formatted read / parse data from a string

[AlJones]

Okay, I'm drawing a blank!
I'm doing some coding in VB.Net 2005 and need to read part of a string.

In C (long time back) there was, if I remember correctly, the ability to do
a formatted READ, something like:

res = fread( string, format, va, vb, vc)
where (for example):
string = "The quick brown fox"
format = "The quick {0} fox", color)
and the results were:
res = 1 (if valid)
va = "brown"

<< yes, I realize fread is "File Read" from C, but that was the first thing
that popped into my mind to use as a function name, sorry >>

First: do any of you remember the name of that C function.
Secondly: do you have any reasonable way to emulate that in VB 2005??

I'm getting frustrated - may end writing my own function but that's a slew
of overloads to do it right.

Lastly, if the news grops are dead, where arer people asking these type of
questions now??

Thanks //al