How do I get timestamps out of log-file with many lines

Question

I need to get data from a log-File into a dataset. Each line contains a index a timestamp and the process data in hex-Format. All the datalines are stored into an array of strings (each line is a member of this array).

The data is extracted and transfered into a dataset, within a loop containing:

LineNumber = Convert.ToInt32(dummystring.Substring(0, 7), 16);
year = Convert.ToInt32(dummystring.Substring(8, 2), 16) + 2000;
month = Convert.ToInt32(dummystring.Substring(10, 2), 16);
day = Convert.ToInt32(dummystring.Substring(12, 2), 16);
hour = Convert.ToInt32(dummystring.Substring(14, 2), 16);
minute = Convert.ToInt32(dummystring.Substring(16, 2), 16);

So far so good; quick and stable (500 000 lines are processed <1s).

I want to sort the entries (=lines) by creating a timestamp. So I just added one single line:

TimeStamp = new DateTime(year, month, day, hour, minute, 0);

and everything is freezing; now it takes minutes...

How can I speed this up?

Answer 1

I just found a good approach with ZedGraph:

....
XDate timestamp = 0;    
....
year = int.Parse(dummystring.Substring(8, 2), NumberStyles.HexNumber) + 2000;
month = int.Parse(dummystring.Substring(10, 2), NumberStyles.HexNumber);
day = int.Parse(dummystring.Substring(12, 2), NumberStyles.HexNumber);
hour = int.Parse(dummystring.Substring(14, 2), NumberStyles.HexNumber);
minute = int.Parse(dummystring.Substring(16, 2), NumberStyles.HexNumber);
timestamp.SetDate(year, month, day, hour, minute, 0);

This is very fast and comfortable.