Loading file into array using streamreader - arrays

Question

I'm trying to get a file and iterate through it using StreamReader and load each line into an array. I know the file is coming in correctly and it is a text file of data coming in lines.
Dim req As WebRequest = WebRequest.Create("http://www.blahahahaha.com/data/myfile.csv")
Dim res As WebResponse = req.GetResponse()
Dim stream As Stream = res.GetResponseStream()
Dim lines2 As String()
Using r As StreamReader = New StreamReader(stream, Encoding.ASCII)
Dim line As String
line = r.ReadLine
Do While (Not line Is Nothing)
lines2(lineCount2) = r.ReadLine
lineCount2 += 1
Loop
End Using
But the resulting array is empty. What am I doing wrong and how do I fix it?

Answer 1

This line:
Dim lines2 As String()
Just declares that lines2 will be a string array. The array itself is not intialized:
Dim lines2(9) As String ' THIS one has elements
But since you likely do not know how many lines there will be, use a List:
Dim Lines As New List(Of String)
Using r As StreamReader = New StreamReader(Stream, Encoding.ASCII)
Dim line As String
line = r.ReadLine
Do Until String.IsNullOrEmpty(line)
Lines.Add(line)
line = r.ReadLine
Loop
End Using
If the calling code really needs an array:
Return Lines.ToArray()

Answer 2

This will return 6 lines as a string array, first line is column names
Private Sub Button1_Click(sender As Object, e As EventArgs) Handles Button1.Click
Dim csvAddress As String =
"https://download.microsoft.com/download/4/C/8/4C830C0C-101F-4BF2-8FCB-32D9A8BA906A/Import_User_Sample_en.csv"
Dim Lines As String() = GetCsvData(csvAddress)
For Each line As String In Lines
Console.WriteLine(line)
Next
End Sub
Public Function GetCsvData(ByVal csvAddress As String) As String()
Dim request As WebRequest = WebRequest.Create(csvAddress)
request.Credentials = CredentialCache.DefaultCredentials
Dim response As WebResponse = request.GetResponse()
Dim dataStream As Stream = response.GetResponseStream()
Dim LineList As New List(Of String)
Using r As StreamReader = New StreamReader(dataStream, Encoding.ASCII)
Dim currentLine As String = r.ReadLine
Do While (Not String.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(currentLine))
LineList.Add(currentLine)
currentLine = r.ReadLine
Loop
End Using
Return LineList.ToArray
End Function