How do I return a string from a csv file?

How do I return a string from a csv file?

• ywchen

  Thanks Greg, I'll check that out.
  
  

• jason jones

  I should've posted my code that I have written so far (the second part is what I am trying to sort out - readPath2)...
  
  using System;
  using System.IO;
  
  public class Reader
  {
  public static void Main()
  {
  string readPath = "Master-res2007.csv";
  string writePath = "Master-res2007.txt";
  string data;
  
  if(File.Exists(readPath))
  {
  StreamReader reader = new StreamReader(readPath);
  
  // Read to end of file
  string file = reader.ReadToEnd();
  
  StreamWriter writer = new StreamWriter(writePath);
  
  // Write to text file
  writer.WriteLine(file);
  
  reader.Close();
  writer.Close(); // Free resources
  
  }else{
  Console.WriteLine("The file: " + (readPath) + " could not be found");
  }
  
  string readPath2 = "D-Ground.csv";
  
  if(File.Exists(readPath2))
  {
  StreamReader reader2 = new StreamReader(readPath2);
  
  //Read single line of text
  data = reader2.ReadLine();
  
  int peek = reader2.Peek();
  
  
  //While loop to check for Res-Code
  
  reader2.Close();
  //writer2.Close(); // Free resources
  
  }
  }
  }
  

• newyuppie

  This is a duplicate post and should probably be deleted.

  That said ...

  http://www.heikniemi.net/hc/archives/files/CSVReader.cs

  http://www.codeproject.com/cs/database/CsvReader.asp

  These are pre-done CSV parsing classes that should make this task a bit easier for you an I know atleast on of them also handles such things as quotes and commas in strings.

  Cheers,

  Greg

  
  

• David d

  Peek returns the next available *character*.  Why can't you just read the line and parse it

   http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-US/library/system.io.streamreader.peek(VS.80).aspx

  Your other option is to peek along the line, a character at a time, but I don't see the point.

   

  
  
  

• Kimber6337

  I should be more clear. I want to read a line of text, and then return the code at the beginning of the next line.
  
  

• ImpMacker

  Oh I am not suggesting you use them as a reference .. I am just suggesting you use them directly instead of spending the time to write your own as there are some intricacies of the CSV specification that can get tricky (namely strings can contain commas and require special handling)

  As for just looping through with readline .. there is an easier way.
  

  string read = "";
  using (StreamReader sr = new StreamReader(readPath2))
  {
  read = sr.ReadLine();
  while (read != null)
  {
  writer2.WriteLine(read);
  sr.ReadLine();
  }
  }
  

  you could make this a bit slimmer by inversin the loop but it will work.

  I highly recommend trying out those libraries as they will probably work better for you (and use less of your time on implementation)

  Cheers,

  Greg

  
  

• Murat Soyupak

  I am still experiencing problems. The output is one line of text from the csv file, but the peek() method is still not working. This is what the code looks like at the moment:
  
  using System;
  using System.IO;
  
  public class Reader
  {
  public static void Main()
  {
  string readPath2 = "D-Ground.csv";
  //string writePath2 = "D-Ground.txt";
  
  if(File.Exists(readPath2))
  {
  StreamReader reader2 = new StreamReader(readPath2);
  string buffer = reader2.ReadLine();
  string[] split = null;
  split = buffer.Split(',');
  
  foreach (string s in split)
  {
  if (reader2.Peek() >= 0)
  {
  Console.WriteLine("[{0}]", s);
  }else{
  Console.WriteLine("null", s);
  }
  }
  }
  }
  }
  
  

• Norse

  Couldn't understand the code at all :S
  
  I still have the same problem, however, I have progressed slightly. Here is the code I am having problems with (the Peek() method is not working):
  
  string readPath2 = "D-Ground-test.csv";
  string writePath2 = "D-Ground.txt";
  
  if(File.Exists(readPath2))
  {
  StreamWriter writer2 = new StreamWriter(writePath2);
  using (StreamReader sr = new StreamReader(readPath2))
  {
  while (sr.Peek() >= 0)
  {
  writer2.WriteLine(sr.ReadLine());
  }
  }
  }
  
  

• sinewave

  Thanks for the reply. I can get the next line fine, but I want to return the next string. I've tried many different functions such as 'peek()', but to no avail.
  
  if(File.Exists(readPath2))
  {
  StreamReader reader2 = new StreamReader(readPath2);
  
  //Read single line of text
  data = reader2.ReadLine(); --- That's what I'm doing here
  
  
  
  

• Mike Q

  Thanks, I will try that.
  
  

• Leonid_

  what is

  foreach (string s in split)
  {
  if (reader2.Peek() >= 0)
  {
  Console.WriteLine("[{0}]", s);
  }else{
  Console.WriteLine("null", s);
  }
  }

  trying to do Why are you peeking at the file for every string in the previous line

  
  

• Athan00

  If you use ReadLine to read a line at a time instead of ReadToEnd, you can look for the line you're after as you go.

  
  
  
• How do I return a string from a csv file?