Spliting data from COM Port

Question

Greetings,

I was request to do a Windows Form project, where I should receive the data from COM Port and split it into variables. I know I have to split the data properly before I serialize it. But I'm quite new to C#/programming, and I don't have a clue how I can start that.

I have tried things like that:

    SerialPort sp = (SerialPort)sender;  
    string indata = sp.ReadExisting();  
    //sp.ReadLine();  
    var noHyphen = indata.Replace("-", "");  
    var lst = noHyphen.Split(' ').ToList();  

But without success, the data I need to split, looks like this one below, I need to set each of those values into variables, I have create an object already for that, but I don't know how to apply it yet. This is my data from COM Port.

---

             Date :                   11:33  25/07/2022  
             Machine SN :                  1234509385_9  
             User ID :                           1-Emplo  
             ------------------------------------------  
             ------------ Value People Total -----------  
             Type:                             Data  
             ------------------------------------------  
             This        That               Total  
                7           25                  125  
               53           32                  320  
               87           25                  500  
               95           20                 1000  
              110           35                 3500  
             ------------------------------------------  
                                                 Total  
                              137                 5445  
             ------------------------------------------  
                                           Total Amount  
                                                  5445  
             -------------------------------------------  

Anyone can help me on this? My final goal is to convert these who;e data to JSON.

Thanks,

Answer 1

@Julio Caproni , Since your data is irregular, It is hard to convert your string to json by using common methods.

I make a code example to get you wanted and hope it helps you.

Update:

Result:

Best Regards,
Jack

---

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Answer 2

Hi @Julio Caproni ,

Based on the content related to the problem description you provided and the following conditions:

1. Assume your "indata" content structure is fixed
2. Assume your data has only three fields: "This That Total"
3. Assume that "This That Total" appears only once in one indata content

I used a clumsy way to meet your requirement, please refer the below code:

using System.Text.Json;  
  
namespace MSTestProject  
{  
    [TestClass]  
    public class UnitTest2  
    {  
        [TestMethod]  
        public void Test()  
        {  
            var result = Parse(indata);  
  
            //Test output the total  
            foreach (var item in result)  
            {  
                Console.WriteLine(item.Total);  
            }  
  
            //Test serialize the result to json  
            string jsonString = JsonSerializer.Serialize(result);  
            Console.WriteLine(jsonString);  
        }  
  
        private List<DataModel> Parse(string indata)  
        {  
            if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(indata))  
            {  
                throw new ArgumentNullException(nameof(indata));  
            }  
            var lines = indata.Split("\r\n").ToList();  
            if (lines == null || lines.Count < 1)  
            {  
                throw new ArgumentNullException(nameof(indata));  
            }  
  
            var titleLineIndex = GetTitleLineIndex(lines);  
            var closestDashLineIndex = GetClosestDashedLineNumber(lines, titleLineIndex);  
  
            var result = new List<DataModel>();  
  
            for (int i = titleLineIndex + 1; i < closestDashLineIndex; i++)  
            {  
                if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(lines[i]))  
                {  
                    var dataItems = lines[i].Split(" ");  
                    var dataModel = new DataModel();  
  
                    dataModel.This = dataItems.Length > 0 ? ToInt32(dataItems[0]) : 0;  
                    dataModel.That = dataItems.Length > 1 ? ToInt32(dataItems[1]) : 0;  
                    dataModel.Total = dataItems.Length > 2 ? ToInt32(dataItems[2]) : 0;  
  
                    result.Add(dataModel);  
                }  
            }  
            return result;  
        }  
  
        private int GetTitleLineIndex(List<string> lines)  
        {  
            string titleLine = "This That Total";  
            return lines.ToList().IndexOf(titleLine);  
        }  
  
  
        private int GetClosestDashedLineNumber(List<string> lines, int titleLineIndex)  
        {  
            string dashLine = "------------------------------------------";  
            var closestDashLineIndex = lines.FindIndex(titleLineIndex, x => x == dashLine);  
            return closestDashLineIndex;  
        }  
  
        private int ToInt32(string value)  
        {  
            try  
            {  
                return int.Parse(value);  
            }  
            catch (Exception ex)  
            {  
                return 0;  
            }  
        }  
  
        const string indata = @"  
------------------------------------------  
Date : 11:33 25/07/2022  
Machine SN : 1234509385_9  
User ID : 1-Emplo  
------------------------------------------  
------------ Value People Total -----------  
Type: Data  
------------------------------------------  
This That Total  
7 25 125  
53 32 320  
87 25 500  
95 20 1000  
110 35 3500  
------------------------------------------  
Total  
137 5445  
------------------------------------------  
Total Amount  
5445  
-------------------------------------------";  
    }  
  
    public class DataModel  
    {  
        public int This { get; set; }  
        public int That { get; set; }  
        public int Total { get; set; }  
    }  
}  

If you have any questions, please comment.

