[RESOLVED] Storing very large strings

**bergerkiller** · Mar 13th, 2011, 08:13 AM

I recently had to use my "String converter" to convert 20 lines of text to a single line of "VB .Net String coding". For example:

Code:

This is line one
This is line two
This is line three "with extra stuff"

Empty line above me

To:

Code:

"This is line one" & vbCrLf & "This is line two" & vbCrLf & "This is line three " & chr(34) & "with extra stuff" & chr(34) & vbCrLf & vbCrLf & "Empty line above me"

What is the best way to represent these types of Strings? For example, if you have to display a long message or just a label with information that changes. I was thinking of some sort of text file collection, but it is a little useless to have 100 text files of information of 5-6 lines...

How do you guys solve your "long Strings" issue?

**03myersd** · Mar 13th, 2011, 08:17 AM

Why not just use an array with a seperate element for each line?

**jmcilhinney** · Mar 13th, 2011, 08:17 AM

If you're talking about read-only data then use resources. If you're talking about read/write data then use settings. There's a page for each in the project properties and you access both using the My namespace.

**dbasnett** · Mar 13th, 2011, 08:23 AM

Originally Posted by 03myersd

Why not just use an array with a seperate element for each line?

Agreed, something like this maybe.

Code:

        Dim somelines() As String = New String() {"This is line one", _
                                                  "This is line two", _
                                                  "This is line three ""with extra stuff""", _
                                                  "", _
                                                  "Empty line above me"}
        For Each l As String In somelines
            Debug.WriteLine(l)
        Next

**bergerkiller** · Mar 13th, 2011, 08:25 AM

The my resources way is indeed a nice alternative to text files, never used the My Resources for String variables before.

Converting it to an array is possible, but then you will have to do it something like this:

Code:

        Dim newvarlines(4) As String
        newvarlines(0) = "This is line one"
        newvarlines(1) = "This is line two"
        newvarlines(2) = "This is line three " & Chr(34) & "With extra stuff" & Chr(34)
        newvarlines(3) = ""
        newvarlines(4) = "The line above me is empty"
        Dim newvar As String = ""
        For Each line As String In newvarlines
            If newvar <> "" Then newvar &= vbCrLf
            newvar &= line
        Next

Little long for my taste...

Maybe go with the '_' method?:

Code:

        Dim newvar As String = "This is line one" _
        & vbCrLf & "This is line two" _
        & vbCrLf & "This is line three " & Chr(34) & "With extra stuff" & Chr(34) _
        & vbCrLf & "" _
        & vbCrLf & "The line above me is empty"

**dbasnett** · Mar 13th, 2011, 08:36 AM

Originally Posted by bergerkiller

The my resources way is indeed a nice alternative to text files, never used the My Resources for String variables before.

Converting it to an array is possible, but then you will have to do it something like this:

Code:

        Dim newvarlines(4) As String
        newvarlines(0) = "This is line one"
        newvarlines(1) = "This is line two"
        newvarlines(2) = "This is line three " & Chr(34) & "With extra stuff" & Chr(34)
        newvarlines(3) = ""
        newvarlines(4) = "The line above me is empty"
        Dim newvar As String = ""
        For Each line As String In newvarlines
            If newvar <> "" Then newvar &= vbCrLf
            newvar &= line
        Next

Little long for my taste...

Maybe go with the '_' method?:

Code:

        Dim newvar As String = "This is line one" _
        & vbCrLf & "This is line two" _
        & vbCrLf & "This is line three " & Chr(34) & "With extra stuff" & Chr(34) _
        & vbCrLf & "" _
        & vbCrLf & "The line above me is empty"

I prefer the way I declared the array. Declaring it the way you have means two changes need to be made. Change the array dimension, and add the string.

It is still very unclear what you are doing???? What are these long strings? "...but it is a little useless to have 100 text files of information of 5-6 lines..."

