C# MVC Convert Model into String Array

Question

I have a model which I populate from a fairly complex query. The model looks like:

public class CSVExportViewModel
{
    public long Id { get; set; }

    public string StudentNo { get; set; }
    public string StudentIdNumber { get; set; }
    public string StudentName { get; set; }
    public string Parent1IdNumber { get; set; }
    public string Parent1Name { get; set; }
    public string Parent2IdNumber { get; set; }
    public string Parent2Name { get; set; }
    /* etc... */
}

I now need to output the model to a CSV file using the code below:

List<CSVExportViewModel> data = GetData(dataset);

foreach (CSVExportViewModel item in data)
{
    writer.WriteLine("'" + string.Join("','", item) + "'");
}

However, instead of converting the model into an array and outputting the individual items of the model, it just outputs "Models.CSVExportViewModel" to each line of the resulting CSV file.

How can I convert the model into a String array to get this working properly?

I don't know what CSVExportViewModel is, but it definitely not string. So, C# compiler is printing classname. — Prajwal
– Prajwal, Commented Jan 9, 2017 at 11:32
You're telling it to write the CSVExportViewModel to string right? But I bet you haven't written a ToString method in that class, so it doesn't know how to output that to string. Thus you just get the class name — ediblecode
– ediblecode, Commented Jan 9, 2017 at 11:32
You propably need to call item.Text or item.Value for this to work. Right now you are writing the name of the object containing various information to the file. — waka
– waka, Commented Jan 9, 2017 at 11:32
look for the definition of ToString() method on CSVExportViewModel — NicoRiff
– NicoRiff, Commented Jan 9, 2017 at 11:35

Alexey Obukhov · Accepted Answer · 2017-01-09 12:01:45Z

0

implement ToString() in CSVExportViewModel class:

public override string ToString()
{
    return Id + ", " + StudentNo + ", " + StudentIdNumber + ", " + StudentName + ", " +
    Parent1IdNumber + ", " + Parent1Name + ", " + Parent2IdNumber + ", " + Parent2Name;
}

answered Jan 9, 2017 at 12:01

Alexey Obukhov

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Comments

A.T. · Accepted Answer · 2017-01-09 12:06:01Z

0

you can create an array on fly

foreach (CSVExportViewModel item in data)
{
    writer.WriteLine(string.Join(",",  new object[] {item.prop1, item.prop2, item.prop3 ...}));
}

answered Jan 9, 2017 at 12:06

A.T.

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Comments

Graeme Mehl · Accepted Answer · 2017-01-09 12:15:54Z

Thanks all. @MathewJibin pointed me in the right direction. I implemented ToArray() in my model as follows:

public class CSVExportViewModel
{
    public long Id { get; set; }
    public string StudentNo { get; set; }
    public string StudentIdNumber { get; set; }
    public string StudentName { get; set; }
    public string Parent1IdNumber { get; set; }
    public string Parent1Name { get; set; }
    public string Parent2IdNumber { get; set; }
    public string Parent2Name { get; set; }
    /* etc... */
    public String[] ToArray()
    {
        List<string> arr = new List<string>();

        foreach (var prop in typeof(CSVExportViewModel).GetProperties())
        {
            string value = "";
            if (prop.GetValue(this, null) != null)
            {
                value = prop.GetValue(this, null).ToString();
            }

            arr.Add(value);
        }

        return arr.ToArray();
    }
}

Then just had to modify the code to call item.ToArray();

Thanks all for the help!

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