Tim Keal's "token" function

function token(subject as string,sep() as string=",",index as string="1") as string
    dim as string buffer,Ln
    dim as long o,t,i
    dim as long s(lbound(sep,1) to ubound(sep,1))

    buffer=subject
    t=0
    i=val(index)

    if val(index)>0 then

        do
            t=t+1

            for n=lbound(sep,1) to ubound(sep,1)
                s(n)=instr(1,buffer,sep(n))
                Ln=mid(buffer,o+len(sep(n)))
                buffer=mid(buffer,o+len(sep(n)))
            next n

            for n=lbound(sep,1) to ubound(sep,1)
                if s(n)<o then
                    o=s(n)
                    d=n
                end if
            next n

            Ln=mid(buffer,o+len(sep(d)))
            buffer=mid(buffer,o+len(sep(d)))

        loop until t=val(index)

        token=Ln

    elseif index="ct" then

        do
            t=t+1

            for n=lbound(sep,1) to ubound(sep,1)
                s(n)=instr(1,buffer,sep(n))
            next n

            for n=lbound(sep,1) to ubound(sep,1)
                if s(n)<o then
                    o=s(n)
                    d=n
                end if
            next n

            Ln=mid(buffer,o+len(s(d)))
            buffer=mid(buffer,o+len(s(d)))

        loop until o=0

        token=str(t)

    end if

end function