Develop Reference

Cannot Create a file when using File.Move Error

I have a .csv file as the attached image which has a list of folders and files . I would like to read the .csv file and recreate the same folder structure under different folder.
Say for example I have C:\Data\SourceFolder\Folder2\Folder4\File1.txt , I would like the file to be moved to C:\Data\FilesCopiedfromC\SourceFolder\Folder2\Folder4\File1.txt . In the above destinaton path , the C:\Data\FilesCopiedfromC is going to be the same always . I am able to create the folder structure in the destination but when I do the file.move from source to destination I get a "File cannot be created when it already exists error".
try
{
string inputfile = textBox1.Text.ToString();
using(StreamReader reader = new StreamReader(inputfile))
{
string headerline = reader.ReadLine();
Boolean firstline = true;
string line = string.Empty;
string SourceFileNameCSV;
string SourceFilePathCSV,totalSourceFilePath, strConstructedDestinationfullpath;
string[] parts;
while ((line = reader.ReadLine()) != null)
{
char[] delimiters = new char[] { ',' };
parts= line.Split(delimiters);
if (parts.Length > 0)
{
SourceFilePathCSV = parts[0];
SourceFileNameCSV = parts[1];
totalSourceFilePath = SourceFilePathCSV + "\\" + SourceFileNameCSV;
strDestinationDynamicPath = SourceFilePathCSV.Replace("C:\\Data\\", " ").TrimEnd();
strConstructedDestinationfullpath = Path.Combine(strDestinationStaticPath, strDestinationDynamicPath);
if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(strConstructedDestinationfullpath))
{
if (!Directory.Exists(strDestinationDynamicPath))
{
Directory.CreateDirectory(strConstructedDestinationfullpath);
}
// File.Move(totalSourceFilePath, strConstructedDestinationfullpath);
}
}
}
}
}//try
Any help is appreciated.

You need to specify a file name for the destination, currently you are just providing a path:
File.Move(
totalSourceFilePath,
Path.Combine(strConstructedDestinationfullpath, Path.GetFileName(totalSourceFilePath));

It's because, apparently, the file already exists in the destination. What you can do is check if the file exists an delete if so:
if (System.IO.File.Exists("filename"))
{
//delete
System.IO.File.Delete("filename"); //try/catch exception handling
needs to be implemented
}

C# Change specific lines in file

I have a text file containing some information that I want to edit. The file looks something like this:
id: 31
name: Anna
profession: Doctor
I can read that entry with a StreamReader, and present it in my application. I then want the user to be able to change the name and profession of an entry, so I'd like to edit these specific rows to the new values, while keeping id intact (in my real code, there's not just a few rows, but a lot of rows where only some should be changed). So, for example, I want the file, at the end of my operation, to look like this.
id: 31
name: Emma
profession: Programmer
However, I also have to take into account that sometimes the rows don't exist beforehand. For example, before editing Anna to Emma, it's not certain that she had a profession, the file could have looked like this:
id: 31
name: Anna
And in that case, I want to add the line profession: Programmerto the end there.
I tried using a FileStreamwith ReadWrite access, that I give to a StreamReader and a StreamWriter, but then I found no way of changing or replacing a line of text, only reading it and writing a new identical line while keeping the old.
using (FileStream fileStream = new FileStream(filePath, FileMode.Open, FileAccess.ReadWrite))
using (StreamReader reader = new StreamReader(fileStream))
using (StreamWriter writer = new StreamWriter(fileStream))
{
bool idExists = false;
bool nameExists = false;
bool tagsExist = false;
string line;
while((line = reader.ReadLine()) != null)
{
if (line.StartsWith("id:"))
idExists = true;
else if (line.StartsWith("name:"))
{
nameExists = true;
line = $"name: {entryToSave.Name}";
writer.WriteLine(line); // Will write an additional line and not replace
}
else if (line.StartsWith("profession:"))
{
professionExists = true;
line = $"profession: {entryToSave.Profession}";
writer.WriteLine(line); // Will write an additional line and not replace
}
}
if (!idExists)
writer.WriteLine($"id: {generatedId}");
if (!nameExists)
writer.WriteLine($"name: {entryToSave.Name}");
if (!professionExists)
writer.WriteLine($"profession: {entryToSave.Profession}");
}
I also tried using File.ReadAllLines, loop through the lines, and then write back all the lines to the file, only modifying the lines that were to be modified. However, I don't have access to the file through File.WriteAllLines for some reason that I don't understand, as a StreamWriter has access. Code:
var previousData = File.ReadAllLines(filePath);
var newData = new List<string>();
bool idExists = false;
bool nameExists = false;
bool professionExists = false;
for (int i = 0; i < previousData.Length; i++)
{
var line = previousData[i];
if (line.StartsWith("id:")
idExists = true;
else if (line.StartsWith("name:")
{
nameExists = true;
line = $"name: {entryToSave.Name}";
}
else if (line.StartsWith("profession:"))
{
professionExists = true;
line = $"profession: {entryToSave.Profession}";
}
newData.Add(line);
}
if (!idExists)
newData.Add($"id: {generatedId}");
if (!nameExists)
newData.Add($"name: {entryToSave.Name}");
if (!professionExists)
newData.Add($"profession: {entryToSave.Profession}");
File.WriteAllLines(filePath, newData.ToArray()); // Access denied
How is this most easily achieved, without file streams interfering with each other?

