How do I split a string on an empty line using .Split()?

Question

For a class project I have to load a text file into a linked list. So far, I have been able to read from the file, but I am struggling to split it up into sections so that I can put it into the linked list.

For example, I would like to split these items up at the empty lines:

David
Hunter
No1
Admin

John
Smith
No11
Sales

Jane
Appleby
No5
Accounts

I have tried String[] people = record.Split('\n'); but of course, this just splits it at every line.

I have also tried:
String[] people = record.Split('\n\r');
String[] people = record.Split('\r\n');
String[] people = record.Split('\n\n');
but it won't compile due to "too many characters in character literal"

Could anyone please suggest a way to do this (preferably without regex)?

Split on "\r\n\r\n" - notice double quotes for string rather than single quotes for character. — Blorgbeard
– Blorgbeard, Commented Sep 7, 2015 at 1:27
Post the actual input of text file and also attach the code that extracts record variable. — Orel Eraki
– Orel Eraki, Commented Sep 7, 2015 at 1:27
txt.Split(new string[] { Environment.NewLine + Environment.NewLine }, StringSplitOptions.RemoveEmptyEntries) — Sky Fang
– Sky Fang, Commented Sep 7, 2015 at 1:31
@Mick that would break on any "\r\n", "\r" or "\n". The OP wants to break on an empty line, i.e. two consecutive newlines ("\r\n\r\n"). — Fernando Matsumoto
– Fernando Matsumoto, Commented Sep 7, 2015 at 4:20

Felix D. · Accepted Answer · 2018-08-30 11:57:05Z

33

You can get it accomplished by using

string[] people = record.Split(new string[] { "\r\n\r\n" },
                               StringSplitOptions.RemoveEmptyEntries);

or

string[] people = record.Split(new string[] { Environment.NewLine + Environment.NewLine },
                               StringSplitOptions.RemoveEmptyEntries);

What it does is it removes empty entries with StringSplitOptions.RemoveEmptyEntries and then splits where two linebreaks are right after each other.

edited Aug 30, 2018 at 11:57

Felix D.

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answered Sep 7, 2015 at 1:56

Mohit S

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1 Comment

gcstudent Over a year ago

This worked, thank you! Also a big thank you to everyone else who offered help!

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