Sorting a txt file with 1st 12 char as keys

OK, this VB 2003 is way different than programming in "C" 15 years ago.

Now a lawyer, I'm programming to pass time. I tried IO.File.ReadAllLines, however it's not in ver 2003.

This first 12 characters of a record in my txt file is what I want to sort on. A typical record starts like this "01E118750216. . ." all ASCII with a CRLF to end the record. The file could be big with 2000 records.

Russell

Thread Moved from VB FAQ Forum

Are the first 12 character unique?
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Quote:

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Originally Posted by wild_bill

Are the first 12 character unique?

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I guess it doesn't matter since vb7 doesn't include a sorted dictionary object

vb Code:

Dim data As New DataTable
data.Columns.Add("key")
data.Columns.Add("value")
 
Dim sr As New IO.StreamReader("c:\test.txt")
Dim line As String = sr.ReadLine
While Not line Is Nothing
    data.Rows.Add(New String() {line.Substring(0, 12), line.Substring(12)})
    line = sr.ReadLine
End While
 
sr.Close()
 
For Each dr As DataRow In data.Select("", "key")
    'do what ever with the sorted results
Next

The next time I'm arrested for exposing myself in public, I'll know who to call.

Sorry.

vb.net Code:

Dim reader As New IO.StreamReader("file path here")
Dim fileContents As String = reader.ReadToEnd()
 
reader.Close()
 
Dim lines As String() = System.Text.RegularExpressions.Regex.Split(fileContents, Environment.NewLine)
Dim upperBound As Integer = lines.GetUpperBound(0)
Dim keys(upperBound) As String
Dim line As String
 
For index As Integer = 0 To upperBound Step 1
    line = lines(index)
    keys(index) = line.Substring(0, Math.Min(12, line.Length))
Next index
 
Array.Sort(keys, lines)

Howdy,

I wish to THANK everyone for their posts. I didn't follow exactly what y'all (I'm from the Republic of Texas) suggested. However, it pointed me in the right direction with the right subroutines. Now, I'm pretty busy at work and have litle time to devote to my "pet" projects. The following code is what I wrote from y'alls(Texan draw) suggestions. Not as eloquent or efficient, but functional. I like functional. Basically, I read my txt data into a string array, Parse the array into two other arrays, Sort, rejoin the the orignal sorted arrays and write it.

Private Sub SortButton_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles SortButton.Click
Dim data As New DataTable
Dim clTodayDate As Date = Date.Now
Dim iTodayMonth As Integer = clTodayDate.Month
Dim ThisMonthStreamReader As StreamReader
Dim stDayEventLine As String
Dim starEventData() As String ' includes keys and actual event
' "st" is a String and "ar" in an Array so the prefix "star" is a string array
Dim iUpperBoundIndex As Integer = 0
Dim stTempPath As String = "c:\program files\today\temp.txt"


Try
' create a temp file
Dim swTempEvent As StreamWriter = File.CreateText(stTempPath)

' Open this month
ThisMonthStreamReader = File.OpenText(GetPath(iTodayMonth))
stDayEventLine = ThisMonthStreamReader.ReadLine()


While Not stDayEventLine = Nothing
starEventData(iUpperBoundIndex) = stDayEventLine
iUpperBoundIndex += 1
stDayEventLine = ThisMonthStreamReader.ReadLine()
End While

Dim starKeys(iUpperBoundIndex) As String ' Keys of the Event
Dim starEvent(iUpperBoundIndex) As String ' Actual Event


For index As Integer = 0 To iUpperBoundIndex Step 1
starKeys(index) = starEventData(index).Substring(0, 11)
starEvent(index) = starEventData(index).Substring(12)
Next index

Array.Sort(starKeys, starEvent)

For index As Integer = 0 To iUpperBoundIndex Step 1
starEventData(index) = starKeys(index) + starEvent(index)
swTempEvent.WriteLine(starEventData(index))
Next index

File.Copy(stTempPath, GetPath(iTodayMonth), True)

Catch ex As Exception
' Let the user know what went wrong.
Console.WriteLine("The file could not be read:")
Console.WriteLine(ex.Message)

End Try

ThisMonthStreamReader.Close()
File.Delete(stTempPath)


End Sub
______________________________

I think this will work, however, I have not had time to test it.

rhgarrett