If you've already presented the data to the user in entries, enabling the user to edit name and profession, you could just read the file, get the ID and fill the remainder of the file with the value of the entries. The following is an example console application.
static void Main(string[] args)
{
var filePath = "test.txt";
// Simulated input from user
// these should come from entries in the application?
var name = "Foo";
var profession = "Bar";
var personData = new PersonData(); // class declared below
using (FileStream fileStream = new FileStream(filePath, FileMode.Open, FileAccess.ReadWrite))
using (StreamReader reader = new StreamReader(fileStream))
{
string line;
while ((line = reader.ReadLine()) != null)
{
if (line.StartsWith("id:"))
personData.ID = line;
}
} // Now reader and filestream is closed, file is available again.
// You don't specify what you would like to happen if personData.ID is null,
// so I make an assumption the generatedId is what you'd like to use.
if (string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(personData.ID)
personData.ID = $"id: {generatedId}";
// Add the data from the entries
personData.Name = $"name: {name}";
personData.Profession = $"profession: {profession}";
File.Delete(filePath); // remove the file
using (FileStream fileStream = new FileStream(filePath, FileMode.OpenOrCreate, FileAccess.ReadWrite))
using (StreamWriter writer = new StreamWriter(fileStream))
{
writer.WriteLine(personData.ID);
writer.WriteLine(personData.Name);
writer.WriteLine(personData.Profession);
}
}
private class PersonData
{
public string ID { get; set; }
public string Name { get; set; }
public string Profession { get; set; }
}
Now you just have to find out how to get access to the file if you're having permission problems.

Writing a specific line from one text file to other text file using c#

I Am using sharp develop. I am making a Win App using C# . I want my program check a text file named test in drive c: and find the line which contains "=" and then write this line to other newly created text file in drive c: .

Try this one-liner:
File.WriteAllLines(destinationFileName,
File.ReadAllLines(sourceFileName)
.Where(x => x.Contains("=")));

Here's another simple way using File.ReadLines, Linq's Where and File.AppendAllLines
var path1 = #"C:\test.txt";
var path2 = #"C:\test_out.txt";
var equalLines = File.ReadLines(path1)
.Where(l => l.Contains("="));
File.AppendAllLines(path2, equalLines.Take(1));

using(StreamWriter sw = new StreamWriter(#"C:\destinationFile.txt"))
{
StreamReader sr = new StreamReader(#"C:\sourceFile.txt");
string line = String.Empty;
while ((line = sr.ReadLine()) != null)
{
if (line.Contains("=")) { sw.WriteLine(line)); }
}
sr.Close();
}

Have you tried something?
Here are two ways to read a file:
Use static methods available in File class. ReadAllLines to be specific. This is good enough if you are dealing with small files. Next, once you have the array, just find the item with "=" using LINQ or by any other iteration method. Once you got the line, again use File class to create and write data to the file.
If you are dealing with large files, use Stream. Rest remains fairly same.

