Vb.net convert array to comma delimeted string-CodePudding

I am reading through a csv file. Each line contains a comma delimeted string. I am trying to convert the string into an array in order to update a few strings with new values. I am using

 Lines(0) = "test, "The quick brown fox, ran through a log", Another sentence"
 words = Lines(0).Split(New Char() {","c})

The "The quick brown fox, ran through a log" is creating 2 entries in the words array

 words(0) = "test"
 words(1) = ""The quick brown fox"
 words(2) = "ran through a log""
 words(3) = "Another sentence"

how can I get the array to display as

 words(0) = "test"
 words(1) = ""The quick brown fox, ran through a log""
 words(2) = "Another sentence"

I then convert the words array back to a comma delimited string after I made my string changes

 newWords = String.Join(",", words.ToArray())

CodePudding user response：

It is ugly but it works. If you really want to you can replace the single quotes with double double quotes ("") in the final list. Explanations in line.

Private Sub Button2_Click(sender As Object, e As EventArgs) Handles Button2.Click
    Dim lst As New List(Of String)
    Dim s = "test, 'The quick brown fox, ran through a log', Another sentence"
    Dim sb As New StringBuilder
    Dim Count As Integer
    For Each c In s
        If c = ","c OrElse c = " "c Then 'ignore commas and spaces
            Continue For
        End If
        If c = "'"c AndAlso CountIsEven(Count) Then 'beginning quote
            lst.Add(sb.ToString) 'add existing string to list
            sb.Clear() 'and clear the string builder
            sb.Append(c) 'start a new string with the single quote
            Count  = 1 'increment the counter
            Continue For ' go to the next character in the string
        ElseIf c = "'"c AndAlso Not CountIsEven(Count) Then 'ending quote (an odd number of single quotes)
            sb.Append(c) 'add the single quote to the end of the sb
            lst.Add(sb.ToString) 'add to list
            sb.Clear() 'clear the sb, always clear after we add to list
            Count  = 1
            Continue For
        End If
        sb.Append(c) 'the character is not a single quote, comma, or space
    Next
    lst.Add(sb.ToString) 'Add the last string to the list
    For Each s In lst
        Debug.Print(s)
    Next
End Sub

Private Function CountIsEven(i As Integer) As Boolean
    If i Mod 2 = 0 Then
        Return True
    Else
        Return False
    End If
End Function

CodePudding user response：

One way is to replace the comma that is between quotation for some symbol that you know you'll not use anywhere, for example with "|". After the splitting is done you replace back the | by comma.

Dim i As Integer
Dim words() As String
Dim bQuoteStart As Boolean = False
Dim sTmp As String = "test, ""The quick brown fox, ran through a log"", Another sentence"
For i = 1 To sTmp.Length
    If Mid(sTmp, i, 1) = Chr(34) Then bQuoteStart = Not bQuoteStart
    If bQuoteStart AndAlso Mid(sTmp, i, 1) = "," Then sTmp = sTmp.Remove(i - 1, 1).Insert(i - 1, "|")
Next

words = sTmp.Split(New Char() {","c})
For i = 0 To words.Length - 1
    MsgBox(words(i).Replace("|", ","))
Next