Concatenate BINARY files

Does anybody have any code that can concatenate BINARY files?

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Why would you want to concatenate binary files?

to preserve PCL format.

[email protected]

Here is a simple program I wrote not to long ago to Pack the C:\Windows directory files into one big file and then unpack them again.
Have not checked out the output files very closely, but I did some cursory look at the output and did not find any gross errors.

The "Pack" Command button willl pack the files into a file called App.Path & "\OutFile.bin"
The Unpack Button will create a Temp folder and unpack the App.Path & "\OutFile.bin" to it.
1. Start a new project
2. Add two command buttons
3. Paste this code into the general declarations section of the form
4. Look at the code to make sure it does not wipe out your system
5. Run in
6. Click "Pack"
7. Click "Unpack"
8. Review files created in App.path \Temp

option Explicit
Dim inf as string
Dim outf as string
Dim pth as string
Dim iData as string
Dim strFiles(100, 2)
Dim ctr as Long
Dim str as string
Dim ffileI as Long
Dim ffileO as Long
Dim X as Long
private Sub Command1_Click()
If Dir(outf) <> "" then Kill outf ' get rid of left over file
ffileO = FreeFile() ' get a file number for the output file
Open outf for binary as ffileO ' open the output file
ffileI = FreeFile() ' get file number for the input files
str = Dir(pth & "*.txt", vbNormal) ' get appropriate files
Do
' If Right(str, 4) = ".txt" then
Debug.print pth & str
Open pth & str for binary as ffileI ' open the input file
iData = string(LOF(ffileI), Chr(0)) ' set length of read
get ffileI, 1, iData ' get the data
Debug.print seek(ffileO) ' next available byte in output file
strFiles(ctr, 0) = str
strFiles(ctr, 1) = seek(ffileO)
strFiles(ctr, 2) = LOF(ffileI)
ctr = ctr + 1
Put ffileO, , iData ' append to the output file
' End If
Close ffileI ' finished with this file
str = Dir ' get next file
Loop Until str = "" ' loop until no more
Close ffileO ' Close all files
' save control information for Command2
Open App.Path & "\CTL.TXT" for Output as ffileO
for X = 0 to ctr
print #ffileO, Trim(strFiles(X, 0)); ","; Trim(strFiles(X, 1)); ","; Trim(strFiles(X, 2))
next X
Close ffileO
End Sub

private Sub Command2_Click()
' This sub unpacks the created file.
' Ctr is number of files + 1
' Note. Command1 must be run just prior to this command or it will not workl
' The control information is stored in an array. This sub does not
' use the file created by command1 for control purposes. I just got lazy
' and did not finish it up.
Dim X as Long
ffileI = FreeFile()
Open outf for binary as ffileI ' compacted file
ffileO = FreeFile() ' the output files
for X = 0 to ctr - 1
Debug.print strFiles(X, 0); " "; strFiles(X, 1); " "; strFiles(X, 2)
Open App.Path & "\Temp\" & strFiles(X, 0) for binary as ffileO
iData = string(strFiles(X, 2), Chr(0)) ' length to read
get ffileI, strFiles(X, 1), iData ' read bytes
Put ffileO, 1, iData
Close ffileO
next X
End Sub

private Sub Form_Load()
ctr = 0
pth = "C:\Windows\"
outf = App.Path & "\OutFile.bin"
Command1.Caption = "Pack"
Command2.Caption = "UNpack"
End Sub




Please rate it if it answers the question
or is useful.
'
John G

Here is a revision to that program
1. Original program was limited to 100 files
1.5. Made control array ReDimensionable
2. Command2 depended on command1 being run
3.Added some debugging info

option Explicit
Dim inf as string
Dim outf as string
Dim pth as string
Dim iData as string
Dim strFiles()
Dim ctr as Long
Dim str as string
Dim ffileI as Long
Dim ffileO as Long
Dim X as Long
private Sub Command1_Click()
ReDim strFiles(2, 100)
If Dir(outf) <> "" then Kill outf ' get rid of left over file
ffileO = FreeFile() ' get a file number for the output file
Open outf for binary as ffileO ' open the output file
ffileI = FreeFile() ' get file number for the input files
str = Dir(pth & "*.txt", vbNormal) ' get appropriate files
Do
Debug.print pth & str
Open pth & str for binary as ffileI ' open the input file
iData = string(LOF(ffileI), Chr(0)) ' set length of read
get ffileI, 1, iData ' get the data
Debug.print seek(ffileO) ' next available byte in output file
strFiles(0, ctr) = str
strFiles(1, ctr) = seek(ffileO)
strFiles(2, ctr) = LOF(ffileI)
ctr = ctr + 1
Put ffileO, , iData ' append to the output file
Close ffileI ' finished with this file
str = Dir ' get next file
Loop Until str = "" ' loop until no more
Close ffileO ' Close all files
' save control information for Command2
Open App.Path & "\CTL.TXT" for Output as ffileO
for X = 0 to ctr - 1
Debug.print "Writing "; Trim(strFiles(0, X)); ","; Trim(strFiles(1, X)); ","; Trim(strFiles(2, X))
print #ffileO, Trim(strFiles(0, X)); ","; Trim(strFiles(1, X)); ","; Trim(strFiles(2, X))
next X
Close ffileO
End Sub

private Sub Command2_Click()
' This sub unpacks the created file.
' Ctr is number of files + 1
Dim X as Long, Temp as string
Dim TempArr
ReDim strFiles(2, 0)
ffileI = FreeFile()
Open App.Path & "\CTL.TXT" for input as ffileI
ctr = 0
Do Until EOF(ffileI)
If ctr Mod 100 = 0 then ReDim Preserve strFiles(2, UBound(strFiles, 2) + 100)
Line input #ffileI, Temp
TempArr = Split(Temp, ",", , vbTextCompare)
strFiles(0, ctr) = TempArr(0)
strFiles(1, ctr) = TempArr(1)
strFiles(2, ctr) = TempArr(2)
ctr = ctr + 1
Loop
Close ffileI

Open outf for binary as ffileI ' the compacted file
ffileO = FreeFile() ' the output file(s)
for X = 0 to ctr - 1
Debug.print strFiles(0, X); " "; strFiles(1, X); " "; strFiles(2, X)
Open App.Path & "\Temp\" & strFiles(0, X) for binary as ffileO
iData = string(strFiles(2, X), Chr(0)) ' Create input buffer of binary zeroes
get ffileI, strFiles(1, X), iData ' read bytes
Put ffileO, 1, iData
Close ffileO
next X
End Sub

private Sub Form_Load()
ctr = 0
pth = "C:\Windows\"
outf = App.Path & "\OutFile.bin"
Command1.Caption = "Pack"
Command2.Caption = "UNpack"
End Sub




Please rate it if it answers the question
or is useful.
'
John G