if (File.Exists(txtBaseAddress.Text))
{
StreamReader sr = new StreamReader(txtBaseAddress.Text);
string line;
string fileText = "";
while ((line = sr.ReadLine()) != null)
{
if (line.Contains("="))
{
fileText += line;
}
}
sr.Close();
if (fileText != "")
{
try
{
StreamWriter sw = new StreamWriter(txtDestAddress.Text);
sw.Write(fileText);
sw.Close();
}
catch (Exception ex)
{
MessageBox.Show(ex.Message);
}
}
}

a bit edited Furqan's answer
using (StreamReader sr = new StreamReader(#"C:\Users\Username\Documents\a.txt"))
using (StreamWriter sw = new StreamWriter(#"C:\Users\Username\Documents\b.txt"))
{
int counter = 0;
string line = String.Empty;
while ((line = sr.ReadLine()) != null)
{
if (line.Contains("="))
{
sw.WriteLine(line);
if (++counter == 4)
{
sw.WriteLine();
counter = 0;
}
}
}
}

StreamWriter.WriteLine method cuts off next line

I am trying to go line by line through text file using stream reader, and when I encounter specific text, I want to add a new line into that file. But when I do so, next line's first part(about half) gets cut off. I want to do that only once, that's why "skip" variable is there. Here is what I am doing:
var fileStream = new FileStream(fileName, FileMode.Open);
var writer = new StreamWriter(fileStream);
var reader = new StreamReader(fileName);
string line;
var skip = false;
using (writer) {
using (reader) {
while ((line = reader.ReadLine()) != null) {
if (line.Contains("some text") && !skip) {
writer.WriteLine("some text something else");
skip = true;
}
}
}
}
fileStream.Close();
Am I doing something wrong here?

EDIT: Aargh, I've just seen that you're trying to read and write to the same file.
You shouldn't do that - it's replacing the existing text, rather than inserting extra data. You can't just insert data within a file - that's not how file systems work.
Instead, read from one file, write to another file, and then move the files around afterwards if you need to.
I'd also suggest that you have using statements for the whole scope of a variable, rather than using them the way you have here. Something like this:
void CopyAndEdit(string inputFile, string outputFile)
{
// In .NET 4 you can use File.ReadLines which will
// return an IEnumerable<string>
using (TextReader reader = File.OpenText(inputFile))
{
using (TextWriter writer = File.CreateText(outputFile))
{
bool editing = true;
string line;
while ((line = reader.ReadLine()) != null)
{
writer.WriteLine(line);
if (editing && line.Contains("some text"))
{
editing = false;
writer.WriteLine("some text something else");
}
}
}
}
}

Edit a specific Line of a Text File in C#

I have two text files, Source.txt and Target.txt. The source will never be modified and contain N lines of text. So, I want to delete a specific line of text in Target.txt, and replace by an specific line of text from Source.txt, I know what number of line I need, actually is the line number 2, both files.
I haven something like this:
string line = string.Empty;
int line_number = 1;
int line_to_edit = 2;
using StreamReader reader = new StreamReader(#"C:\target.xml");
using StreamWriter writer = new StreamWriter(#"C:\target.xml");
while ((line = reader.ReadLine()) != null)
{
if (line_number == line_to_edit)
writer.WriteLine(line);
line_number++;
}
But when I open the Writer, the target file get erased, it writes the lines, but, when opened, the target file only contains the copied lines, the rest get lost.
What can I do?

the easiest way is :
static void lineChanger(string newText, string fileName, int line_to_edit)
{
string[] arrLine = File.ReadAllLines(fileName);
arrLine[line_to_edit - 1] = newText;
File.WriteAllLines(fileName, arrLine);
}
usage :
lineChanger("new content for this line" , "sample.text" , 34);

