[RESOLVED] How to count the lines of a text file situated on a server

[Netmaster]

How would I count the lines of a text file situated on a server?

I know that if the file is on my pc I just do this:

        Dim lines As String() = IO.File.ReadAllLines("C:\mytextfile.txt")
        msgbox("The text file has " & lines.Length & " lines.")

But what about if the file is on a server such as "http://www.mywebsite.com/mytextfile.txt"?

If try to download the file in memory and read it, it works fine:

Dim textfilet As String = client.DownloadString("http://www.mywebsite.com/mytextfile.txt")
            MsgBox(textfile)

But I just cannot find a way to count its lines.

Thank you in advance,

Andrea

[motil]

you can't get the count of lines because you downloading it as a string...

this is one way to do it:
first you download the file and save it, then you read it

  Dim client As New System.Net.WebClient
        client.DownloadFile("http://wwww.MyWebSite/test.txt", "test.txt")
        Dim lines As String() = IO.File.ReadAllLines("test.txt")
        MessageBox.Show(lines.Length)

[kleinma]

Try this:

            Using WC As New Net.WebClient
                Dim myFileContents As String = WC.DownloadString("URL TO TEXT FILE HERE")

                Dim myFileLines() As String = myFileContents.Split(New String() {Environment.NewLine}, System.StringSplitOptions.None)

                MsgBox("The text file has " & myFileLines.Length & " lines.")
            End Using

[motil]

well.. it appears that you CAN get the count of lines even if you download it as a string, here's how I did it:

   Dim client As New System.Net.WebClient
        Dim file As String = client.DownloadString("http://www.MyWebSite.com/test.txt")
        Dim lines As String() = file.Split(Environment.NewLine)
        MessageBox.Show(lines.Length)

you just split the string in the last byte of the line (0x0)

I'm not sure how secure this method is, but it works at least for what i tested.

[motil]

heh kleinma beat me :B

[kleinma]

well.. it appears that you CAN get the count of lines even if you download it as a string, here's how I did it:

   Dim client As New System.Net.WebClient
        Dim file As String = client.DownloadString("http://www.MyWebSite.com/test.txt")
        Dim lines As String() = file.Split(Environment.NewLine)
        MessageBox.Show(lines.Length)

you just split the string in the last byte of the line (0x0)

I'm not sure how secure this method is, but it works at least for what i tested.

There isn't a string.split() method that just takes a string parameter to split on. Only char, or you need to pass in the split options enum flag (see my example)

[motil]

well I tested it and it works..

[cicatrix]

well.. it appears that you CAN get the count of lines even if you download it as a string, here's how I did it:

   Dim client As New System.Net.WebClient
        Dim file As String = client.DownloadString("http://www.MyWebSite.com/test.txt")
        Dim lines As String() = file.Split(Environment.NewLine)
        MessageBox.Show(lines.Length)

you just split the string in the last byte of the line (0x0)

I'm not sure how secure this method is, but it works at least for what i tested.

Hmm, just wanted to add that Environment.NewLine is CRLF - for Windows.
There are OSs when only CR or only LF is used. If that text file was created in some other environment, this method wouldn't work.

[Netmaster]

Thank you guys!

both the codes you gave me works!

But I was trying count the lines of two text files on a server and return the count in only one text box.
Just to give you an example of what I am trying to do:

        Dim clientR As New System.Net.WebClient
        Dim clientB As New System.Net.WebClient
        Dim Rfile As String = clientEN.DownloadString("http://mywebsite.com/redcarlist.txt")
        Dim Bfile As String = clientIT.DownloadString("http://mywebsite.com/blackcarlist.txt")
        Dim Rlines As String() = Rfile.Split(Environment.NewLine)
        Dim Blines As String() = Bfile.Split(Environment.NewLine)
        MsgBox("There are " & Rlines.Length & " red cars in the list", vbNewLine, "There are " & Blines.Length & " black cars in the list")

Any idea on how to do that?

Thank you,

Andrea

[motil]

not the ideal way of doing this but ...

  TextBox1.Multiline = True
        TextBox1.Height = 40
        TextBox1.Width = 200
        TextBox1.Text = String.Format("There are {0}red cars in ths list{1} there are {2} cars in the list", Rlines.Length, Environment.NewLine,  Blines.Length)

[Netmaster]

Sorry but I do not understant.

Why did you put "textbox1"? I do not have textboxes in my form

[Netmaster]

Solved, it was easy but I was tierd and couldn't figured it out:

        Dim client1 As New System.Net.WebClient
        Dim file1 As String = client.DownloadString("URL/file1")
        Dim lines1 As String() = file1.Split(Environment.NewLine)
        Dim client2 As New System.Net.WebClient
        Dim file2 As String = client2.DownloadString("URL/file2")
        Dim lines2 As String() = file2.Split(Environment.NewLine)
        MsgBox("There are " & lines1.Length & " red cars" & vbNewLine & "There are " & lines2.Length & " black cars")