How to read words from a text file and store them in an string array?

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I am working on an hangman project. I completed everything. I am keeping words as an array such as below;

C#

string[] words = new string[10] { "SCHOOL", "COMPUTER", "BOOK", "STORY", "APPLE", "TRANSPARENT", "MEDITERRANEAN", "CAT", "RABBIT", "RANDOM" };

But I want to read them from a text file. I searched and found this. However, I cant apply to my project.

C#

{
          string line;
      //  openFileDialog1.Title = "Openfile";
      //  openFileDialog1.ShowDialog();
      //  StreamReader rdLine = new StreamReader(openFileDialog1.FileName);
          StreamReader rdLine = new StreamReader("C:/cmpe414/2012Fall/iostreamExample/sonuc.txt");
         while ((line = rdLine.ReadLine()) != null)
            {
                MessageBox.Show(line);
                textBox3.Text += line + (char)13 + (char)10;
            }
            rdLine.Close();
        }

Posted 25-Nov-12 2:22am

FoxRoot

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2 solutions

Solution 2

By far the simplest way to do this would be to create a text file in Notepad, lets call it Hangman_Words.txt, with one word per line, e.g.

SCHOOL
COMPUTER
BOOK
etc...

and then read the file directly into a string array using the File.ReadAllLines method.

C#

string[] words = System.IO.File.ReadAllLines("c:\dir\Hangman_Words.txt");

That's it really.

[EDIT} and you see that OriginalGriff and I are in complete agreement.

Alan.

Posted 25-Nov-12 2:31am

Alan N

Updated 25-Nov-12 2:33am

v3

Comments

FoxRoot 25-Nov-12 8:33am

Firstly; System.IO.File.ReadAllLines this does not exist on my IDE(VS2010) and also I need to read words by words.

OriginalGriff 25-Nov-12 8:39am

Um - yes it does... it's been part of .NET since at least version 2.0!

FoxRoot 25-Nov-12 8:44am

Should I import something ?

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OriginalGriff · Accepted Answer · 2012-11-25T02:26:00

Solution 1

The easiest way is to store your words one per line in your text file.
You can then read them all into a string arry with one statement:

C#

string[] words = File.ReadAllLines(path);

Posted 25-Nov-12 2:26am

OriginalGriff

Comments

FoxRoot 25-Nov-12 8:31am

But I want to read words by words. My text content is like that;
Cat Car Apple and so on
it should read words by words.

OriginalGriff 25-Nov-12 8:37am

If they are separated by spaces, then you can read the file in using
string data = File.ReadAllText(path);
string[] words = data.Split(' ', '\n');
The Split will work on spaces and newlines, so it should cover short lines as well.

FoxRoot 25-Nov-12 8:44am

string data = File.ReadAllText(path); in this, I am takin The File does not exist in the current context. Should I import something?

OriginalGriff 25-Nov-12 8:48am

Add the using statement for System.IO
using System.IO;

FoxRoot 25-Nov-12 8:54am

Thanks you so much! It works great. Have a nice day.

OriginalGriff 25-Nov-12 9:10am

You're welcome!
BTW: If you get "does not exist in current context", put your cursor in word ("File" in this case) and a small blue line will appear at the beginning. Hover the mouse over the line, and a drop down will appear - open the drop down and it will provide alternative ways to fix it for you! (Try it - comment out the using line you just added, and it will add it back for you)

FoxRoot 25-Nov-12 10:02am

Great! Thank you again :)