loading content of text file into a listbox

Try this:

Private Sub Button1_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Button1.Click
        Dim a As String = My.Computer.FileSystem.ReadAllText(path & "itemInfo.txt")
        Dim b As String() = a.Split(vbNewLine)
        itemListBox.Items.AddRange(b)
    End Sub

or if you want to do it in one line:
itemListBox.Items.AddRange(Split(My.Computer.FileSystem.ReadAllText(path & "itemInfo.txt"), vbNewLine))

It worked thanks, your code worked and I had the wrong path.
This is the information that is in the itemInfo.txt file

Shirt 11.99
Shoes 14.99
Jacket 25.99
Socks 8.99
Gloves 4.99

I actually should have specified that I only need to load the item name into the list box and upon clicking the item name the price shows up in a separate label box. Any help would be greatly appreciated again, thank you.

anyone have any thoughts on this one I can't figure out how to have the program recognize just the first word and reference the price that's associated with that item and place just that price in a label box.

You should be able to just split the string on the space character, and just loop through the array of items. Kinda like this:

Dim paths() As String
        Dim path As String = "www.test.com"
        Dim itemlistbox As ListBox
        Dim num As Integer
        
paths = Split(My.Computer.FileSystem.ReadAllText(path & "itemInfo.txt"), vbNewLine)
        
For J = 0 To paths.Length()
            num = paths(J).IndexOf(Chr(32))
            itemlistbox.Items.Add(paths(J).Substring(0, num + 1))
        Next

thanks for the help but I need Daniweb just a little more , ok I got to segregate the line into itemname now how do I display the price in a label called priceLabel upon clicking the appropriate item name

Public Class MainForm
    'Private path As String = "L:\Visual Basic\"

    Private Sub MainForm_Load(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Me.Load

        Dim paths() As String
        Dim path As String = "L:\Visual Basic\"
        Dim i As Integer
        '        Dim itemlistbox As ListBox
        Dim num As Integer
        'Dim a As String = My.Computer.FileSystem.ReadAllText(path & "itemInfo.txt")
        'Dim b As String() = a.Split(CChar(vbNewLine))

        paths = Split(My.Computer.FileSystem.ReadAllText(path & "itemInfo.txt"), vbNewLine)
        'itemListBox.Items.Clear()
        'itemListBox.Items.AddRange(b)
        For i = 0 To paths.Length()
            num = paths(i).IndexOf(Chr(32))
            itemlistbox.Items.Add(paths(i).Substring(0, num + 1))
        Next

        'itemListBox.Items.Clear()
        'My.Computer.FileSystem.ReadAllText(path & "itemInfo.txt")

        'itemListBox.Items.Add(path & "itemInfo.txt")

    End Sub

sorry for all the comments I was commenting things in and out alot

any ideas about this one guys?

One way is you can store the prices in an array, and u can store those in the same loop as the items.

Dim prices() As String

For i = 0 To paths.Length()

num = paths(i).IndexOf(Chr(32))

itemlistbox.Items.Add(paths(i).Substring(0, num + 1))
prices(i) = paths(i).Substring(num + 1)

Next

Then in the function that handles the itemListbox.Selected event, just add

MyLabel.Text = prices(itemListBox.SelectedIndex)

Thanks for the reply but when I try the code like this I get a "Warning 1 Variable 'prices' is used before it has been assigned a value. A null reference exception could result at runtime. L:\Visual Basic\SequentialHW\Form1.vb 24 13 SequentialHW"

I don't understand why prices would not have a value at this point in the code. Any further assistance would be greatly appreciated.

What does it do when you try to run it? I think thats just a warning, but it would actually have the value when you run it.

it just gives me one of the items (the first one I think) and when I click on it it doesn't put anything in the price label. I also just noticed that I get this when I run it "A first chance exception of type 'System.NullReferenceException' occurred in SequentialHW.exe"

Thanks for the reply but when I try the code like this I get a "Warning 1 Variable 'prices' is used before it has been assigned a value. A null reference exception could result at runtime. L:\Visual Basic\SequentialHW\Form1.vb 24 13 SequentialHW"

I don't understand why prices would not have a value at this point in the code. Any further assistance would be greatly appreciated.

This code to get just name works but i get the delimiter with the text (chr 44) a ",". how can i eliminate it?

How about in Vb6.0?

How about in Vb6.0?