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Write # statement

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Writes data to a sequential file.

Syntax

Write #filenumber, [ outputlist ]

The Write # statement syntax has these parts:

Part Description
filenumber Required. Any valid file number.
outputlist Optional. One or more comma-delimited numeric expressions or string expressions to write to a file.

Remarks

Data written with Write # is usually read from a file with Input #.

If you omit outputlist and include a comma after filenumber, a blank line is printed to the file. Multiple expressions can be separated with a space, a semicolon, or a comma. A space has the same effect as a semicolon.

When Write # is used to write data to a file, several universal assumptions are followed so that the data can always be read and correctly interpreted by using Input #, regardless of locale:

  • Numeric data is always written by using the period as the decimal separator.
  • For Boolean data, either #TRUE# or #FALSE# is printed. The True and False keywords are not translated, regardless of locale.
  • Date data is written to the file by using the universal date format. When either the date or the time component is missing or zero, only the part provided gets written to the file.
  • Nothing is written to the file if outputlist data is Empty. However, for Null data, #NULL# is written.
  • If outputlist data is Null data, #NULL# is written to the file.
  • For Error data, the output appears as #ERROR errorcode#. The Error keyword is not translated, regardless of locale.

Unlike the Print # statement, the Write # statement inserts commas between items and quotation marks around strings as they are written to the file. You don't have to put explicit delimiters in the list. Write # inserts a newline character, that is, a carriage return-linefeed (Chr(13) + Chr(10) ), after it has written the final character in outputlist to the file.

Note

You should not write strings that contain embedded quotation marks, for example, "1,2""X" for use with the Input # statement; Input # parses this string as two complete and separate strings.

Example

This example uses the Write # statement to write raw data to a sequential file.

Open "TESTFILE" For Output As #1    ' Open file for output. 
Write #1, "Hello World", 234    ' Write comma-delimited data. 
Write #1, ' Write blank line. 
 
Dim MyBool, MyDate, MyNull, MyError 
' Assign Boolean, Date, Null, and Error values. 
MyBool = False : MyDate = #February 12, 1969# : MyNull = Null 
MyError = CVErr(32767) 
' Boolean data is written as #TRUE# or #FALSE#. Date literals are  
' written in universal date format, for example, #1994-07-13#  
 'represents July 13, 1994. Null data is written as #NULL#.  
' Error data is written as #ERROR errorcode#. 
Write #1, MyBool ; " is a Boolean value" 
Write #1, MyDate ; " is a date" 
Write #1, MyNull ; " is a null value" 
Write #1, MyError ; " is an error value" 
Close #1    ' Close file.

See also

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