'Get text between Start/Stop tags?

Can anyone help me?, I am trying to have a file full of all 
sorts of information, and I want to be able to read and project 
the data on the screen. But I want to say find the text `start` 
and read all of the lines underneath this line until the program 
finds the word `stop` and then ignore the text under `stop` and 
display the text in between start and stop. Is this possible?

'--------------------------------------
'Peter Denton  11/01/98
'--------------------------------------

If start and stop are on a seperate line on there own you could 
use something like:
 
 Sub Command1_Click ()
     text1 = ""
     Dim tempvar As String
     Open "c:\filedir\filename.ext" For Input As #1
         Do While Not EOF(1) And LCase(tempvar) <> "start"
             Input #1, tempvar
         Loop
         If Not EOF(1) Then
             Do While Not EOF(1) And LCase(tempvar) <> "stop"
                 Input #1, tempvar
                 If LCase(tempvar) <> "stop" Then
                     text1.Text = text1.Text + tempvar + Chr(13) +
 Chr(10)
                 End If
             Loop
         End If
     Close #1
 End Sub
 
Text1 is a text box with it`s multiline property set to true but 
you can replace this with another control or the print method.

'--------------------------------------
'John F Stendor  11/2/98
'--------------------------------------

Try this...

'********************************************
' SENT 11/2/98  JFS
'********************************************

Sub cmdGatherDataButton()

dim sBuffer as String
dim bAddText as integer
dim bReadData as Integer

dim sText as string

    '---------------------------------------------
    ' Initialize variables for sub-routine ..
    ' Flush the textbox .... 
    '---------------------------------------------

    bReadData = TRUE 
    sText = "NO ASCII DATA FOUND"

    Text1.Text = ""
  
    '---------------------------------------------
    ' Open yopur ASCII text file ...
    '---------------------------------------------

    Open "c:\yourdir\yourname.ext" For Input As #1

    '---------------------------------------------
    ' Gather the ASCII test ...
    '---------------------------------------------

    Do While Not EOF(1) And bReadData 

        '---------------------------------------------
        ' Grab the input text file data an entire line.
        '---------------------------------------------
        
        sBuffer = LINE INPUT #1, sBuffer 

        '---------------------------------------------
        ' Determine what to do ...
        '---------------------------------------------

        Select Case UCase$(Trim$(sBuffer))

            '-----------------------------------------------------
            ' If you want to start collecting ASCII text data ...
            ' then turn on the switch 
            ' Make sure you flush the sText variable
            ' This excludes the START command
            '-----------------------------------------------------

            Case "START":

                sText = ""
                bAddText = TRUE

            '---------------------------------------------------
            ' If you want to STOP collecting ASCII text data ...
            ' then turn off the switch 
            ' This excludes the STOP command
            '---------------------------------------------------

            Case "STOP":

               bAddText = FALSE
               bReadData = FALSE

            '---------------------------------------------
            ' We have another data type, should we collect it 
            '---------------------------------------------

            Case Else

                if bAddText then
                    sText = sText & sBuffer & Char$(13) & Char$(10)
                End If

        End Select

    Loop

    '---------------------------------------------
    ' Punch the collected data into the TEXTBOX ....
    '---------------------------------------------

    Text1.Text = sText 

    Close #1

End Sub

Couple of quick points.

1) Don`t add to a text box dynamically, while processing, create a
string variable and then punch it into the control when your done. VB
executes faster when it doesn`t have to refresh controls constantly. The
text assignment causes a windows SENDMESSAGE everytime you assign a
value to it.


2) If you are looking for the START indicator embedded within the text
then all you need to do is modify the code to use INSTR() and your off
and running.  This holds true for the STOP indicator also.

Just a few MID$ commands and movement of the sTest string concatenation
and you ready to go.


3) Recommendation make the START and STOP indicators unique in the ASCI
test file.  

        .START. 
        .STOP.

This way you can use the START and STOP as words within the text you
wish to select/display.


4) I`m not to sure about the Char$(13) & Char$(10) I always use a
listbox when I read ASCII text.  It eliminates the memory issues with
64K for a text box and I stay away from textboxs when I have to display
more than 10 lines of text.

        I use the following....

        lstMyListBox.additem sBuffer

5) Set the Temporary variable to a value "NO ASCII DATA FOUND" so you
know if something went wrong you can trace the code.  This is especially
valuable when you have to manage multiple files and multiple
forms/controls.