**bergerkiller** · Mar 13th, 2011, 08:47 AM

It was an example, but to show one, here is what I had to do for the "Help" section in one of my programs. It had a label and two combo boxes with subjects:

Code:

Private Sub ComboBox1_SelectedIndexChanged(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles ComboBox1.SelectedIndexChanged
ComboBox2.Items.Clear()
If ComboBox1.SelectedItem = "Mod launcher" Then
ComboBox2.Items.Add("Battlefield 2/2142 Installation path")
ComboBox2.Items.Add("Starting Battlefield 2/2142")
ComboBox2.Items.Add("Backup system")
ComboBox2.Items.Add("Error support")
End If
If ComboBox1.SelectedItem = "Launch Settings" Then
ComboBox2.Items.Add("Run Mode")
ComboBox2.Items.Add("Resolution")
ComboBox2.Items.Add("Auto Login")
ComboBox2.Items.Add("Auto Join")
ComboBox2.Items.Add("Auto Level start")
End If
If ComboBox1.SelectedItem = "Single Player Settings" Then
ComboBox2.Items.Add("Amount bots")
ComboBox2.Items.Add("Bot skill")
ComboBox2.Items.Add("Team ratio")
ComboBox2.Items.Add("Ticket ratio")
ComboBox2.Items.Add("Score limit")
ComboBox2.Items.Add("Time limit")
ComboBox2.Items.Add("Spawn time")
ComboBox2.Items.Add("Time revivable")
ComboBox2.Items.Add("Enable free camera")
ComboBox2.Items.Add("Enable hitindicator")
ComboBox2.Items.Add("Friendly fire percentage")
ComboBox2.Items.Add("Auto record a demo")
End If
If ComboBox1.SelectedItem = "General Settings" Then
ComboBox2.Items.Add("Display nametags")
ComboBox2.Items.Add("Display fps")
ComboBox2.Items.Add("Backup function")
End If
End Sub

