Parsing String into an Array (VB) - vb.net

Question

I have tried to make a program that would parse a raw list from Chrome://policy (input by RichTextbox) into a text array, then dump it into another RichTextbox. All of the raw string are exactly 32 characters long, followed by a comma. Here is the code:
Public Class Form1
Dim tempExt As String
Dim extsHandled As Integer
Dim numOfExts As Integer
Private Sub Button1_Click(sender As Object, e As EventArgs) Handles Button1.Click
If RichTextBox1.Text = "" Then
MsgBox("Please enter the raw extensions from Chrome://policy")
Else
RichTextBox3.Text = RichTextBox1.Text
numOfExts = TextBox1.Text
Dim place As Integer = 0
Dim exts(150) As String
While extsHandled < numOfExts
tempExt = RichTextBox1.Text.Substring(0, 32)
exts(place) = tempExt
RichTextBox1.Text.Remove(0, 33)
place = place + 1
extsHandled = extsHandled + 1
End While
Dim newPlace As Integer = 0
While newPlace < numOfExts
RichTextBox2.AppendText(exts(newPlace))
newPlace = newPlace + 1
RichTextBox2.AppendText(" ")
End While
End If
End Sub
End Class
Most of it works, but it would seem something is going wrong with removing the characters from the richtextbox, as when I run it, it only parses the first part of the string over and over:
Am I doing something wrong?

Answer 1

If it's always like that you can do it like this:
RichTextBox3.Text = RichTextBox1.Text.Replace(",", vbNewLine)
The #3 is your result, while #1 is original right?
Ah yeah, you can count how many there simply by
RichTextBox2.Text= RichTextBox1.Text.Split({","}, StringSplitOptions.RemoveEmptyEntries).Count.ToString

Answer 2

This line returns a new string:
RichTextBox1.Text.Remove(0, 33)
It does not modify the textbox in place. The next iteration through the loop, you're still working with the original value, looking at the same set of 32 characters at the beginning of the string.
Additionally, nothing in this code initializes the extsHandled variable. You should turn on Option Strict, which helps catch that kind of error. Running of Option Strict off is poor practice. You should also give a meaningful name to any control you will actually reference from code.
It's not clear to me right now the exact format. If it's all on the same line (no line break characters as part of the string, even if it wraps), this should work:
Private Sub Button1_Click(sender As Object, e As EventArgs) Handles Button1.Click
If String.IsNullOrWhitespace(RichTextBox1.Text) Then
MsgBox("Please enter the raw extensions from Chrome://policy")
Exit Sub
End If
RichTextBox3.Text = RichTextBox1.Text
Dim exts() As String
Using rdr As New TextFieldParser(RichTextBox1.Text)
rdr.TextFieldType = FileIO.FieldType.Delimited
rdr.Delimiters = New String() {","}
exts = rdr.ReadFields()
End Using
For Each ext As String In exts
RichTextBox2.AppendText(ext)
Next ext
RichTextBox1.Text = ""
End Sub
The problem is this code doesn't do anything. The array is gone when the method ends. Consider making the array a property of the class, or having method that returns the array as the result.
You can also look at this, to save typing into the textbox, though it's just a starting point:
Public Function GetChromeExtensionKeys() As IEnumerable(Of String)
Dim BasePath As String =
EndEnvironment.GetFolderPath(Environment.SpecialFolder.LocalApplicationData)
BasePath = Path.Combine(BasePath, "Google\Chrome\User Data")
Dim dflt As String = Path.Combine(BasePath, "Default\Extensions")
Dim profileExts() As String = Directory.GetDirectories(BasePath, "Profile *").
Select(Function(p) Path.Combine(p, "Extensions"))
Dim result As New List(Of String)()
result.AddRange(Directory.GetDirectories(dflt))
For Each folder As String In profiles
result.AddRange(Directory.GetDirectories(folder))
Next folder
Return result.Select(Function(e) Path.GetFileName(e)).Distinct()
Function
Private Sub Button1_Click(sender As Object, e As EventArgs) Handles Button1.Click
For Each ext As String In GetChromeExtensionKeys()
RichTextBox2.AppendText(ext)
Next ext
End Sub