Read data from CSV to .net DataTable

I have a requirement where I have to read data from a CSV file which is stored in my di开发者_开发技巧sk and put all the data in the CSV into a .Net DataTable.

How can I do it?

The FastCsvReader on code-project does this very nicely; IIRC it should just be:

var table = new DataTable();
using(var reader = new CsvReader(path)) {
    table.Load(reader);
}

(but that is from memory)

There's a thread about this on Microsoft's forums which uses a data connection string to the CSV file, which is probably the easiest/quickest way to do it.

Alternatively, you can read the file in one line at a time and create a DataRow for each line, adding it to the DataTable. That's more manual work, and may require you to make assumptions about the file (number of columns, column names, data types, etc.) but if it's just for one known file then that shouldn't be a big problem.

Try Filehelpers. It will help you get your data into the datatable, as well as strong typed objects

I have written five methods below that will turn a Csv file into a DataTable.

They have been designed to take into account optional quote marks (e.g. " symbols) and to be as versatile as possible without using other libraries:

    public static DataTable GetDataTabletFromCSVFile(string filePath, bool isHeadings)
    {
        DataTable MethodResult = null;
        try
        {
            using (TextFieldParser TextFieldParser = new TextFieldParser(filePath))
            {
                if (isHeadings)
                {
                    MethodResult = GetDataTableFromTextFieldParser(TextFieldParser);

                }
                else
                {
                    MethodResult = GetDataTableFromTextFieldParserNoHeadings(TextFieldParser);

                }

            }

        }
        catch (Exception ex)
        {
            ex.HandleException();
        }
        return MethodResult;
    }

    public static DataTable GetDataTableFromCsvString(string csvBody, bool isHeadings)
    {
        DataTable MethodResult = null;
        try
        {
            MemoryStream MemoryStream = new MemoryStream();


            StreamWriter StreamWriter = new StreamWriter(MemoryStream);

            StreamWriter.Write(csvBody);

            StreamWriter.Flush();


            MemoryStream.Position = 0;


            using (TextFieldParser TextFieldParser = new TextFieldParser(MemoryStream))
            {
                if (isHeadings)
                {
                    MethodResult = GetDataTableFromTextFieldParser(TextFieldParser);

                }
                else
                {
                    MethodResult = GetDataTableFromTextFieldParserNoHeadings(TextFieldParser);

                }

            }

        }
        catch (Exception ex)
        {
            ex.HandleException();
        }
        return MethodResult;
    }

    public static DataTable GetDataTableFromRemoteCsv(string url, bool isHeadings)
    {
        DataTable MethodResult = null;
        try
        {
            HttpWebRequest httpWebRequest = (HttpWebRequest)WebRequest.Create(url);
            HttpWebResponse httpWebResponse = (HttpWebResponse)httpWebRequest.GetResponse();

            StreamReader StreamReader = new StreamReader(httpWebResponse.GetResponseStream());

            using (TextFieldParser TextFieldParser = new TextFieldParser(StreamReader))
            {
                if (isHeadings)
                {
                    MethodResult = GetDataTableFromTextFieldParser(TextFieldParser);

                }
                else
                {
                    MethodResult = GetDataTableFromTextFieldParserNoHeadings(TextFieldParser);

                }

            }

        }
        catch (Exception ex)
        {
            ex.HandleException();
        }
        return MethodResult;
    }


    private static DataTable GetDataTableFromTextFieldParser(TextFieldParser textFieldParser)
    {
        DataTable MethodResult = null;
        try
        {
            textFieldParser.SetDelimiters(new string[] { "," });

            textFieldParser.HasFieldsEnclosedInQuotes = true;


            string[] ColumnFields = textFieldParser.ReadFields();

            DataTable dt = new DataTable();

            foreach (string ColumnField in ColumnFields)
            {
                DataColumn DataColumn = new DataColumn(ColumnField);

                DataColumn.AllowDBNull = true;

                dt.Columns.Add(DataColumn);

            }


            while (!textFieldParser.EndOfData)
            {
                string[] Fields = textFieldParser.ReadFields();


                for (int i = 0; i < Fields.Length; i++)
                {
                    if (Fields[i] == "")
                    {
                        Fields[i] = null;

                    }

                }

                dt.Rows.Add(Fields);

            }

            MethodResult = dt;

        }
        catch (Exception ex)
        {
            ex.HandleException();
        }
        return MethodResult;
    }

    private static DataTable GetDataTableFromTextFieldParserNoHeadings(TextFieldParser textFieldParser)
    {
        DataTable MethodResult = null;
        try
        {
            textFieldParser.SetDelimiters(new string[] { "," });

            textFieldParser.HasFieldsEnclosedInQuotes = true;

            bool FirstPass = true;

            DataTable dt = new DataTable();

            while (!textFieldParser.EndOfData)
            {
                string[] Fields = textFieldParser.ReadFields();

                if(FirstPass)
                {
                    for (int i = 0; i < Fields.Length; i++)
                    {
                        DataColumn DataColumn = new DataColumn("Column " + i);

                        DataColumn.AllowDBNull = true;

                        dt.Columns.Add(DataColumn);

                    }

                    FirstPass = false;

                }

                for (int i = 0; i < Fields.Length; i++)
                {
                    if (Fields[i] == "")
                    {
                        Fields[i] = null;

                    }

                }

                dt.Rows.Add(Fields);

            }

            MethodResult = dt;

        }
        catch (Exception ex)
        {
            ex.HandleException();
        }
        return MethodResult;
    }

If, like me, you're saving from reporting services then you should use it like this:

    Warning[] warnings;
    string[] streamids;
    string mimeType;
    string encoding;
    string filenameExtension;

    byte[] bytes = rvMain.ServerReport.Render("csv", null, out mimeType, out encoding, out filenameExtension, out streamids, out warnings);

    string CsvBody = System.Text.Encoding.UTF8.GetString(bytes);

    DataTable dt = GetDataTableFromCsvString(CsvBody,true);

Otherwise, all you need do is:

    bool IsHeadings = true; //Does the data include a heading row?

    DataTable dt = GetDataTableFromCsvString(CsvBody, IsHeadings);

Or to use directly from a csv file

    bool IsHeadings = true; //Does the data include a heading row?

    DataTable dt = GetDataTabletFromCsvFile(FilePath, IsHeadings)

Or to use a csv file that is stored remotely

    bool IsHeadings = true; //Does the data include a heading row?

    DataTable dt = GetDataTabletFromRemoteCsv(Url, IsHeadings)