Private Sub ComboBox2_SelectedIndexChanged(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles ComboBox2.SelectedIndexChanged
If ComboBox2.SelectedItem = "Battlefield 2/2142 Installation path" Then helplabel.Text = "In order to use LPP Modlauncher, the Battlefield 2/2142 Installation path must be set. You can use the path of the Demo version."
If ComboBox2.SelectedItem = "Starting Battlefield 2/2142" Then helplabel.Text = "To start a mod, you first select one mod from the 'mods' list. After clicking a mod, the mod will be selected and a description of the mod will be given. You can click the 'launch mod' button to start your mod. It will then launch the game and display a message if the launch was successfull."
If ComboBox2.SelectedItem = "Error support" Then helplabel.Text = "If you need error support, you can visit our website. The website is displayed in the 'about' tab. You can post your findings and requests there."
If ComboBox2.SelectedItem = "Run Mode" Then helplabel.Text = "Battlefield 2/2142 can be started in two modes: Fullscreen and Windowed. By using the windowed mode, Battlefield 2/2142 will be launched in a window and debug messages will be shown. Fullscreen mode won't show the debug messages. To skip the into movies, you can check 'Skip movies'."
If ComboBox2.SelectedItem = "Resolution" Then helplabel.Text = "You can play Battlefield 2/2142 in a resolution. You can use this option if you have a widescreen monitor, to display Battlefield 2/2142 correctly."
If ComboBox2.SelectedItem = "Auto Login" Then helplabel.Text = "To skip the login screen, you can use auto login. Please notice that your user password is shown in the shortcut and can be retrieved. Do not use this feature on public computers. If you did use this on a public computer, you can erase it with the 'reset settings' button in the settings tab."
If ComboBox2.SelectedItem = "Auto Join" Then helplabel.Text = "To join a server on startup, you can use the 'auto join' feature. A port is required, if none is shown, you can use the default one: 16567. If the server needs a password, you type a password. If there is no password, leave the line blank. Same as auto login, the password of the server can be retrieved."
If ComboBox2.SelectedItem = "Auto Level start" Then helplabel.Text = "You can launch a level at startup. To do this, first select a Level and then a gamemode. If you have selected a Conquest gamemode, you can set the maximum of players. In Singleplayer that option is not enabled. If the Level you have selected shows no gamemodes, you can check 'allow custom gamemodes'."
If ComboBox2.SelectedItem = "Amount bots" Then helplabel.Text = "You can set the amount of bots by dragging the first bar. Notice that more bots require more CPU."
If ComboBox2.SelectedItem = "Bot skill" Then helplabel.Text = "You can set the strenght of the bots by dragging the second bar."
If ComboBox2.SelectedItem = "Team ratio" Then helplabel.Text = "You can set the team ratio by dragging the third bar. By positioning the bar in the middle, each team has the same amount of players. If your looking for a challenge, drag the bar to the left. If you want an easy game, drag the bar to the right."
If ComboBox2.SelectedItem = "Ticket ratio" Then helplabel.Text = "You can set the ticket ratio by dragging the fourth bar. By positioning the bar in the middle, the default amount of tickets will be used. Position it to the right to use more tickets, position it to the left to use less tickets."
If ComboBox2.SelectedItem = "Score limit" Then helplabel.Text = "By using a score limit, the game will end when one player reaches a certain score. Do not set this too low, or the game will end too quickly."
If ComboBox2.SelectedItem = "Time limit" Then helplabel.Text = "By using a time limit, the timer will appear and when it reaches 0, the game will end. It is not recommended to set this timer too low."
If ComboBox2.SelectedItem = "Spawn time" Then helplabel.Text = "The spawn time is the time it takes to spawn after your killed. By unchecking or setting the time to 0 you can respawn emediately after you died."
If ComboBox2.SelectedItem = "Time revivable" Then helplabel.Text = "You set the time medics can revive you by settings 'time revivable'. If you want an instant-kill game, you can uncheck this settings or set the time to 0."
If ComboBox2.SelectedItem = "Enable free camera" Then helplabel.Text = "If you want to look around while your killed, you can check 'Enable free camera'."
If ComboBox2.SelectedItem = "Enable hitindicator" Then helplabel.Text = "If you want to make the game real, you can uncheck the hit indicator by unchecking 'Enable hitindicator'."
If ComboBox2.SelectedItem = "Friendly fire percentage" Then helplabel.Text = "If you hate it being killed by your team, you can set the damage percentage of friendly damage. You can set the damage done by vehicles and damage done by soldier fire."
If ComboBox2.SelectedItem = "Auto record a demo" Then helplabel.Text = "You can record your Single Player games automaticly. The quality can be set. Use a high quality for a smooth recording. Use a low quality for performance during the game."
If ComboBox2.SelectedItem = "Display nametags" Then helplabel.Text = "If you want to show the player names, you can check 'Display Nametags'."
If ComboBox2.SelectedItem = "Display fps" Then helplabel.Text = "If you want to display the current framerate of Battlefield 2/2142, you can check 'Display FPS'."
If ComboBox2.SelectedItem = "Backup system" Then helplabel.Text = "The first time the LPP Modlauncher starts, a backup will be made of all the files of all the mods the modlauncher modifies. This is important incase you can no longer join internet servers. To restore, go to the 'settings' tab and click the 'restore settings' button. Then you select a backup and you select which mods to restore. To make a new backup, click the 'make backup' button. When you save in the 'general settings' window, a backup will be made as well. Please note that backups might not work properly when you switch between the retail version and the Demo."
If ComboBox2.SelectedItem = "Backup function" Then helplabel.Text = "Every time you save in the 'general settings' window, a backup will be made. This is done because the settings will be saved in the file 'GameLogicInit.con', and when this file is modified, Punkbuster may kick you from the server and you would have to re&#239;nstall the game. To ensure you won't have to re&#239;nstall, LPP Modlauncher makes a backup. See 'Mod launcher-Backup system' for more information."
End Sub

A liiiiitle sick

In a later app I had to add "code information" for the code text box. It now has around 200 text files containing syntax like this:

Code:

{ }
GeometryTemplate.create <StaticMesh> Test
Load a new geometry

The type of mesh
{ }
GeometryTemplate.create StaticMesh <Test>
Load a new geometry

The file name of the mesh
{}

Sow, I could store all info in arrays but that would make the code very long...
Storing in text files result in loading it into the program's resources...that takes long. In the app that used 200 text files I made it only load the file it had to load during run-time.
I was thinking of some sort of "String library", just as I made a "Image library" once. Just don't know how to make it as fast as possible and to allow quick loading of the data...

