function squeeze(byval s as string,target as string) as string
      dim as string g
      dim as long n
      for n =0 to len(s)-2
            if s[n]=asc(target) then
            if s[n]<>s[n+1]  then g+=chr(s[n])
           else
            g+=chr(s[n])
            end if
      next n
      if len(s) then g+=chr(s[n])
      return g
end function

dim as string z,o
        print "character "" """
        o=""
        print "original ";o;tab(90);"(";len(o);")"
        z=Squeeze("", " ")
        print "squeeze  "; z;tab(90);"(";len(z);")"
        print
        print "character ""-"""
        o= """If I were two-faced, would I be wearing this one?"" --- Abraham Lincoln "
        print "original ";o;tab(90);"(";len(o);")"
        z=Squeeze(o,"-")
        print "squeeze  "; z;tab(90);"(";len(z);")"
        print
        print "character ""7"""
        o="..1111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111117777888"
        print "original ";o;tab(90);"(";len(o);")"
        z=Squeeze(o,"7")
        print "squeeze  "; z;tab(90);"(";len(z);")"
        print
        print "character ""."""
        o="I never give 'em hell, I just tell the truth, and they think it's hell. "
        print "original ";o;tab(90);"(";len(o);")"
        z=Squeeze(o,".")
        print "squeeze  ";z ;tab(90);"(";len(z);")"
        print
        dim as string s = "                                                    --- Harry S Truman  "
        print "character "" """
        o="                                                    --- Harry S Truman  "
        print "original ";o;tab(90);"(";len(o);")"
        z=Squeeze(s, " ")
        print "squeeze  ";z ;tab(90);"(";len(z);")"
        print
         print "character ""-"""
        o="                                                    --- Harry S Truman  "
        print "original ";o;tab(90);"(";len(o);")"
        z=Squeeze(s, "-")
        print "squeeze  "; z;tab(90);"(";len(z);")"
        print
          print "character ""r"""
        o="                                                    --- Harry S Truman  "
        print "original ";o;tab(90);"(";len(o);")"
        z=Squeeze(s, "r")
        print "squeeze  "; z;tab(90);"(";len(z);")"
        sleep