Problem with StreamWriter... Writing onto a .txt file and saving it properly

Question

Hello All, I have a simple program with several textbox's, I have an InputBox that sets the name and destination of the file that I am creating. My problem is the text entries are not being written. The file is created and sored in its location 'C:/temp/HectorBBB.txt and by name. But when I review the file it is blank.

Sub SaveDocument()

    ' Dim inputFile As StreamReader
    Dim strEmployeeData As String
    Dim outputFile As StreamWriter ' Object variable
    strEmployeeData = InputBox("enter a file name")

    Try
        'create the file
        outputFile = File.CreateText(strEmployeeData)
        'Write the TextBox to the file.
        outputFile.WriteLine(txtFirstName.Text)
        outputFile.WriteLine(txtMiddleName.Text)
        outputFile.WriteLine(txtLastName.Text)
        outputFile.WriteLine(txtEmployeeNumber.Text)
        outputFile.WriteLine(ComboDepartment.Text)
        outputFile.WriteLine(txtTelephone.Text)
        outputFile.WriteLine(txtExtension.Text)
        outputFile.WriteLine(txtEmail.Text)


        'Close the file.
        outputFile.Close()
        'update the isChnaged variable.
        ' blnIsChanged = False

    Catch ex As Exception
        'Error message for the file creation error.
        MessageBox.Show("Error creating the file.")
    End Try

End Sub

Please provide suggestions or advise, thank you.

Answer 1

Hello,

Try the following which provides a clean slate without dealing with user input for file name or data to write.

If there is a failure it's reported back to the caller, otherwise it indicates success.

Requires NuGet package ValueTuple (this package is include with .NET-5 Core but not in earlier Frameworks)

Container to pass to write method

Public Class Person  
    Public Property FirstName() As String  
    Public Property MiddleName() As String  
    Public Property LastName() As String  
    Public Property EmployeeNumber() As String  
    Public Property Department() As String  
    Public Property Telephone() As String  
    Public Property Extension() As String  
    Public Property Email() As String  
  
    Public Overrides Function ToString() As String  
        Return $"{FirstName} {LastName}"  
    End Function  
End Class  

File operations class:
Which has an optional validate method

Imports System.IO  
  
Public Class FileOperations  
    ' requires NuGet package ValueTuple for return type  
    ' https://www.nuget.org/packages/System.ValueTuple/  
    Public Shared Function WriteData(sender As Person, fileName As String) As _  
        (Success As Boolean, Exception As Exception)  
  
        Try  
  
            If File.Exists(fileName) Then  
                File.Delete(fileName)  
            End If  
  
            Using sw As New StreamWriter(fileName, False)  
  
                sw.WriteLine(sender.FirstName)  
                sw.WriteLine(sender.MiddleName)  
                sw.WriteLine(sender.LastName)  
                sw.WriteLine(sender.EmployeeNumber)  
                sw.WriteLine(sender.Department)  
                sw.WriteLine(sender.Telephone)  
                sw.WriteLine(sender.Extension)  
                sw.WriteLine(sender.Email)  
            End Using  
  
            Return (true, Nothing)  
  
        Catch ex As Exception  
  
            Return (True, ex)  
  
        End Try  
    End Function  
    Public Shared Function Validate(fileName As String) As Boolean  
        If File.Exists(fileName) Then  
            Return File.ReadAllLines(fileName).Length = 8  
        Else  
            Return False  
        End If  
    End Function  
End Class  

Form code:

Public Class Form1  
  
    Private Sub WriteButton_Click(sender As Object, e As EventArgs) Handles WriteButton.Click  
  
        Dim person As New Person With {  
            .FirstName = "Line 1",  
            .MiddleName = "Line 2",  
            .LastName = "Line 3",  
            .EmployeeNumber = "Line 4",  
            .Department = "Line 5",  
            .Telephone = "Line 6",  
            .Extension = "Line 7",  
            .Email = "Line 8"  
        }  
  
        Dim fileName = "C:\temp\HectorBBB.txt"  
  
        Dim result = FileOperations.WriteData(person, fileName)  
  
        If result.Success Then  
            MessageBox.Show("Done")  
        Else  
            MessageBox.Show(result.Exception.Message)  
        End If  
  
    End Sub  
End Class  

---

Answer 2

Hello, try using the following code:

     Dim strEmployeeData As String = InputBox("enter a file name")
     Dim outputFile As StreamWriter(strEmployeeData) ' Object variable

     Try
         'Write the TextBox to the file.
         outputFile.WriteLine(txtFirstName.Text)
         outputFile.WriteLine(txtMiddleName.Text)
         outputFile.WriteLine(txtLastName.Text)
         outputFile.WriteLine(txtEmployeeNumber.Text)
         outputFile.WriteLine(ComboDepartment.Text)
         outputFile.WriteLine(txtTelephone.Text)
         outputFile.WriteLine(txtExtension.Text)
         outputFile.WriteLine(txtEmail.Text)
         'Close the file.
         outputFile.Close()
         'update the isChnaged variable.
         ' blnIsChanged = False
     Catch ex As Exception
         'Error message for the file creation error.
         MessageBox.Show("Error creating the file.")
     End Try