Sorta like a built-in function:
- Search library header for requested variable name
- Read string expression from the bounds defined in the header
- Close and return the string expression

Any ways, I need to find out a way to QUICKLY load the String in a LARGE collection of LARGE Strings.

Preferably modifiable as well...

**dbasnett** · Mar 13th, 2011, 10:08 AM

What does the code have to do with the text file format? A very large string would be 1GB.

There are other things you could do to make your code faster. This pattern

Code:

)
        If ComboBox1.SelectedItem = "Mod launcher" Then
            'lines removed
        End If
        If ComboBox1.SelectedItem = "Launch Settings" Then
            'lines removed
        End If
        If ComboBox1.SelectedItem = "Single Player Settings" Then
            'etc.

seems to imply that ComboBox1.SelectedItem can be multiple things at the same time. This would be better I think

Code:

)
        If ComboBox1.SelectedItem = "Mod launcher" Then
            'lines removed
        ElseIf ComboBox1.SelectedItem = "Launch Settings" Then
            'lines removed
        ElseIf ComboBox1.SelectedItem = "Single Player Settings" Then
            'etc.

You have a similar pattern for CB2.

**bergerkiller** · Mar 13th, 2011, 11:01 AM

I know, it was made when I first started coding .NET

It was working, so I didn't mind changing it.

I actually need some sort of way to represent the strings used. Since storing it in a file brings the read speed factor, it has to be stored in memory.

I managed to get some sort of resolution:

Code:

Public Class Information
    Public Shared ReadOnly Property HelpInfoErrorSupport()
        Get
            Return "If you need error support, you can visit our website." _
            & vbCrLf & "The website is displayed in the 'about' tab." _
            & vbCrLf & "You can post your findings and requests there."
        End Get
    End Property
    Public Shared ReadOnly Property HelpInfoInstallationPath()
        Get
            Return "In order to use LPP Modlauncher, the Battlefield 2/2142 Installation path must be set." _
            & vbCrLf & "You can use the path of the Demo version."
        End Get
    End Property
End Class

Code:

MessageBox.Show(Information.HelpInfoErrorSupport, "Error Support", MessageBoxButtons.OK, MessageBoxIcon.Information)

But I am actually more interested in what you guys would do. Say, you have to display changing information in your program or you want to use "localization" (different languages).

I just can't believe anyone would use arrays to represent their information...

**7777** · Mar 14th, 2011, 02:14 AM

There are plenty of examples of localization around the net. I recall early on when I was learning vb.net someone basically said never have a string in your code, always use string resources, so that your code can be localized.
When I was cutting my teeth on DNN I was exposed to resx files all the time, every string was in a resx, it seems like a good design principle, but also seems like a good bit of work for simple projects.

I was also told dont use mulitple if/then where you could use a case select, as case select is faster for complex if/thens. But honestly I cant say I have bench marked the difference.

**7777** · Mar 14th, 2011, 01:05 PM

After I went to bed last night I realized another way I have "created" larger strings. Use the VS designer, and set the text via the properties in the designer(including using copy/paste from say notepad). Then open up the class.designer.vb and find the text, you'll find the VS IDE has properly formatted the text, you can then copy and paste the formatted text to your string variable.

Code:

        Me.logTextBox.Text = "Hello," & Global.Microsoft.VisualBasic.ChrW(13) & Global.Microsoft.VisualBasic.ChrW(10) & Global.Microsoft.VisualBasic.ChrW(13) & Global.Microsoft.VisualBasic.ChrW(10) & "This is a test, and only a test" & Global.Microsoft.VisualBasic.ChrW(13) & Global.Microsoft.VisualBasic.ChrW(10) & Global.Microsoft.VisualBasic.ChrW(13) & Global.Microsoft.VisualBasic.ChrW(10) & "Thanks!"