If right, please Accept.
Enjoy programming!!!

Answer 3

Thanks mate for your help, I'll try to apply your logic on my program and see how it goes. However, this my final objective:

{  
  "date": "11:3325072022",  
  "machineId": "L17H01_00002",  
  "userId": "User-1",  
  "type": "HUE",  
  "notes": [  
{  
   "this": 5,  
   "that": 25,  
   "total": 125  
},  
{  
   "this": 10,  
   "that": 32,  
   "total": 320  
},  
{  
   "this": 20,  
   "that": 25,  
   "total": 500  
},  
{  
   "this": 50,  
   "that": 20,  
   "total": 1000  
},  
{  
   "this": 100,  
   "that": 35,  
   "total": 3500  
}  
  
],  
    "total": 137,  
"totalAmount": 5445  
}  

Answer 4

Hi @Julio Caproni ,

I update my code as below:

using Newtonsoft.Json;  
using System.Globalization;  
  
namespace MSTestProject  
{  
    [TestClass]  
    public class UnitTest2  
    {  
        //https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/954604/spliting-data-from-com-port.html  
        [TestMethod]  
        public void Test()  
        {  
            var result = Parse(indata);  
            Assert.IsNotNull(result);  
            //Test serialize the result to json  
            string jsonString = JsonConvert.SerializeObject(result);  
            Console.WriteLine(jsonString);  
        }  
  
  
        private DataModel Parse(string indata)  
        {  
  
            if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(indata))  
            {  
                throw new ArgumentNullException(nameof(indata));  
            }  
            var lines = indata.Split("\r\n").ToList();  
            if (lines == null || lines.Count < 1)  
            {  
                throw new ArgumentNullException(nameof(indata));  
            }  
  
  
            var result = new DataModel();  
  
            result.Date = ParseDate(lines);  
            result.MachineId = ParseMachineId(lines);  
            result.UserId = ParseUserId(lines);  
            result.Type = ParseType(lines);  
            result.Notes = ParseNotes(lines);  
            result.Total = ParseTotal(lines);  
            result.TotalAmount = ParseTotalAmount(lines);  
  
            return result;  
        }  
  
  
        private IList<Note> ParseNotes(List<string> lines)  
        {  
            var titleLineIndex = GetTitleLineIndex(lines);  
            var closestDashLineIndex = GetClosestDashedLineNumber(lines, titleLineIndex);  
  
            var result = new List<Note>();  
  
            for (int i = titleLineIndex + 1; i < closestDashLineIndex; i++)  
            {  
                if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(lines[i]))  
                {  
                    var dataItems = lines[i].Split(" ");  
                    var dataModel = new Note();  
  
                    dataModel.This = dataItems.Length > 0 ? ToInt32(dataItems[0]) : 0;  
                    dataModel.That = dataItems.Length > 1 ? ToInt32(dataItems[1]) : 0;  
                    dataModel.Total = dataItems.Length > 2 ? ToInt32(dataItems[2]) : 0;  
  
                    result.Add(dataModel);  
                }  
            }  
            return result;  
        }  
        private string ParseDate(List<string> lines)  
        {  
            var dateValue = GetLineValue(lines, "Date :");  
            try  
            {  
                var date = DateTime.ParseExact(dateValue, "HH:mm dd/MM/yyyy", CultureInfo.InvariantCulture, DateTimeStyles.None);  
                return date.ToString("HH:mmddMMyyyy");  
            }  
            catch  
            {  
                return string.Empty;  
            }  
  
