C# not finding space in string copied from Excel

Question

Help! I have a list of records in Excel that I'm copying/pasting into an ASP.NET web page. From there, the C# code parses the records.

This code below works for one of the names, but not another. If, however, I copy/replace the empty space in Excel with a typed space or if I actually backspace and type the name into the webpage with the keyboard, it does work.

It's as if Excel has some odd ghost character in the file I was given for the space on this record. I've pasted in Notepad++ and showed all characters, and I don't see anything special here that's different among the records.

This one works and detects the spaces: Carolyn Bentivegna This one does not: Allan D. Blake

if (fullName.IndexOf(" ") > -1)

Sadique · Accepted Answer · 2016-02-04 06:08:02Z

5

Try the tabspace:

if (fullName.IndexOf("\t") > -1)

Cells copied via excel are separated by a TabSpace and Rows are separated via newlines and carriage return.

answered Feb 4, 2016 at 6:08

Sadique

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5 Comments

Andy Over a year ago

I'm only copying one column of data. Notepad++ shows only newlines (CRLF), no tabs.

Sadique Over a year ago

There is a problem with the string you have in your excel. See the ascii value here. That is definitely not a space. Its value is 160 - the ascii value should be 32

Andy Over a year ago

Thanks! :) I see that now. Any good way on doing this via C# to replace it? I did this and it works, but you can't see the difference to the naked eye: string fullName = fullNameOnly.FullName.Replace(" ", " ");

Sadique Over a year ago

You can write your own function which will replace any special chars. It should not be difficult. Just check the ascii values of non-printable chars and create a new string using stringbuilder without those chars.

Andy Over a year ago

Thanks again. You saved the day for me. :) This works for me now: fullName = fullName.Replace(char.ConvertFromUtf32(160).ToString(), char.ConvertFromUtf32(32).ToString());

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