CODEWITHSUNDEEP
c#winformsvisual-studio-2010splitcsv
user2340818
user2340818

Reputation: 101

I want to split my string array using delimited characters except when in between quotation marks

Here is my code that splits my string array using delimited characters, but does not consider the issue in my title:

        char[] delimitedChars = { ',', '\n', '"' };
        words = stringamabob.Split(delimitedChars);

I want this all to be true EXCEPT I don't want the comma to be a delimited character when it is inbetween quotation marks.

For example, if I had:

stringamabob = one, two, three, "four, five", six

I would get:

words [0] = one

words [1] = two

words [2] = three

words [3] = four

words [4] = five

words [5] = six

Where as I want to get:

words [0] = one

words [1] = two

words [2] = three

words [3] = four, five

words [4] = six

Upvotes: 0

Views: 826

Answers (2)

Justin Pihony
Justin Pihony

Reputation: 67135

A regular expression like this seems to work:

"(.*)"|(\S*),|(\S*)$

As this rubular exhibits

You will end up with a match in group 1 (quotes) or group 2 (comma) or group 3 (end of line)

Upvotes: 1

Nick Udell
Nick Udell

Reputation: 2501

Try this, it won't work if you have quotes nested inside each other (which is rare), but it should work in all other cases.

string[] quotesplit = stringamabob.Split('"'); //Split by quotes.
char[] delimitedChars = { ',', '\n'}; //remove quotes from these delimiters because we've already split by them
List<string> words = new List<string>();
bool toggle = stringamabob.StartsWith("\""); //check if the first item is quoted
foreach(string chunk in quotesplit)
{
    if(toggle) //toggle is true when we're not inside quotes
    {
        words.AddRange(chunk.Split(delimitedChars));
    }
    else
    {
        words.Add(chunk);
    }
    toggle = !toggle;
}

Upvotes: 1

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