storing information to a txt database.

storing information to a txt database.

• jackycn

  You could also use the My.Computer.Filesystem.WriteAllText method with the append option set to true top apppend contents to a file.

  However for what you are trying to achieve I would say a plain text file does not necessarily sound like the best approach - you could use an XML file which although a little bit more complicated to develop the code - will provide a better capability for searching and retrieving the data items, or even a simple database using Access or SQL Express.

  As scott said clearing items can be done using the clear and add methods on the listbox.items collection.

  A useful ebook to look at is

  http://msdn.microsoft.com/vbasic/learning/introtovb2005/

   This provides a nice walkthough on building a data centric application using a simple database. 

  
  

• comspy

  As Spotty mentioned, this may be a better application for a database - but if you really need (or want) to use text files, then here is some psuedo code to get you started:

  'Code to Save new Company
  '------------------------
  'Use a StringBuilder to build the text to save
  Dim sb As New System.Text.StringBuilder
  'Use String.Format to include headers for each line
  sb.AppendLine(String.Format("Company: {0}", CompanyTextBox.Text))
  sb.AppendLine(String.Format("Address: {0}", AddressTextBox.Text))
  sb.AppendLine(String.Format("Phone No.: {0}", PhoneNumberTextBox.Text))
  sb.AppendLine(String.Format("ABN: {0}", ABNTextBox.Text))

  'Create a StreamWriter to save the text
  'to disk
  Dim writer As System.IO.StreamWriter
  'Here we create the actual writer; several things
  'happen here... "path" should be a variable containing
  'the location to save the file e.g. c:\myfiles
  'We then use String.Format to create a filename
  'using CompanyName.txt - so each company will have its
  'own text file in the folder that "path" points to
  writer = System.IO.File.CreateText( _
  System.IO.Path.Combine( _
  path, String.Format("{0}.txt", CompanyTextBox.Text)))
  
  'now write the actual data
  writer.Write(sb.ToString)
  'close the file
  writer.Close()

  'Code to List all companies
  '--------------------------
  'Clear the current list
  ClientBox.Items.Clear()
  
  'Get the list of company text files stored in
  'the "path" location
  Dim files() As String
  files = System.IO.Directory.GetFiles(path, "*.txt")

  '(Note that you could make up your own extension
  'when the file is created; you don't have to use txt)
  'Add each file to the list

  For Each file As String In files

  ClientBox.Items.Add(System.IO.Path.GetFileName(file))

  Next

  'Code to display a single company - this
  'would go in the ClientList.DoubleClick event
  'handler in your case
  '--------------------------------------------
  'Make sure a file is selected

  If ClientBox.SelectedIndex > -1 Then

  'Get a StreamReader to read the text file
  Dim reader As System.IO.StreamReader

  reader = System.IO.File.OpenText(System.IO.Path.Combine(path, String.Format("{0}.txt", ClientBox.SelectedItem)))

  'Read the text file into the other box
  ClientInfoBox.Text = reader.ReadToEnd

  'Close the stream
  reader.Close()

  End If

  This code makes some assumptions about the objects (ClientBox is a ListBox, ClientInfoBox is a TextBox, ignored SendBox as I wasn't sure what it was for). Although this code is generic, it should give you some good starting points.

  HTH, GL!

  
  
  

• Hadrienlc

  You can use the StreamWriter class to output data to a text file. Something like this should work:
  

  Sub AppendDataToTextFile(ByVal data As String, ByVal path As String)
  Using writer As New StreamWriter(path, True)
  writer.WriteLine(data)
  End Using
  End Sub

  
  You can clear a list box by doing lb.Items.Clear (where lb is the name of the list box), and then insert items into it by using lb.Items.Add.

  -Scott Wisniewski

  
  
• storing information to a txt database.