**bergerkiller** · Mar 14th, 2011, 01:10 PM

Hehe too much of a hassle, I just made a small app for it that replace " chars by Chr(34) and lines to VbCrlf, formatted with & between parts. Works great.

Guess I'll be working more with storing my large strings in properties inside classes, so I can quickly change the way things are represented. For example, inside the property I can always change it to load the string from a localization file in the end.

**dbasnett** · Mar 14th, 2011, 03:29 PM

Originally Posted by bergerkiller

I know, it was made when I first started coding .NET

It was working, so I didn't mind changing it.

I actually need some sort of way to represent the strings used. Since storing it in a file brings the read speed factor, it has to be stored in memory.

I managed to get some sort of resolution:

Code:

Public Class Information
    Public Shared ReadOnly Property HelpInfoErrorSupport()
        Get
            Return "If you need error support, you can visit our website." _
            & vbCrLf & "The website is displayed in the 'about' tab." _
            & vbCrLf & "You can post your findings and requests there."
        End Get
    End Property
    Public Shared ReadOnly Property HelpInfoInstallationPath()
        Get
            Return "In order to use LPP Modlauncher, the Battlefield 2/2142 Installation path must be set." _
            & vbCrLf & "You can use the path of the Demo version."
        End Get
    End Property
End Class

Code:

MessageBox.Show(Information.HelpInfoErrorSupport, "Error Support", MessageBoxButtons.OK, MessageBoxIcon.Information)

But I am actually more interested in what you guys would do. Say, you have to display changing information in your program or you want to use "localization" (different languages).

I just can't believe anyone would use arrays to represent their information...

This code won't even compile, so I assume it was just an example.

This worked

Code:

Public Class Information

    Private Shared ReadOnly _HelpInfoErrorSupport As String = String.Join(Environment.NewLine, New String() _
                                                                          {"If you need error support, you can visit our website.", _
                                                                           "The website is displayed in the 'about' tab.", _
                                                                           "You can post your findings and requests there."})

    Private Shared ReadOnly _HelpInfoInstallationPath As String = String.Join(Environment.NewLine, New String() _
                                                                              {"In order to use LPP Modlauncher, the Battlefield 2/2142 Installation path must be set.", _
                                                                               "You can use the path of the Demo version."})

    Public ReadOnly Property HelpInfoErrorSupport() As String
        Get
            Return _HelpInfoErrorSupport
        End Get
    End Property

    Public ReadOnly Property HelpInfoInstallationPath() As String
        Get
            Return _HelpInfoInstallationPath
        End Get
    End Property

End Class

If this were me I would have an XML file

Code:

    <Messages> 

     <Message>
     <Name>Name_of_the_message</Name>  
     <text>Message text</text>
    </Message>

     <Message>
     <Name>Name_of_the_message</Name>  
     <text>Message text</text>
    </Message>

    </Messages>

Unless the number of messages is incredibly large the file access time would be negligible.

**bergerkiller** · Mar 14th, 2011, 04:27 PM

Cool trick with the String.Join. I always thought all that function did was the same as the "&" operator.

Thanks for the replies everyone, now got quite a lot of new ways to store large Strings in both code, resources and file. I really like that String.Join(vbNewLine, Array_of_lines) code, never used it before and it would take the "vbCrlf" usage down to a single time.

Sometimes I forget to look "outside the box", since I am used to add string elements together using & signs.

Thread: [RESOLVED] Storing very large strings

Thread Tools

Display

[RESOLVED] Storing very large strings

Re: Storing very large strings

Re: Storing very large strings

Re: Storing very large strings

Re: Storing very large strings

Re: Storing very large strings

Re: Storing very large strings

Re: Storing very large strings

Re: Storing very large strings

Re: Storing very large strings

Re: Storing very large strings

Re: Storing very large strings

Re: Storing very large strings

Re: Storing very large strings

Tags for this Thread

Posting Permissions