Splitting a string

User 508833

if i have a string with multiple lines in it like this: 0 @IQLNP-M7@ INDI 1 NAME Benoni /THOMPSON/ 2 GIVN Benoni 2 SURN THOMPSON 1 AFN QLNP-M7 1 SEX M 1 SOUR @S01@ 1 BIRT 2 DATE 14 Apr 1782 2 PLAC Alstead, N.h. 1 DEAT 2 DATE 24 Oct 1857 2 PLAC Shalersville, N.h. 1 FAMS @F6073064@ 1 FAMC @F6073065@ 0 @IQLNP-KV@ INDI 1 NAME Job /THOMPSON/ 2 GIVN Job 2 SURN THOMPSON 1 AFN QLNP-KV 1 SEX M 1 SOUR @S01@ 1 FAMS @F6073065@ 0 @IQLNP-L2@ INDI 1 NAME Lovice /CRANE/ 2 GIVN Lovice 2 SURN CRANE 1 AFN QLNP-L2 1 SEX F 1 SOUR @S01@ 1 FAMS @F6073065@ ... how would i split it into chunks from the '0' lines to the '0' lines, like this: **Chunk 1** 0 @IQLNP-M7@ INDI 1 NAME Benoni /THOMPSON/ 2 GIVN Benoni 2 SURN THOMPSON 1 AFN QLNP-M7 1 SEX M 1 SOUR @S01@ 1 BIRT 2 DATE 14 Apr 1782 2 PLAC Alstead, N.h. 1 DEAT 2 DATE 24 Oct 1857 2 PLAC Shalersville, N.h. 1 FAMS @F6073064@ 1 FAMC @F6073065@ **Chunk 2** 0 @IQLNP-KV@ INDI 1 NAME Job /THOMPSON/ 2 GIVN Job 2 SURN THOMPSON 1 AFN QLNP-KV 1 SEX M 1 SOUR @S01@ 1 FAMS @F6073065@ **Chunk 3** 0 @IQLNP-L2@ INDI 1 NAME Lovice /CRANE/ 2 GIVN Lovice 2 SURN CRANE 1 AFN QLNP-L2 1 SEX F 1 SOUR @S01@ 1 FAMS @F6073065@ ... etc. thanks, Rob -- There are 10 kinds of people. Those who understand binary and those who don't.

Nick Parker

When reading one line at a time check the value of the first character, if it is '0' you have reached your break point, else append it (a StringBuilder object would work nicely here). There are articles available for reading files in C# if this is what you are asking about. HTH. :) -Nick Parker

A Wegierski

Search for "\n0 @" in string (or use something faster like StringBuilder). Like this (check syntax, not tested): string multiple=" ... "; ArrayList chunks=new ArrayList(1); while(multiple!="") { int p=multiple.IndexOf("\n0 @"); if(p<0) { chunks.Add(multiple); break; } chunks.Add(multiple.Substring(0,p)); multiple=multiple.Substring(p+1); } Hi, AW

User 508833

could i use the string.split method and use "\n0 @" as the delimeter? btw, what does the @ mean in '\n0 @'? thanks for the help, Rob -- There are 10 kinds of people. Those who understand binary and those who don't.

User 508833

i started out by reading each line one by one with a streamreader but i didn't want to access the file everytime i needed it so i read the whole thing at once and dumped it into a string. now i just need to figure out how to split the string up. i'll look into the stringbuilder class though. thanks, Rob -- There are 10 kinds of people. Those who understand binary and those who don't.

A Wegierski

1. No. Unfortunately Split method uses chars ... You must use above one character "\n0" 2. All Your "0" groups starts with " @" after "0". It is unnecessary, new line and zero will be enough. Hi, AW

Philip Fitzsimons

use RegExp

"When the only tool you have is a hammer, a sore thumb you will have."

Donald_a

This seems to work - i'm sure it can be optimised though:

			//Your string
			string s = "0 @IQLNP-M7@ INDI" + Environment.NewLine;
			s += "1 NAME Benoni /THOMPSON/" + Environment.NewLine;
			s += "2 GIVN Benoni" + Environment.NewLine;
			s += "2 SURN THOMPSON" + Environment.NewLine;
			s += "1 AFN QLNP-M7" + Environment.NewLine;
			s += "1 SEX M" + Environment.NewLine;
			s += "1 SOUR @S01@" + Environment.NewLine;
			s += "1 BIRT" + Environment.NewLine;
			s += "2 DATE 14 Apr 1782" + Environment.NewLine;
			s += "2 PLAC Alstead, N.h." + Environment.NewLine;
			s += "1 DEAT" + Environment.NewLine;
			s += "2 DATE 24 Oct 1857" + Environment.NewLine;
			s += "2 PLAC Shalersville, N.h." + Environment.NewLine;
			s += "1 FAMS @F6073064@" + Environment.NewLine;
			s += "1 FAMC @F6073065@" + Environment.NewLine;
			s += "0 @IQLNP-KV@ INDI" + Environment.NewLine;
			s += "1 NAME Job /THOMPSON/" + Environment.NewLine;
			s += "2 GIVN Job" + Environment.NewLine;
			s += "2 SURN THOMPSON" + Environment.NewLine;
			s += "1 AFN QLNP-KV" + Environment.NewLine;
			s += "1 SEX M" + Environment.NewLine;
			s += "1 SOUR @S01@" + Environment.NewLine;
			s += "1 FAMS @F6073065@" + Environment.NewLine;
			s += "0 @IQLNP-L2@ INDI" + Environment.NewLine;
			s += "1 NAME Lovice /CRANE/" + Environment.NewLine;
			s += "2 GIVN Lovice" + Environment.NewLine;
			s += "2 SURN CRANE" + Environment.NewLine;
			s += "1 AFN QLNP-L2" + Environment.NewLine;
			s += "1 SEX F" + Environment.NewLine;
			s += "1 SOUR @S01@" + Environment.NewLine;
			s += "1 FAMS @F6073065@" + Environment.NewLine;

			//We are going to make our way through the string looking for Environment.NewLine + "0 "
			//this is our current index.
			int index = 0;
			//To hold indexes of found strings
			System.Collections.ArrayList indexList = new System.Collections.ArrayList();
			//Start with zero
			indexList.Add(0);
			//Loop until none found
			while (index != -1)
			{
				//Look for index
				index = s.IndexOf(Environment.NewLine + "0 ", index + 1, s.Length - (index + 1));		
				
				//Add if found
				if(index != -1)
				{
					indexList.Add(index);	
				}
			}

			//string array to, hold split strings
			string[] splitStrings = new string[indexList.Count];
			
			//Loop over our indexes
			for(int i = 0 ; i < indexList.Count ; i++)
			{
				//if ots the last one - get string to end
				if(i == indexList.Count - 1)
				{
					splitStrings[i] = s.Substring(Convert.ToInt32(indexList[i]), s.Length -