Working with INI Files 
          This technote describes how to use Superbase to manipulate INI files.
          It   makes  use   of  user   defined  functions   to  achieve   these
          manipulations. This technote presents two different approaches to INI
          file  manipulation.  The first  approach uses  the ReadINI$  function
          (provided with Superbase in  SAMPLES/PROCS/SBLEXTEN.SBP), the  second
          approach uses ExtractINI$ (provided in this technote). 
          The ReadINI$ approach is designed to test for a parameter  to have  a
          certain value in an INI file. For example you could use this function
          if you wanted to test a directory setting before trying to opening  a
          file.  The ReadINI$  function uses  four parameters:  filename to  be
          created  or  appended,  section  of  the  INI  file to  be read,  INI
          parameter, and the value to return if not found.

     SUB main()
          REM Specify the ini file name with directory, the section name, the
     parameter to be searched for, and       REM the value to be tested
          INIFile$ = "c:\win\superbas.ini"
          INISection$ = "Superbase"
          INIParam$ = "Iconbar"
          INIDefault$ = "1"
          REQUEST "Enter the ini filename (include directory and .ini
     extension)","",4,butt%,INIFile$
          REQUEST "Enter the section to  search for (no brackets
     required)","",4,butt%,INISection$
          INISection$ = "[" + INISection$ + "]"
          REQUEST "Enter the parameter to search for","",4,butt%,INIParam$
          REQUEST "Enter the value to test for","",4,butt%,INIDefault$
          IF ReadINI$(INIFile$,INISection$,INIParam$,INIDefault$) = INIDefault$
     THEN 
               REQUEST "Yep, that's the value"
          ELSE 
               REQUEST "Nice try, guess again"
          END IF 
      END SUB 

     '*************************************************************************
     *****
     ' * ReadINI$()  - This function returns a value from a given section in an
     ' *               .INI file. Its action is similar to the Windows
     ' *               function GetProfileString
     '  *  INIFile$      -  Name and  path of  The INI  file to  be read,  e.g.
     C:\WIN31\WIN.INI
     ' * INISection$ - Section in INI file to be read, e.g. [Superbase]
     ' * INIParam$   - Parameter to be read, e.g. Panel
     ' * INIDefault$ - Default value to return if not found
     ' *
     ' * Example :
     ' *
     ' * IF ReadINI$("C:\WIN31\APPS\APP1.INI","[Window]","Warn","Yes") =  "Yes"
     THEN BELL
     ' * Result  : If the warn value was set to yes then sound the warning
     '
     *************************************************************************

     FUNCTION ReadINI$(INIFile$,INISection$,INIParam$,INIDefault$)
          REM
     ***********************************************************************
          REM * Declare all local variables as local
          REM
     ***********************************************************************
               DIM CurrentSection$
          REM
     ***********************************************************************
          REM * Make sure that the file exists
          REM
     ***********************************************************************

               IF FN ext(INIFile$) = "" THEN INIFile$ = INIFile$ + ".INI"
               IF NOT EXISTS (INIFile$) THEN 
                    ReadINI$ = INIDefault$
               ELSE 
      
          REM
     ***********************************************************************
          REM * Read In An Existing .INI File
          REM
     ***********************************************************************
      
               ReadINI$ = INIDefault$
               OPEN INIFile$ FOR INPUT 
               WHILE NOT EOF ("*")
                    INPUT LINE INILine$
                    CurrentSection$ = IF ( LEFT$ (INILine$,1) =
     "[",INILine$,CurrentSection$)
                    IF CurrentSection$ = INISection$ AND INILine$ LIKE
     INIParam$ + "=*" THEN 
                         ReadINI$ = MID$ (INILine$, INSTR (INILine$,"=") + 1)
                         END WHILE 
                    END IF 
               WEND 
               CLOSE INPUT 
             END IF 
      
     END FUNCTION 

          The ExtractINI$  approach provides  slightly different  functionality
          than ReadINI$  because it  allows you  to return  into Superbase  the
          actual setting from the INI file you have  interrogated. This  allows
          you to notify your user of the  current setting  before changing  it.
          The ExtractINI$ function uses 3 parameters, directory, filename,  and
          setting. It returns the value  of the  setting requested.  Here is  a
          sample of how to use this function in an SBL program:
     SUB main()
          REM Specify the directory, ini file name, and the string to be
     searched for
          INIDir$ = "c:\windows"
          REQUEST "Enter the directory for your ini file","",4,butt%,INIDir$
          INIFile$ = "Superbas.ini"
          REQUEST "Enter the ini filename (include .ini
     extension)","",4,butt%,INIFile$
          REQUEST "Enter the string to search for","",4,butt%,INISetting$
          REQUEST "Your current " + INISetting$ + " setting value is " +
     ExtractI        NI$(INIDir$,INIFile$,INISetting$)
      END SUB 
      
      
     Here is the code for the function:

     '
     *************************************************************************
     ' * ExtractINI$ - Retrieve a setting from an INI file
     ' * INIDir$     - Directory of INI file
     ' * INIFile$    - Name of the INI file
     ' * INISetting$ - Setting to look for in the INI file
     ' * 
     ' *
     ' * Example: REQUEST ExtractINI$("c:\win","superbas.ini",FiltersDir")
     ' * Result : The request will contain the setting value you have 
     ' *          asked for i.e. C:\SPC\FILTER\
     '
     *************************************************************************
      
       
     FUNCTION ExtractINI$(INIDir$,INIFile$,INISetting$)
      
          flag$ = "false"
          DIRECTORY INIDir$
          OPEN INIFile$ FOR INPUT 
          WHILE NOT EOF ("*") AND flag$ = "false"
               INPUT LINE INILine$
               IF INSTR ( UCASE$ (INILine$), UCASE$ (INISetting$)) <> 0 THEN 
                    start% = INSTR (INILine$,"=")
                    hold$ = MID$ (INILine$,start% + 1)
                    ExtractINI$ = TRIM$ (hold$)
               flag$ = "True"
          END IF 
       
               INILine%% = INILine%% + 1
          WEND 
          IF flag$ <> "True" THEN 
               ExtractINI$ = "Not Found"
       END IF 

      END FUNCTION 

          After you have used one  of these  functions to  interrogate a  value
          from an INI file, you can use the AddINI$() function to write back to
          the INI file and also to create a brand new ini if needed, or if  you
          are manipulating your Superbas.ini file, you could use an SBL command
          such as SET CURRENCYSYMBOL "$", BEFORE:SAVE SET (or any of the  other
          SET commands to modify  the INI settings.















Program:  Superbase 
Versions: 2.0
Date:     March 17, 1994      
D
Date: