[Year 12 SofDev] Reading and Writing text data files in VB2010

Thu May 12 10:02:02 EST 2011

Yes, thanks! I was wondering about this yesterday, too.
I'm sure some of my more advanced students will demand to know how to do this! Great to be prepared :)

From: sofdev-bounces at edulists.com.au [mailto:sofdev-bounces at edulists.com.au] On Behalf Of Travis Parker
Sent: Thursday, 12 May 2011 9:49 AM
To: Year 12 Software Development Teachers' Mailing List
Subject: Re: [Year 12 SofDev] Reading and Writing text data files in VB2010

Wow Damien thanks for the speedy response - That's exactly what I need!

I'll try to get my application working and do a bit more practice working through the VITTA one as well (Jackson's pond emporium - Mine is based around that structure) then see where we end up. I was going to use a 2D array to store all of what you have as Values so I could read them all into the same place and sort by the priority (Last value in each line - 1, 2 or 3) but I can see 2D arrays are part of U4O1  not U3O2 so will get around that and send my (Hopefully fully functional) solution through!

Thanks again

Trav

From: sofdev-bounces at edulists.com.au [mailto:sofdev-bounces at edulists.com.au] On Behalf Of ATKINSON-BUCK, Damien
Sent: Thursday, 12 May 2011 9:38 AM
To: Year 12 Software Development Teachers' Mailing List
Subject: Re: [Year 12 SofDev] Reading and Writing text data files in VB2010

Mark, thanks for another great tutorial. Building on Marks work might be what you need Trav

One of the more common uses of reading a text file is to read various values of a CSV (comma separated values) file, where individual items (think fields of a flat file database) are read into an array for future processing. Visual Basic has a very nice easy way to do this using the Split function. Imagine that you have the above text file with the following data copied from this week's Aria charts;

1,WE RUN THE NIGHT,DJ Havana Brown,ISL/UMA
2,FROM THE MUSIC,The Potbelleez,VIC/UMA
3,WHAT HAPPENED TO USJessica Mauboy Feat. Jay Sean,SME
4,DANCE WITH ME,Justice Crew Feat. Flo Rida,SME
5,FRIDAY TO SUNDAY,Justice Crew,SME
6,MAYBE,Sick Puppies,VIR/EMI

        Dim TextFile As New System.IO.StreamReader("u:\albums.txt ")
        Dim strAlbumName As String
        strAlbumName = TextFile.ReadLine()
        Do Until strAlbumName Is Nothing
            'lstAlbums.Items.Add(strAlbumName)
            Dim Values() As String = Split(strAlbumName, ",")
            strAlbumName = TextFile.ReadLine()
       ' Values(0) now contains first column value,
       ' Values(1) contains second column, etc.
        Loop
        TextFile.Close()
        TextFile.Dispose()

Cheers
Damien Atkinson-Buck
Member of Academic Staff (Secondary)
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From: Travis Parker [mailto:Travis.Parker at beaconhills.vic.edu.au]
Sent: Thursday, 12 May 2011 9:26 AM
To: Year 12 Software Development Teachers' Mailing List
Subject: Re: [Year 12 SofDev] Reading and Writing text data files in VB2010

Thanks for that Mark. I have been using something similar with my students, particularly as the SAC I have written includes reading from a text file (A prototype helpdesk, including type of job, computer, priority, etc) and creating a new text file with jobs for the techies in a prioritised order.

One thing I was wondering though, does anyone have anything good on reading comma separated text files? All the programs I have gotten my students to create read them a line at a time, but I would ideally like to see something like this line - tim.cox, hardware, 12, ps40, 2 read into arrays. So I would have a "Name", "Issue", "Computer_Number", "Room_Number", "Priority" or something like that. I'm fine with the arrays, but how would I read it in word at a time (i.e. Between commas" rather than line at a time?

With many thanks for a first year SD newbie......

Trav

From: sofdev-bounces at edulists.com.au [mailto:sofdev-bounces at edulists.com.au] On Behalf Of Mark KELLY
Sent: Wednesday, 11 May 2011 12:45 PM
To: Year 12 Software Development Teachers' Mailing List
Subject: [Year 12 SofDev] Reading and Writing text data files in VB2010

Hi, you paragons of pedagogy.  I've been putting off teaching my kids how to read and write text data files in VB but having investigated today, it's not really more difficult than the days of VB6 with OPEN "file" FOR INPUT AS 1 ... INPUT #1, data.

I've attached an adapted tutorial on reading and writing text files with a task involving reading and writing a preferences file (with solution).

Once your kids can do data files, it greatly opens the scope for populating and playing with really large arrays and makes loops meaningful.

I remember how excited I was when I first discovered text files decades ago - it was like finding mum's car keys.  My programming world blossomed from that point.

--
Mark Kelly
Manager of ICT, Reporting, IT Learning Area
McKinnon Secondary College
McKinnon Rd McKinnon 3204, Victoria, Australia
Direct line / Voicemail: +613 8520 9085, Fax +613 9578 9253
kel at mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au<mailto:kel at mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au>
VCE IT Lecture Notes: http://vceit.com
Moderator: IT Applications Edulist

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