        }  
        private string ParseMachineId(List<string> lines)  
        {  
            var identifier = "Machine SN :";  
            return GetLineValue(lines, identifier);  
        }  
        private string ParseUserId(List<string> lines)  
        {  
            var identifier = "User ID :";  
            return GetLineValue(lines, identifier);  
        }  
        private string ParseType(List<string> lines)  
        {  
            var identifier = "Type:";  
            return GetLineValue(lines, identifier);  
        }  
        private int ParseTotal(List<string> lines)  
        {  
            var total = lines[lines.Count - 5];  
            if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(total))  
            {  
                var values = total.Split(" ");  
                return values.Length > 0 ? ToInt32(values[0]) : 0;  
            }  
            return 0;  
        }  
        private int ParseTotalAmount(List<string> lines)  
        {  
            var totalAmount = lines[lines.Count - 2];  
            return ToInt32(totalAmount);  
        }  
        private string GetLineValue(List<string> lines, string identifier)  
        {  
            var line = lines.FirstOrDefault(x => x.StartsWith(identifier));  
            if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(line))  
            {  
                return string.Empty;  
            }  
            else  
            {  
                return line.Replace(identifier, string.Empty).Trim();  
            }  
        }  
        private int GetTitleLineIndex(List<string> lines)  
        {  
            string titleLine = "This That Total";  
            return lines.ToList().IndexOf(titleLine);  
        }  
        private int GetClosestDashedLineNumber(List<string> lines, int titleLineIndex)  
        {  
            string dashLine = "------------------------------------------";  
            var closestDashLineIndex = lines.FindIndex(titleLineIndex, x => x == dashLine);  
            return closestDashLineIndex;  
        }  
        private int ToInt32(string value)  
        {  
            try  
            {  
                return int.Parse(value);  
            }  
            catch (Exception ex)  
            {  
                return 0;  
            }  
        }  
        public class DataModel  
        {  
            [JsonProperty(PropertyName = "date")]  
            public string Date { get; set; }  
            [JsonProperty(PropertyName = "machineId")]  
            public string MachineId { get; set; }  
  
            [JsonProperty(PropertyName = "userId")]  
            public string UserId { get; set; }  
            [JsonProperty(PropertyName = "type")]  
            public string Type { get; set; }  
            [JsonProperty(PropertyName = "notes")]  
            public IList<Note> Notes { get; set; }  
            [JsonProperty(PropertyName = "total")]  
            public int Total { get; set; }  
            [JsonProperty(PropertyName = "totalAmount")]  
            public int TotalAmount { get; set; }  
        }  
        public class Note  
        {  
            [JsonProperty(PropertyName = "this")]  
            public int This { get; set; }  
            [JsonProperty(PropertyName = "that")]  
            public int That { get; set; }  
            [JsonProperty(PropertyName = "total")]  
            public int Total { get; set; }  
        }  
  
        const string indata = @"  
------------------------------------------  
Date : 11:33 25/07/2022  
Machine SN : 1234509385_9  
User ID : 1-Emplo  
------------------------------------------  
------------ Value People Total -----------  
Type: Data  
------------------------------------------  
This That Total  
7 25 125  
53 32 320  
87 25 500  
95 20 1000  
110 35 3500  
------------------------------------------  
Total  
137 5445  
------------------------------------------  
Total Amount  
5445  
-------------------------------------------";  
    }  
  
}  

Run the test, get result as below:

{  
    "date": "11:3325072022",  
    "machineId": "1234509385_9",  
    "userId": "1-Emplo",  
    "type": "Data",  
    "notes": [  
        {  
            "this": 7,  
            "that": 25,  
            "total": 125  
        },  
        {  
            "this": 53,  
            "that": 32,  
            "total": 320  
        },  
        {  
            "this": 87,  
            "that": 25,  
            "total": 500  
        },  
        {  
            "this": 95,  
            "that": 20,  
            "total": 1000  
        },  
        {  
            "this": 110,  
            "that": 35,  
            "total": 3500  
        }  
    ],  
    "total": 137,  
    "totalAmount": 5445  
}  

If right, please Accept.
Enjoy programming!!!

Answer 5

I find what is happening. My text I pasted here, is different from the original one, for some reason, when I pasted here, it removed some of blank spaces, the original file, is like that:

This ........That...........Total
7.................25..............125
53..............32..............320
87..............25..............500
95..............20..............1000
110............35..............3500

Thoses dot ".", represents the blank space on my file. Once I paste here and click on post, it will replace multiple spaces just for one space.(Exactly what I need to do on my code)

It has more blank spaces between the values. When I text my own file with just one blank space, I could serialize without problems. I don't know how to handle that now, I tried replace multiple balnk characters by only one blank space but it didn't work.