How can I find files with a full date in the file name and compare them to similar files?

Question

Basically I have a directory of DWG files stored in a List that I need to search through and find files with the same Well Name but newest date in the File name. Examples of file names are as follows:

Smith 08-14 #3-14H11 FINAL 02-05-2011.dwg
Scroggins 07-14 3-14 SDWD FINAL 10-28-2009.dwg
Smith 08-14 #3-14H11 FINAL 03-11-2011.dwg
Russel 10-15 #4-33H21 FINAL 10-07-2009.dwg
Scroggins 07-14 3-14 SDWD FINAL 11-29-2010.dwg 

Notice after Smith there is a number 08-14, that is not the date. The date I need to somehow compare to similar files is at the end of the File Name. So for instance out of Smith 08-14 #3-14H11 FINAL 02-05-2011.dwg and Smith 08-14 #3-14H11 FINAL 03-11-2011.dwg , I would need to remove Smith 08-14 #3-14H11 FINAL 02-05-2011.dwg from my List because the other File with same Well name has a newer date.

Answer 1

Make an data table and to break the file name into various components:

Smith 08-14 #3-14H11 FINAL 02-05-2011.dwg becomes

Name = 'Smith'
Code1 = '08-14 #3-14H11'
Revision =  'FINAL'
Date = '02-05-2011'

For example, take the last 14 characters of the file name 02-05-2011.dwg and then removing the .dwg to make it 02-05-2011 .

Now you will sort by (Name, Date) then then just use the ones that match your criteria.

Answer 2

Assuming your file names are in some kind of List<String> or you can use them as that.

make a small class to store information for each file

public class WellFile
{
   public DateTime FileDate { get; set; }
   public String WellName { get; set; }
   public String OriginalFile {get; set; }
   public WellFile(String FileName)
   {
      var fileHeader = FileName.Split('.').First().Split(' ').ToList();
      WellName = fileHeader.First();
      FileDate = DateTime.Parse(fileHeader.Last());
      OriginalFile = FileName;
   }

}

then using this class and your list of files

var ConvertedFileList = YourFileList.Select(x => new WellFile(x));
var NewestWellFile = ConvertedFileList.GroupBy(x => x.WellName)
                                      .Select(group => group.OrderByDescending(x => x.FileDate).First().OriginalFile).ToList();

I haven't tested it but that should work for you

---

Working Example Program

using System;
using System.Linq;
using System.Collections.Generic;
public class Foo
{
    public static void Main()
    {
        var wellList = new List<String>() {"Smith 08-14 #3-14H11 FINAL 02-05-2011.dwg",
                                           "Scroggins 07-14 3-14 SDWD FINAL 10-28-2009.dwg",
                                           "Smith 08-14 #3-14H11 FINAL 03-11-2011.dwg",
                                           "Russel 10-15 #4-33H21 FINAL 10-07-2009.dwg",
                                            "Scroggins 07-14 3-14 SDWD FINAL 11-29-2010.dwg"}; 
        var ConvertedFileList = wellList.Select(x => new WellFile(x));
        var NewestWellFile = ConvertedFileList.GroupBy(x => x.WellName)
                                      .Select(group => group.OrderByDescending(x =>                              x.FileDate).First().OriginalFile).ToList();
        NewestWellFile.ForEach(x => Console.WriteLine(x));
        Console.Read();
    }
}

public class WellFile
{
   public DateTime FileDate { get; set; }
   public String WellName { get; set; }
   public String OriginalFile {get; set; }
   public WellFile(String FileName)
   {
      var fileHeader = FileName.Split('.').First().Split(' ').ToList();
      WellName = fileHeader.First();
      FileDate = DateTime.Parse(fileHeader.Last());
      OriginalFile = FileName;
   }

}

---