# VBForums CodeBank > CodeBank - C++ >  Remove Blank Lines From A Text File

## BenJones

Hi,

This is some simple project I made in C that removes blank lines from text files. I needed this tool as I was working with a source files that contained a lot of blank lines So I made this code to remove them hope you like it.

*Compile:*




> gcc stripblanks.c - o stripblanks




```
// File  : stripblanks.c
// By    : Ben a.k.a DreamVB
// Date  : 20:53 15/06/2020
// Info  : A small project that removes any blank lines from a text file.

#define _CRT_SECURE_NO_WARNINGS
#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <ctype.h>
#include <string.h>

#define TRUE 1
#define FALSE 0

#define MAX_LINE 4048

typedef int BOOL;

BOOL IsBlankLine(char *s){
    int x = 0;
    int y = 0;
    char temp[MAX_LINE] = {0};

    while(x < strlen(s)){
        //Skip first write spaces
        if(s[x] != ' ' && s[x] != '\t' && s[x] != '\0' && s[x] != '\r'){
            break;
        }
        x++;
    }
    //Copy from were the start white spaces were found to the end of the string.
    while(x < strlen(s)){
        temp[y] = s[x];
        x++;
        y++;
    }
    //Zap temp
    temp[y] = '\0';

    if(strlen(temp) == 0){
        memset(temp,0,sizeof temp);
        return TRUE;
    }
    memset(temp,0,sizeof temp);
    return FALSE;
}

int main(int argc, char *argv[])
{
    char lzBuffer[MAX_LINE] = {0};
    FILE *fp = NULL;

    if(argc != 2){
        printf("Strip Blank Lines.\n");
        printf("USE %s InputFile\n",argv[0]);
        exit(0);
    }

    //Open the source file.
    fp = fopen(argv[1],"r");

    if(fp == NULL){
        printf("Error Reading Input File: %s",argv[1]);
        exit(0);
    }

    while(fgets(lzBuffer,sizeof lzBuffer,fp) != NULL){
        const int len = strlen(lzBuffer);

        if((lzBuffer[len-1] = '\r')){
            lzBuffer[len-1] = '\0';
        }
        //Check if the line is empty.
        if(!IsBlankLine(lzBuffer)){
            //Print the line to the console.
            printf("%s\n",lzBuffer);
        }
    }
    //Close the file.
    fclose(fp);
    return 0;
}
```

*Example*




> stripblanks example.c > fixed.c

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