http://qs321.pair.com?node_id=1055256


in reply to Search file for certain lines

Use a state machine. A state machine is a loop and an integer variable that holds the state. In the loop you read one line and do things depending on state, one of which might be changing the state

In your relatively simple case it seems you just would have two states, not between 'h's (lets call it state 0) and between 'h's (state 1). If you encounter a line beginning with 'h' simply flip the state variable