[RESOLVED] Load Textfile into two listboxes with substring in one

[kshadow22]

I am working on a program that opens a textfile into two listboxes using this code for each listbox (under form1_load event):

Dim lines() As String = IO.File.ReadAllLines(Application.StartupPath & "\Tasks Config Files\Run Commands.txt")
ListBox1.Items.AddRange(lines)

However, the problem is that every line in the text has two segments and each half gets loaded individually into each listbox. For example, the text file looks like:

Command Prompt***cmd.exe
Task Manager***taskmgr.exe
System Configuration***msconfig.exe

Then when it loads into listbox1, it needs to be everything before the three aesteriks. Example:
Listbox1_Items()
Command Prompt
Task Manager
System Configuration

& for listbox2, everything after the three asteriks. Example:
Listbox2_Items()
cmd.exe
taskmgr.exe
msconfig.exe

I started working on this using this code:
Dim phrase As String = ListBox1.Items.Item(count).Split("***")(1)
and then I created a loop. However, I have not had any success. Again, I need to be able to load the substrings and afterstrings into the corresponding listboxes. Please help? Suggestions?

[jmcilhinney]

You're on the right track with the use of Split but, like every problem, you should work out the logic you need to implement before trying to write code to implement it. You don't need any programming experience to write an algorithm because it is something that can be implemented with pen and paper, so anyone can do that. So, what's your algorithm? Once you have a working algorithm, i.e. one that you can step through manually and get the desired result, then you actually have something to compare your code to as you write it. Not being able to write code when you don't know what it actually has to do is no real surprise. Work out what it has to do first.

[.paul.]

I can see a problem with your strategy. Presumably you're going to want to synchronize your scrolling with your 2 listboxes?

[.paul.]

JMcilhinney gave you good advice on how to approach programming generally. To answer this question...

Public Class Form1

    Private Sub Form1_Load(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles MyBase.Load
        Dim lines() As String = IO.File.ReadAllLines("E:\Desktop\Run Commands.txt")
        Dim first() As String = Array.ConvertAll(lines, Function(l As String) l.Split(New String() {"***"}, StringSplitOptions.RemoveEmptyEntries)(0))
        Dim second() As String = Array.ConvertAll(lines, Function(l As String) l.Split(New String() {"***"}, StringSplitOptions.RemoveEmptyEntries)(1))
        ListBox1.DataSource = first
        ListBox2.DataSource = second
    End Sub

    Private Sub ListBox1_SelectedIndexChanged(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles ListBox1.SelectedIndexChanged
        If ListBox1.Items.Count = 0 Or ListBox2.Items.Count = 0 Then Return
        ListBox2.SelectedIndex = ListBox1.SelectedIndex
    End Sub

    Private Sub ListBox2_SelectedIndexChanged(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles ListBox2.SelectedIndexChanged
        If ListBox1.Items.Count = 0 Or ListBox2.Items.Count = 0 Then Return
        ListBox1.SelectedIndex = ListBox2.SelectedIndex
    End Sub

End Class

[kshadow22]

JMcilhinney gave you good advice on how to approach programming generally. To answer this question...

Public Class Form1

    Private Sub Form1_Load(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles MyBase.Load
        Dim lines() As String = IO.File.ReadAllLines("E:\Desktop\Run Commands.txt")
        Dim first() As String = Array.ConvertAll(lines, Function(l As String) l.Split(New String() {"***"}, StringSplitOptions.RemoveEmptyEntries)(0))
        Dim second() As String = Array.ConvertAll(lines, Function(l As String) l.Split(New String() {"***"}, StringSplitOptions.RemoveEmptyEntries)(1))
        ListBox1.DataSource = first
        ListBox2.DataSource = second
    End Sub

    Private Sub ListBox1_SelectedIndexChanged(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles ListBox1.SelectedIndexChanged
        If ListBox1.Items.Count = 0 Or ListBox2.Items.Count = 0 Then Return
        ListBox2.SelectedIndex = ListBox1.SelectedIndex
    End Sub

    Private Sub ListBox2_SelectedIndexChanged(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles ListBox2.SelectedIndexChanged
        If ListBox1.Items.Count = 0 Or ListBox2.Items.Count = 0 Then Return
        ListBox1.SelectedIndex = ListBox2.SelectedIndex
    End Sub

End Class

Awesome!!!! You are awesome, thank you. Your code is very nicely written too.