» Replace text in a text file using VBA in Microsoft Excel

VBA macro tip contributed by Erlandsen Data Consulting offering Microsoft Excel Application development, template customization, support and training solutions The macros below can be used to replace text in a text file, e.g. when you want to change a column
separator in a text file before you import it into an Excel worksheet or after you export a worksheet to a text file.

Sub ReplaceTextInFile(SourceFile As String, _
    sText As String, rText As String)
Dim TargetFile As String, tLine As String, tString As String
Dim p As Integer, i As Long, F1 As Integer, F2 As Integer
    TargetFile = "RESULT.TMP"
    If Dir(SourceFile) = "" Then Exit Sub
    If Dir(TargetFile) <> "" Then
        On Error Resume Next
        Kill TargetFile
        On Error GoTo 0
        If Dir(TargetFile) <> "" Then
            MsgBox TargetFile & _
                " already open, close and delete / rename the file and try again.", _
                vbCritical
            Exit Sub
        End If
    End If
    F1 = FreeFile
    Open SourceFile For Input As F1
    F2 = FreeFile
    Open TargetFile For Output As F2
    i = 1 ' line counter
    Application.StatusBar = "Reading data from " & _
        TargetFile & " ..."
    While Not EOF(F1)
        If i Mod 100 = 0 Then Application.StatusBar = _
            "Reading line #" & i & " in " & _
            TargetFile & " ..."
        Line Input #F1, tLine
        If sText <> "" Then
            ReplaceTextInString tLine, sText, rText
        End If
        Print #F2, tLine
        i = i + 1
    Wend
    Application.StatusBar = "Closing files ..."
    Close F1
    Close F2
    Kill SourceFile ' delete original file
    Name TargetFile As SourceFile ' rename temporary file
    Application.StatusBar = False
End Sub

Private Sub ReplaceTextInString(SourceString As String, _
    SearchString As String, ReplaceString As String)
Dim p As Integer, NewString As String
    Do
        p = InStr(p + 1, UCase(SourceString), UCase(SearchString))
        If p > 0 Then ' replace SearchString with ReplaceString
            NewString = ""
            If p > 1 Then NewString = Mid(SourceString, 1, p - 1)
            NewString = NewString + ReplaceString
            NewString = NewString + Mid(SourceString, _
                p + Len(SearchString), Len(SourceString))
            p = p + Len(ReplaceString) - 1
            SourceString = NewString
        End If
        If p >= Len(NewString) Then p = 0
    Loop Until p = 0
End Sub

Sub TestReplaceTextInFile()
    ReplaceTextInFile ThisWorkbook.Path & _
        "\ReplaceInTextFile.txt", "|", ";"
    ' replaces all pipe-characters (|) with semicolons (;) 
End Sub