AutoComplete textBox from a certain position of each line of a .txt file

Question

I have a textBox named "textBoxCliente" and I want it to appear suggestions when I writte in there from the .txt file. The suggestions that I want to appear from the .txt file are in the position 1 "parts[1]", each position are separated with the caracter "|".

My .txt file is this:

• 1|Rui|Lisboa|rui@hotmail.com|912345324|14/01/2000|89564352|Empresa
• 2|Henrique|Evora|henrique@hotmail.com|914445324|17/05/2001|55464352|Particular
• 3|Andre|Agueda|andre@hotmail.com|932415374|12/11/1996|23456743|Particular
• 4|Pedro|Aveiro|pedro@hotmail.com|965342163|30/03/2002|98645372|Empresa

My code is:

public partial class Vender : UserControl
{
    public Vender()
    {
        InitializeComponent();
    }

    string dir = (Environment.CurrentDirectory + "/Bd/clientes.txt");
    string[] sug = new string[File.ReadAllLines(Environment.CurrentDirectory + 
        "/Bd/clientes.txt").Count()];

    private void textBoxCliente_TextChanged(object sender, EventArgs e)
    {
        carrSug();

        for (int i = 0; i < sug.Length; i++)
        {
            textBoxCliente.AutoCompleteCustomSource.Add(sug[i]);
        }

        textBoxCliente.AutoCompleteMode = AutoCompleteMode.SuggestAppend;
    }

    private void carrSug()
    {
        string[] lines = File.ReadLines(dir).ToArray();
        int nLine = File.ReadAllLines(dir).Count();

        for (int j = 0; j <= nLine - 1; j++)
        {
            string[] parts = lines[j].Split(new char[] { '|' });
            sug[j] = parts[1];
        }
    }
}

What I did was using the "string[] sug" to save the values of the position 1 of each line and then use it to show the suggestions.

Answer 1

As a programmer, get better at reading carefully . Here is the documentation for AutoCompleteCustomSource :

Gets or sets a custom System.Collections.Specialized.StringCollection to use when the System.Windows.Forms.TextBox.AutoCompleteSource property is set to CustomSource .

_{Emphasis Mine}

See the bolded part in the above, make sure you do that:

textBoxCliente.AutoCompleteSource = AutoCompleteSource.CustomSource;

Also, you do not need to do that every time the user types. The event handler textBoxCliente_TextChanged will be called every time the text changes. Instead, put the code in the constructor or in the form's load event.

---

Some Suggestions

Give your methods meaningful names. For example, carrSug() is not very meaningful. Plus it does not follow the C# coding conventions--it looks like Java. Also, keep the method cohesive. You are doing some parts of the suggestion in the carrSug() and then some of it you are doing in textBoxCliente_TextChanged . Here is a more meaningful method:

private AutoCompleteStringCollection clientSuggestions;
private void LoadClientSuggestions()
{
    this.clientSuggestions = new AutoCompleteStringCollection();
    string[] suggestionsFromFile = File.ReadLines("YourPath.txt").Select(x => x.Split('|').Skip(1).First()).ToArray();
    this.clientSuggestions.AddRange(suggestionsFromFile);
}

The above method uses Ling so make sure to import: using System.Linq;

Here is how to use it (Put this code in your form's constructor or Load method):

this.LoadSuggestions();
this.textBoxCliente.AutoCompleteSource = AutoCompleteSource.CustomSource;
this.textBoxCliente.AutoCompleteCustomSource = this.clientSuggestions;
this.textBoxCliente.AutoCompleteMode = AutoCompleteMode.SuggestAppend;

Why did I put the word Load in the method name? Because, it returns nothing so Load adds meaning.

Also, stop writing the same string multiple times:

"/Bd/clientes.txt"

Make that a constant so if you need to change it, you change it in one place.