Populating multiple text fields in vb.net from a text file

Question

I am attempting to populate 5 boxes on a form from a text file using VB.net. The text file is a report sent to me that contains an unknown number of lines as the events of each day are different. In the text file, each line contains 5 items separated by a "~".

ie: AccountNumber~Name~Phone~email~data

The form I have setup is just a simple form with 5 text boxes and 2 buttons. (In addition to the file menu to open the txt file).

The 2 buttons are for a "Previous record" and "Next Record" feature. They would do the obvious.

Here is the code I have so far. It's all in the File > Open menu item (which may in itself be wrong) so I'm including that whole setup.

I have it to where it will pop a message box for each item in each line one at a time. Also, it keeps track by counting from 0 to 4 so I know when it's back at the first item. In testing, that works.

I need to figure out how to get all 5 items from the first line to show in the text boxes and then, make the "Next" and "Previous" buttons go to the next or previous line and populate the text boxes from those. Each process I've tried has failed miserably.

Any assistance would be much appreciated.

Private Sub OpenToolStripMenuItem_Click(sender As Object, e As EventArgs) Handles OpenToolStripMenuItem.Click
    Dim ofd As OpenFileDialog = New OpenFileDialog
    ofd.DefaultExt = "txt"
    ofd.FileName = "defaultname"
    ofd.InitialDirectory = "C:\users\%username%\desktop\"
    ofd.Filter = "Text files|*.txt"
    ofd.Title = "Select file"

    If ofd.ShowDialog() <> DialogResult.Cancel Then
        Using myreader As New Microsoft.VisualBasic.FileIO.TextFieldParser(ofd.FileName)
            myreader.TextFieldType = FileIO.FieldType.Delimited
            myreader.SetDelimiters("~")

            Dim currentrow As String()
            While Not myreader.EndOfData
                Try
                    currentrow = myreader.ReadFields()
                    Dim currentfield As String
                    For Each currentfield In currentrow
                        Dim count As Integer

                        If count = 4 Then
                            count = 0

                        Else
                            ' populate form

                            MsgBox(currentfield & " - " & count)
                            count = count + 1


                        End If

                    Next
                Catch ex As Microsoft.VisualBasic.
                    fileio.MalformedLineException
                    MsgBox("line " & ex.Message &
            "is not valid and will be skipped.")
                End Try
            End While

        End Using

    End If

End Sub

Answer 1

Insert this instead in your code to get the correct fields ! !

If ofd.ShowDialog() <> DialogResult.Cancel Then
        Using myreader As New Microsoft.VisualBasic.FileIO.TextFieldParser(ofd.FileName)
            myreader.TextFieldType = FileIO.FieldType.Delimited
            myreader.SetDelimiters("~")
            Dim x As Short
            Dim currentrow As String()
            While Not myreader.EndOfData
                Try
                    currentrow = myreader.ReadFields()
                    Dim Count As Short = 0
                    For x = 0 To currentrow.Count - 1
                        Count = Count + 1

                        MsgBox(currentrow(x) & " - " & Count)

                       
                    Next
                Catch ex As Microsoft.VisualBasic.
                FileIO.MalformedLineException
                    MsgBox("line " & ex.Message &
        "is not valid and will be skipped.")
                End Try
            End While

        End Using
End If

You can also do this:-

You can also use the logic I have shown above but first get all lines into a array - then manipulate each line :-

Dim Lines = File.ReadAllLines(ofd.FileName)
        Dim Lp As Single
        Dim X As Short
        For Lp = 0 To Lines.Length - 1
            Dim items() As String = Split(Lines(Lp), "~")
            Dim Count As Short = 0
            For x = 0 To items.Count - 1
                Count = Count + 1
                MsgBox(items(X) & " - " & Count)
            Next
        Next

Answer 2

The following code works for me.

Private curIndex As Integer = -1
Private maxIndex As Integer = 0
Private dic As Dictionary(Of Integer, String()) = New Dictionary(Of Integer, String())
Private Sub Form1_Load(sender As Object, e As EventArgs) Handles MyBase.Load
    Dim lines = File.ReadAllLines(filePath).Where(Function(x) Not String.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(x))
    maxIndex = lines.Count - 1
    For i As Integer = 0 To maxIndex
        dic.Add(i, lines(i).Split("~"c).Where(Function(x) Not String.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(x)).ToArray())
    Next
    Label1.Text = "0"
    curIndex = 0
    TextBox1.Text = dic(0)(curIndex)
    TextBox2.Text = dic(0)(curIndex + 1)
    TextBox3.Text = dic(0)(curIndex + 2)
    TextBox4.Text = dic(0)(curIndex + 3)
    TextBox5.Text = dic(0)(curIndex + 4)
End Sub
Private Sub Button1_Click(sender As Object, e As EventArgs) Handles Button1.Click
    If Not curIndex - 1 < 0 Then
        curIndex -= 1
        Label1.Text = curIndex.ToString
        TextBox1.Text = dic(curIndex)(0)
        TextBox2.Text = dic(curIndex)(1)
        TextBox3.Text = dic(curIndex)(2)
        TextBox4.Text = dic(curIndex)(3)
        TextBox5.Text = dic(curIndex)(4)
    End If
End Sub
Private Sub Button2_Click(sender As Object, e As EventArgs) Handles Button2.Click
    If Not curIndex + 1 > maxIndex Then
        curIndex += 1
        Label1.Text = curIndex.ToString
        TextBox1.Text = dic(curIndex)(0)
        TextBox2.Text = dic(curIndex)(1)
        TextBox3.Text = dic(curIndex)(2)
        TextBox4.Text = dic(curIndex)(3)
        TextBox5.Text = dic(curIndex)(4)
    End If
End Sub

You can use Dictionary to save line number and values.