Use StreamReader to find text within file

Hello,

I'm trying to figure out how to search a text file looking for a word "VMware Tools", then read that line and extract only this specific part.
{AADE8E70-A924-4EDF-BD94-08A31758A531}

From this line:

VMware Tools {AADE8E70-A924-4EDF-BD94-08A31758A531} 20140214

Code:

---

int counter = 0;
            string line;

            System.IO.StreamReader file = new System.IO.StreamReader("C:\\temp\\list.txt");
            List<string> lines = new List<string>();
            while ((line = file.ReadLine()) != null)
            {
                if (line.Contains("VMware Tools"))
                {

                    //MessageBox.Show("found It");
                       

                    int x = counter - 1;
                    //Console.WriteLine(x); // this will write the line number not its contents

                    MessageBox.Show(x.ToString());
                }

                counter++;
            }

            file.Close();

---

I can get which line it is found on, but do not know how to code it to extract it into a variable.

Any help would be great.

Thanks,

-Mike

Try this:

Code:

---

MessageBox.Show(Line.ToString())

---

Hi dglienna,

I have it working with the way the code is now. But I need to find and/or search within the text file, looking for just "VM Tools", once found, next find numbers contained with the {}, like this {AADE8E70-A924-4EDF-BD94-08A31758A531}, then store this in a string or value.

Thanks,

-Mike

Doesn't it appear within that line in the messagebox?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by dglienna

Doesn't it appear within that line in the messagebox?

---

Yes, but I need to figure out how to just pull out the IdentifyingNumber , which will always be a number within {}

It might be helpful of you run this command on your computer to see the output.

wmic product list


Now open this file in Notepad++ to get the correct formatting correctly.
Here is a sample output line:

Description IdentifyingNumber InstallDate InstallLocation InstallState Name PackageCache SKUNumber Vendor Version
Microsoft Application Error Reporting {95120000-00B9-0409-0000-0000000FF1CE} 20140110 5 Microsoft Application Error Reporting C:\WINDOWS\Installer\9283634.msi Microsoft Corporation

So, if you use this as an example, say we need to find Microsoft Application Error Reporting and then read the number with th {}, which is {95120000-00B9-0409-0000-0000000FF1CE}, now store this in a value.

To recap and make it easier to understand.

Step # 1

Search for Microsoft Application Error Reporting first section of file.

Step # 2

Search that line for {95120000-00B9-0409-0000-0000000FF1CE}

Step # 3

Store this in a string or value.

Thanks again for any and all help on this code.

-Mike

Try something like this. Double check the indexes to make sure there aren't any off by 1 errors.

Code:

---

if (line.Contains("Microsoft Application Error Reporting"))
{
  var startIndex = line.IndexOf("{");
  var endIndex = line.IndexOf("}");

  if(startIndex != -1 && endIndex != -1)
  {
    var guid = new Guid(line.SubString(startIndex, endIndex - startIndex));
  }                   
}

---

or, pipe it to a text file. > outputfile.txt

Hi Arjay,

I tested the code and I'm getting this error message.

FormatException was unhandled

Guid should contain 32 digits with 4 dashes (xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx).

I look at a few MSDN articles, but did not find anything that I understand, to help myself with this error message.

Code:

---

private void button18_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
        {
            int counter = 0;
            string line;

            System.IO.StreamReader file = new System.IO.StreamReader("C:\\temp\\list.txt");
            List<string> lines = new List<string>();
            while ((line = file.ReadLine()) != null)
            {
                if (line.Contains("VMware Tools"))
                {
                    var startIndex = line.IndexOf("{");
                    var endIndex = line.IndexOf("}");

                    if (startIndex != -1 && endIndex != -1)
                    {
                        var guid = new Guid(line.Substring(startIndex, endIndex - startIndex));

                        counter++;

                        MessageBox.Show(line);
                    }
                    file.Close();
                    }
            }

---

Here is the contents of string line, it does have what I need in it.

line "VMware Tools {AADE8E70-A924-4EDF-BD94-08A31758A531} 20140214

Raw output here.

line "VMware Tools {AADE8E70-A924-4EDF-BD94-08A31758A531} 20140214 C:\\Program Files\\VMware\\VMware Tools\\ 5 VMware Tools C:\\Windows\\Installer\\23367.msi VMware, Inc. 9.2.0.15626 " string


Thanks,

-Mike

You can use string functions for that line

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by netman06

Hi Arjay,

I tested the code and I'm getting this error message.

FormatException was unhandled

Guid should contain 32 digits with 4 dashes (xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx).

I look at a few MSDN articles, but did not find anything that I understand, to help myself with this error message.

Code:

---

private void button18_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
        {
            int counter = 0;
            string line;

            System.IO.StreamReader file = new System.IO.StreamReader("C:\\temp\\list.txt");
            List<string> lines = new List<string>();
            while ((line = file.ReadLine()) != null)
            {
                if (line.Contains("VMware Tools"))
                {
                    var startIndex = line.IndexOf("{");
                    var endIndex = line.IndexOf("}");

                    if (startIndex != -1 && endIndex != -1)
                    {
                        var guid = new Guid(line.Substring(startIndex, endIndex - startIndex));

                        counter++;

                        MessageBox.Show(line);
                    }
                    file.Close();
                    }
            }

---

Here is the contents of string line, it does have what I need in it.

line "VMware Tools {AADE8E70-A924-4EDF-BD94-08A31758A531} 20140214

Raw output here.

line "VMware Tools {AADE8E70-A924-4EDF-BD94-08A31758A531} 20140214 C:\\Program Files\\VMware\\VMware Tools\\ 5 VMware Tools C:\\Windows\\Installer\\23367.msi VMware, Inc. 9.2.0.15626 " string


Thanks,

-Mike

---

All that is wrong is the SubString indexes are wrong on the new Guid(...) line. That's why I mentioned the following warning before my code snippet: "Double check the indexes to make sure there aren't any off by 1 errors."

Just change the code slightly from:

Code:

---

var guid = new Guid(line.Substring(startIndex, endIndex - startIndex));

---

to

Code:

---

var guidString = line.Substring(startIndex, endIndex - startIndex);
var guid = new Guid(guidString);

---

then put a breakpoint on the guid string and verify it's what you need.

Thanks, Arjay,

Got it working great, now I understand the index's, had to adjust it a few ticks and thanks to you I learn something new, using C#.

-Mike