Reading from text file to array

I am trying to read a text file in line by line and add it to an array, current code and output are below. How would I read it in properly, i.e. get the actual text to read into the array, rather than the current output. (Console App version of VB.NET)

Code:

Sub Main()
    Dim file As String = "C:\path\to\file\textfile.txt"
    Dim quoteArray As New ArrayList
    FileOpen(1, file, OpenMode.Input)
    Do While Not EOF(1)
        quoteArray.Add(LineInput(1))
    Loop
    FileClose(1)
    Console.WriteLine(quoteArray)
    Console.ReadLine()
End Sub

Output:

System.Collections.ArrayList

Your code works, but you cannot print an entire array at once. You've got to iterate the array somehow and print each item separately or combine them into a single string.

Printing each item separately:

For Each Item As String In quoteArray
    Console.WriteLine(Item)
Next

Combining them to a single string using String.Join():

Console.WriteLine(String.Join(Environment.NewLine, quoteArray.ToArray(GetType(String))))

---

However what I don't understand is why you are writing in VB.NET, but are still using outdated functions and classes from the VB6 era:

• ArrayList

• FileOpen()

• LineInput()

• FileClose()

There are much better alternatives these days:

• ArrayList can be replaced by a List(Of T)

• FileOpen() and FileClose() with a Using block combined with a StreamReader

• LineInput() with StreamReader.ReadLine()

Or you can replace all the above with a regular array and a single call to File.ReadAllLines().

1. StreamReader solution:

   Dim quoteList As New List(Of String)
   
   Using Reader As New StreamReader("C:\path\to\file\textfile.txt")
       While Reader.EndOfStream = False
           quoteList.Add(Reader.ReadLine())
       End While
   End Using
   

2. File.ReadAllLines() solution:

   Dim quoteArray As String() = File.ReadAllLines("C:\path\to\file\textfile.txt")
   

Printing the list/array using a loop:

For Each Item As String In quoteArray
    Console.WriteLine(Item)
Next

Printing the list/array using String.Join():

Console.WriteLine(String.Join(Environment.NewLine, quoteArray))

(if you are using the quoteList solution just replace quoteArray with quoteList in these two examples)