Best way to convert text file - vb.net

Question

I am trying to make a conversion program which converts multiple text files from a cad design file into a file that the machine can read.
each file has multiple values and is laid out like this:
X -0.0001
Y 1.0500
Z 1.5700
LOCATION 0.0050
Each file stands for a location that the machine is supposed to go to and do something. The output needs to look something like this:
X-0.0001Y1.0500Z1.5700L0.0050
Other information regarding position is here also.
so it's a fairly simple conversion. But what I'm wondering is what the best way to go about it is. Do I convert each file individually then combine them? The other information has to go at the bottom of the file. So where there are more files it would go:
Location 1
Location 2
Location 1 parameters
location 2 parameters
I have tried a couple different ways and still cannot come up with the best way to do it.
essentially what I'm asking is what the best/ most efficient way would be to convert these files. Sorry if this is confusing.
Note I am using vb.net for the programming language

Answer 1

if this is a project of enormous scale (e.g. millions of files), you might want to look into something like map reduce.
if not (which I'm guessing), I would suggest as follows:
parse each file sequentially, adding (appending)the results to each of TWO files. Finally, combine the two files and you're done.
LOCATIONS_FILE (FILE 1)
Location 1
Location 2
(etc)
METADATA_FILE (FILE 2)
location 1 params
location 2 params
(etc)
when all files are parsed, append the contents of FILE 2 to those of FILE 1.
FINAL FILE
Location 1
Location 2
(etc)
location 1 params
location 2 params
(etc)
I don't use VB.NET. But, pseudocode would be something like:
fn parse_file(file,locations_filehandle, metadata_filehandle):
file.extract_locations() -> append(locations_filehandle)
file.extract_metadata() -> append(metadata_filehandle)
fn main():
for file in files:
parse_file(file,locations_filehandle,metadata_filehandle)
finalfile=locations_filehandle.read() + metadata_filehandle.read()
finalfile.writeToDisk()
main()