
> lcF44 = Alltrim(Substr(lcLine,lnPipe43+1,lnPipe44-lnPipe43-1))
> lcF45 = Alltrim(Substr(lcLine,lnPipe44+1,lnPipe45-lnPipe44-1))
> lcF46 = Alltrim(Substr(lcLine,lnPipe45+1,lnPipe46-lnPipe45-1))
> lcF47 = Alltrim(Substr(lcLine,lnPipe46+1,lnPipe47-lnPipe46-1))
> lcF48 = Alltrim(Substr(lcLine,lnPipe47+1,lnPipe48-lnPipe47-1))
> lcF49 = Alltrim(Substr(lcLine,lnPipe48+1,lnPipe49-lnPipe48-1))
>
> If lnOccur > 0
> lcOccur=Alltrim(Str(lnOccur))
> lcLastPipe= 'lnPipe'+lcOccur
> lcLastPipe=&lcLastPipe
> lcLast= Alltrim(Substr(lcLine,lcLastPipe+1))
>
>
>
> Endif
>
> Do Case
> Case Upper(Alltrim(lcView))=='RVJMARREST'
>
> lcF3=Ctot(Substr(lcF3,10,10)+' '+Substr(lcF3,1,8))
> lcF6=Ctot(Substr(lcF6,10,10)+' '+Substr(lcF6,1,8))
>
> If (Year(lcF3) < 1900 And Year(lcF3) > 0) Or (Year(lcF6) < 1900 And Year(lcF6) > 0)
> Strtofile('Table: '+lcTable+Chr(13)+Chr(10)+'String: '+lcLine+Chr(13)+Chr(10),'c:\errors.txt',1)
>
> Else
> Insert Into RVJMARREST (ARSTNUM,SEQ,ARSTDAT,BOOKNUM,MODBY,MODWHEN,ARSTAGN,;
> ARSTTYP,ARSTOFF,JUDAGE,ARSTLOC,ARSTARE,REFRENC,;
> PRESENT,ARSTDSP,TRN) Values ;
> (lcF1,lcF2,lcF3,lcF4,lcF5,lcF6,lcF7,lcF8,lcF9,lcF10,lcF11,lcF12,;
> lcF13,lcF14,lcF15,lcLast)
>
> Endif
>
>
