Re: create a .csv file using a variable as the name - C# Discussion Boards

darkelv14-Oct-07 16:02

14-Oct-07 16:02

I am not sure why MS decided to make CSV able to be imported into Excel by default. Quite a lot of people I know now, think that anything .CSV is an Excel file. Mad | :mad:

Re: Using streamwriter into xls. file

Dave Kreskowiak14-Oct-07 16:16

Dave Kreskowiak

14-Oct-07 16:16

darkelv wrote:
I am not sure why MS decided to make CSV able to be imported into Excel by default

Because it was too bloody easy?? Confused | :confused:

darkelv wrote:
Quite a lot of people I know now, think that anything .CSV is an Excel file.

That shows you how much they really know about Excel and CSV files. Pretty much nothing, right?

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Dave Kreskowiak
Microsoft MVP
Visual Developer - Visual Basic
2006, 2007

create a .csv file using a variable as the name

mocasu13-Oct-07 3:35

mocasu

13-Oct-07 3:35

Hi,

I would like to know how I can create a .csv file with today's date and a variable name.

I have the following:
int day = date.Day;
int month= date.Month;
int year= date.Year;
string str="hi";
int res="123";

Now I want to create a .csv file with the following name : 13102007_hi_123

I though of putting everything into a single string (lets' say, result) but then, how will the following code replace result with the string!? At present it creates a .csv file with the name of result

if (!File.Exists("c:\\code\\result.txt"))
{
File.Create("c:\\code\\result.txt");
}

Any help will be greatly appreciated...Cheers!

ALSO, can I add a heather that will be ignored by excel?

Re: create a .csv file using a variable as the name

Guffa13-Oct-07 4:04

Guffa

13-Oct-07 4:04

Separating the date into it's components isn't very useful. It's much easier to just format the date the way that you want: date.ToString("ddMMyyyy").

If you don't know how to concatenate strings and use variables instead of literal string values, you really need to pick up a beginners book and gets some basics down.

---
single minded; short sighted; long gone;

Re: create a .csv file using a variable as the name

mocasu13-Oct-07 4:08

mocasu

13-Oct-07 4:08

...I know how to concatenate strings! the problem is how I then refer to that "variable" when creating the .csv

Re: create a .csv file using a variable as the name

mocasu13-Oct-07 4:12

mocasu

13-Oct-07 4:12

...In case it is not clear...

int day = date.Day;
int month= date.Month;
int year= date.Year;
string str="hi";
int res="123";

string fileName = day + month + year + "_" + str + "_" + res

However, if I do : File.Create("c:\\code\\fileName.txt"), it creates a file with the name "fileName"...rather than the value of fileName

...any ideas?

Re: create a .csv file using a variable as the name

Colin Angus Mackay13-Oct-07 4:15

Colin Angus Mackay

13-Oct-07 4:15

Have you heard of string.Format()? Surely you must have seen it in the intellisence and wondered if it might be useful.

mocasu wrote:
File.Create("c:\\code\\fileName.txt"), it creates a file with the name "fileName"...rather than the value of fileName

Have you thought of also concatenating the file path into the string too?

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Re: create a .csv file using a variable as the name

mocasu13-Oct-07 4:25

mocasu

13-Oct-07 4:25

...what can I say...thanks both of you for being so ...

Re: create a .csv file using a variable as the name

Colin Angus Mackay13-Oct-07 4:30

Colin Angus Mackay

13-Oct-07 4:30

mocasu wrote:
...what can I say...thanks both of you for being so ...

"Sarcastic"? (That's the normal accusation) Rose | [Rose]

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Re: create a .csv file using a variable as the name

mocasu13-Oct-07 4:34

mocasu

13-Oct-07 4:34

...if that's what you think you were being...Not everybody thinks the same...All of us can finish it with something different, it is just a matter of judgement

Re: create a .csv file using a variable as the name

Colin Angus Mackay13-Oct-07 4:41

Colin Angus Mackay

13-Oct-07 4:41

mocasu wrote:
...if that's what you think you were being...

I didn't say that I thought it. I said it was what I (we) are normally accused of. Smile | :)

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Re: create a .csv file using a variable as the name

DaveX8613-Oct-07 4:57

DaveX86

13-Oct-07 4:57

go like this:

File.Create("c:\\code\\" + filename + ".txt");

It's one of those obvious things that you can't see...like having to look a little right or left to see a dim star.

Dave

Re: create a .csv file using a variable as the name [modified]

mocasu13-Oct-07 5:05

mocasu

13-Oct-07 5:05

Thanks a lot David! really appreciate...that is what i was looking for.

-- modified at 11:39 Saturday 13th October, 2007

Re: create a .csv file using a variable as the name

DaveX8613-Oct-07 5:19

DaveX86

13-Oct-07 5:19

You're welcome Smile | :)

Re: create a .csv file using a variable as the name

Dave Kreskowiak13-Oct-07 5:08

Dave Kreskowiak

13-Oct-07 5:08

Colins sarcasm came from the fact that you knew how to do string concantenation, but when it came to giving a string representing a filename, you suddenly forgot how to do string concantenation!

