Read complex text file using Vb.net - vb.net

Question

File Structure
RECORD
1234567890,123456789,1234567,Address1,,City,State,Zip,USA,Phone,,,,,,,,,
EmpName,DBAName,ID,,Address1,,Address1,City,60603,USA,234567890,,,,
C,03/13/2017,,1,2,
RECORD
1234567890,123456789,1234567,Address1,,City,State,Zip,USA,Phone,,,,,,,,,
EmpName2,DBAName2,ID2,,Address2,,Address2,City2,60603,USA,234567890,,,,
C,03/13/2017,,1,2,
Looking at the above file structure, I want to loop through file and for each record(RECORD), I want to put next three lines in one array and then next record in separate array.
I am looking for skeleton code, I am very new in programming using stream readers.
Code so far
Dim read As New System.IO.StreamReader("C:\New Text.txt")
Dim a As String
For Each a In read.ReadLine
If read.ReadLine.Equals("RECORD") Then
\\How do I read next 3 lines and put them in one array with comma delimiter
End If
Next

Answer 1

You need a data structure where you will keep the lines loaded and then start your loop
' Here you will keep the 3 lines block joined together and splitted on comma
Dim records = new List(Of String())()
Using read As New System.IO.StreamReader("C:\New Text.txt")
Dim a As String
' Read each line (Assuming that we start with a RECORD line
For Each a In read.ReadLine
' Do not read another line, but just test what is present in the string
If a.Equals("RECORD") Then
' Now read the 3 following lines....
Dim line1 = read.ReadLine
Dim line2 = read.ReadLine
Dim line3 = read.ReadLine
'Join the lines togeter
Dim record = string.Join("", line1, line2, line3).
' Split on the comma to produce an array of strings. The fields.
Dim fields = record.Split(","c)
records.Add(fields)
End If
Next
End Using
Of course this should be enhanced using a proper class that describe your inputs where each property of the class represent a field of the CSV file loaded. And then you could change the List(Of String()) to a List(Of YourClassData)
Keep in mind that this solution is extremely dependant of an exact file structure. A line with the "RECORD" content should be always followed by three lines of data. (No blank lines allowed between the three data lines)

Answer 2

Dim read As New System.IO.StreamReader("C:\New Text.txt")
//I usually only do C#, but rough VB.NEt code: I did not rcreate your array for you, figured you got that :-)
Dim a As String
Dim myConcatString as String
For Each a In read.ReadLine
Dim myReadLine as String
myReadLine = read.ReadLine
If myReadLine.Equals("RECORD") Then
myConcatString = myConcatString & myReadLine
\\How do I read next 3 lines and put them in one array with comma delimiter
else
//add myConcatString to array if not null....
myConcatString =""
End If
Next