You can't rewrite a line without rewriting the entire file (unless the lines happen to be the same length). If your files are small then reading the entire target file into memory and then writing it out again might make sense. You can do that like this:
using System;
using System.IO;
class Program
{
static void Main(string[] args)
{
int line_to_edit = 2; // Warning: 1-based indexing!
string sourceFile = "source.txt";
string destinationFile = "target.txt";
// Read the appropriate line from the file.
string lineToWrite = null;
using (StreamReader reader = new StreamReader(sourceFile))
{
for (int i = 1; i <= line_to_edit; ++i)
lineToWrite = reader.ReadLine();
}
if (lineToWrite == null)
throw new InvalidDataException("Line does not exist in " + sourceFile);
// Read the old file.
string[] lines = File.ReadAllLines(destinationFile);
// Write the new file over the old file.
using (StreamWriter writer = new StreamWriter(destinationFile))
{
for (int currentLine = 1; currentLine <= lines.Length; ++currentLine)
{
if (currentLine == line_to_edit)
{
writer.WriteLine(lineToWrite);
}
else
{
writer.WriteLine(lines[currentLine - 1]);
}
}
}
}
}
If your files are large it would be better to create a new file so that you can read streaming from one file while you write to the other. This means that you don't need to have the whole file in memory at once. You can do that like this:
using System;
using System.IO;
class Program
{
static void Main(string[] args)
{
int line_to_edit = 2;
string sourceFile = "source.txt";
string destinationFile = "target.txt";
string tempFile = "target2.txt";
// Read the appropriate line from the file.
string lineToWrite = null;
using (StreamReader reader = new StreamReader(sourceFile))
{
for (int i = 1; i <= line_to_edit; ++i)
lineToWrite = reader.ReadLine();
}
if (lineToWrite == null)
throw new InvalidDataException("Line does not exist in " + sourceFile);
// Read from the target file and write to a new file.
int line_number = 1;
string line = null;
using (StreamReader reader = new StreamReader(destinationFile))
using (StreamWriter writer = new StreamWriter(tempFile))
{
while ((line = reader.ReadLine()) != null)
{
if (line_number == line_to_edit)
{
writer.WriteLine(lineToWrite);
}
else
{
writer.WriteLine(line);
}
line_number++;
}
}
// TODO: Delete the old file and replace it with the new file here.
}
}
You can afterwards move the file once you are sure that the write operation has succeeded (no excecption was thrown and the writer is closed).
Note that in both cases it is a bit confusing that you are using 1-based indexing for your line numbers. It might make more sense in your code to use 0-based indexing. You can have 1-based index in your user interface to your program if you wish, but convert it to a 0-indexed before sending it further.
Also, a disadvantage of directly overwriting the old file with the new file is that if it fails halfway through then you might permanently lose whatever data wasn't written. By writing to a third file first you only delete the original data after you are sure that you have another (corrected) copy of it, so you can recover the data if the computer crashes halfway through.
A final remark: I noticed that your files had an xml extension. You might want to consider if it makes more sense for you to use an XML parser to modify the contents of the files instead of replacing specific lines.

When you create a StreamWriter it always create a file from scratch, you will have to create a third file and copy from target and replace what you need, and then replace the old one.
But as I can see what you need is XML manipulation, you might want to use XmlDocument and modify your file using Xpath.

You need to Open the output file for write access rather than using a new StreamReader, which always overwrites the output file.
StreamWriter stm = null;
fi = new FileInfo(#"C:\target.xml");
if (fi.Exists)
stm = fi.OpenWrite();
Of course, you will still have to seek to the correct line in the output file, which will be hard since you can't read from it, so unless you already KNOW the byte offset to seek to, you probably really want read/write access.
FileStream stm = fi.Open(FileMode.OpenOrCreate, FileAccess.ReadWrite, FileShare.None);
with this stream, you can read until you get to the point where you want to make changes, then write. Keep in mind that you are writing bytes, not lines, so to overwrite a line you will need to write the same number of characters as the line you want to change.

I guess the below should work (instead of the writer part from your example). I'm unfortunately with no build environment so It's from memory but I hope it helps
using (var fs = File.Open(filePath, FileMode.Open, FileAccess.ReadWrite)))
{
var destinationReader = StreamReader(fs);
var writer = StreamWriter(fs);
while ((line = reader.ReadLine()) != null)
{
if (line_number == line_to_edit)
{
writer.WriteLine(lineToWrite);
}
else
{
destinationReader .ReadLine();
}
line_number++;
}
}

The solution works fine. But I need to change single-line text when the same text is in multiple places. For this, need to define a trackText to start finding after that text and finally change oldText with newText.
private int FindLineNumber(string fileName, string trackText, string oldText, string newText)
{
int lineNumber = 0;
string[] textLine = System.IO.File.ReadAllLines(fileName);
for (int i = 0; i< textLine.Length;i++)
{
if (textLine[i].Contains(trackText)) //start finding matching text after.
traced = true;
if (traced)
if (textLine[i].Contains(oldText)) // Match text
{
textLine[i] = newText; // replace text with new one.
traced = false;
System.IO.File.WriteAllLines(fileName, textLine);
lineNumber = i;
break; //go out from loop
}
}
return lineNumber
}