Someone told you that "1+1=2" and you said "I KNOW!!", then when they asked you "what's 1+1?", you said you didn't know!

A guide to posting questions on CodeProject[^]

Dave Kreskowiak
Microsoft MVP
Visual Developer - Visual Basic
2006, 2007

Re: create a .csv file using a variable as the name

mocasu13-Oct-07 5:25

mocasu

13-Oct-07 5:25

...and what "good" did sarcasm brought to the whole afair!? ...

I see your point Dave...
" but when it came to giving a string representing a filename, you suddenly forgot how to do string concantenation! "

It wasn't that I forgot,I just didn't know that it could be done like that...as you all might have gueesed by now I am new with this. Anyway, thanks to PIEBALconsul and David for the help

Re: create a .csv file using a variable as the name

Guffa13-Oct-07 6:27

Guffa

13-Oct-07 6:27

mocasu wrote:
It wasn't that I forgot,I just didn't know that it could be done like that...

That's why I'm saying that you should start with the basics.

If you only can use something in a way that you've seen it used before, you have only learned to mimic others, you haven't really learned how it works.

---
single minded; short sighted; long gone;

Re: create a .csv file using a variable as the name

DaveX8613-Oct-07 5:28

DaveX86

13-Oct-07 5:28

Dave Kreskowiak wrote:
Someone told you that "1+1=2" and you said "I KNOW!!", then when they asked you "what's 1+1?", you said you didn't know!

...depends on whether or not you're working in binary, hex, decimal, octal...you need to be more specific Smile | :)

Re: create a .csv file using a variable as the name

PIEBALDconsult13-Oct-07 5:31

PIEBALDconsult

13-Oct-07 5:31

Or strings.
Or meta information.

Re: create a .csv file using a variable as the name

Christian Graus13-Oct-07 10:33

Christian Graus

13-Oct-07 10:33

You need to buy a book on C# and read it. It's pretty basic stuff that anything in quotes, is a verbatim string. Your variable name becomes a variable name only when it's not in quotes.

@"c:\code\" + filename + ".txt";

Christian Graus - Microsoft MVP - C++

"I am working on a project that will convert a FORTRAN code to corresponding C++ code.I am not aware of FORTRAN syntax" ( spotted in the C++/CLI forum )

Re: create a .csv file using a variable as the name

Guffa13-Oct-07 5:51

Guffa

13-Oct-07 5:51

mocasu wrote:
...I know how to concatenate strings! the problem is how I then refer to that "variable" when creating the .csv

So you don't know how to use a variable instead of a literal string.

Here's an example:

This is some code with a literal string:

Console.WriteLine("Hello world!");

You can put the string in a variable and use that variable in place of the literal string:

string message;<br />
message = "Hello world!";<br />
Console.WriteLine(message);

This is very basic in programming, and what you are trying to do is on a much higher level. You should start with the basics before moving on to more complex things.

---
single minded; short sighted; long gone;

Re: create a .csv file using a variable as the name

PIEBALDconsult13-Oct-07 4:33

PIEBALDconsult

13-Oct-07 4:33

System.IO.FileInfo fi = new System.IO.FileInfo
(
    string.Format
    (
        "{0:ddMMyyyy}_{1}_{2}.csv"
    ,
        System.DateTime.Now    
    ,
        "hi"
    ,
        123
    )
) ;

using ( System.IO.FileStream tw = fi.OpenWrite() )
{
...
}

However, I do suggest you format the date as "yyyyMMdd" to comply with ISO 8601.

Don't bother testing for file existence unless you want to read it, not write it.
The OpenWrite will create the file if it doesn't exist, and overwrite it if it does.

Re: create a .csv file using a variable as the name

mocasu13-Oct-07 4:45

mocasu

13-Oct-07 4:45

Thanks for the info.;P

I was checking for file existance in case the file had already been created, so the new file should have some extra character in the name to differenciate them.

Re: create a .csv file using a variable as the name

PIEBALDconsult13-Oct-07 5:10

PIEBALDconsult

13-Oct-07 5:10

Well that's alright then.

Re: create a .csv file using a variable as the name

PIEBALDconsult13-Oct-07 5:19

PIEBALDconsult

13-Oct-07 5:19

System.IO.FileInfo fi ;
int seq = 0 ;

do
{
    fi = new System.IO.FileInfo
    (
        string.Format
        (
            "{0:ddMMyyyy}_{1}_{2:000}.csv"
        ,
            System.DateTime.Now
        ,
            "hi"
        ,
            ++seq
        )
    ) ;
} while ( fi.Exists ) ;

using ( System.IO.FileStream tw = fi.OpenWrite() )
{

}

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