C# Reading from multiple text files, splitting lines into a List, and then loading into ListBox

Question

I'm getting a few errors and also my code is unfinished. I was using another Stackoverflow question to set this up to begin with but it wasn't fit to my needs.

I have three text files which the data is split by commas such as "Name,25,25.6" so string, int, decimal. I have all three text files that have three columns like that, same data types, but just different names/numbers.

I have three different list boxes that I want to split them into but I'm having trouble getting the three different split list items to get into three different list boxes. I'll copy and paste all the code I have. I am also using a combo box to allow the user to select the file they want to load into the combo box which I believe I got it right.

The errors I get are in the displayLists(), it says on the lstItemName.DataSource = Inventory; line that Inventory does not exist in the current context. There are also a plenitude of other errors.

Any help will be appreciated, I'll copy and paste my code. I have a Windows Form and I'm using Visual Studio Express 2012 in C#

namespace TCSCapstone
{
public partial class frmInventory : Form
{
    public frmInventory()
    {
        InitializeComponent();
    }

    string cstrItemName;
    int cintNumberOfItems;
    decimal cdecPrice;
    decimal cdecTotalPrices;

    string selectedList = "";

    private void comboBox1_SelectedIndexChanged(object sender, EventArgs e)
    {
        selectedList = this.cmbList.GetItemText(this.cmbList.SelectedItem);

        if (selectedList == "Creative Construction")//if the selected combo 
box item equals the exact string selected
        {
            selectedList = "creative"; //then the string equals creative, 
which is creative.txt but I add the .txt in the btnLoadInfo method
        } else if (selectedList == "Paradise Building")
        {
            selectedList = "paradise";//this is for paradise.txt
        }
        else if (selectedList == "Sitler Construction")
        {
            selectedList = "sitler";//this is for sitler.txt
        }
        else
        {
            MessageBox.Show("Please select one of the items.");
        }
    }

    private void btnLoadInfo_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
    {
        List<frmInventory> Inventory = new List<frmInventory>();
        using (StreamReader invReader = new StreamReader(selectedList + 
".txt"))
        {
            while (invReader.Peek() >= 0)
            {
                string str;
                string[] strArray;
                str = invReader.ReadLine();

                strArray = str.Split(',');
                frmInventory currentItem = new frmInventory();
                currentItem.cstrItemName = strArray[0];
                currentItem.cintNumberOfItems = int.Parse(strArray[1]);
                currentItem.cdecPrice = decimal.Parse(strArray[2]);

                Inventory.Add(currentItem);

            }
        }
        displayLists();
    }//end of btnLoadInfo

    void displayLists()
    {
        int i;
        lstItemName.Items.Clear();
        lstNumberOfItems.Items.Clear();
        lstPrice.Items.Clear();
        lstTotalPrices.Items.Clear();

        lstItemName.DataSource = Inventory;
        lstItemName.ValueMember = "cstrItemName";
        lstItemName.DisplayMember = "cintNumberOfItems";
    }

}//end of frmInventory
}//end of namespace

Answer 1

I do not know if this is exactly what you need, but try something like this:

public partial class Form2 : Form
{

    List<Inventory> inventory;
    public Form2()
    {
        InitializeComponent();
    }

    public void ReadFiles()
    {
        if (inventory == null)
            inventory = new List<Inventory>();

        using (TextReader r = new StreamReader("file.txt"))
        {
            string line = null;
            while ((line = r.ReadLine()) != null)
            {
                string[] fields = line.Split(',');
                Inventory obj = new Inventory();
                obj.Name = fields[0];
                obj.Qtd = Convert.ToInt32(fields[1]);
                obj.Price = Convert.ToInt32(fields[2]);

                inventory.Add(obj);
            }
        }

        SetDataSourceList();


    }

    public void SetDataSourceList()
    {
        listBox1.DisplayMember = "Name";
        listBox2.DisplayMember = "Qtd";
        listBox3.DisplayMember = "Price";
        listBox1.DataSource =
            listBox2.DataSource = 
            listBox3.DataSource =
            inventory;
    }



}

public class Inventory
{
    public string Name { get; set; }
    public int Qtd { get; set; }
    public decimal Price { get; set; }
}