I am using visual studio 2022 to host a .NET 8 MVC web application project. I am trying to read a text file and write it to another text file. This is the code I am using:

string wdata = System.IO.File.ReadAllText(file);
       

// This is the statement that determines the encode // result in the output text file

System.IO.File.WriteAllText(wfile, wdata, System.Text.Encoding.Unicode);

The problem is that the text file I am reading from has ”hyphens”. But when I read it, and write it to the other text file, the ”hyphens” turn into: This is the “hyphen” in the original text I am trying to read.

This is when read the text using the encoding ASCII

This happens with encoding UTF8

Thanks for any advice or suggestions

I am using visual studio 2022 to host a .NET 8 MVC web application project. I am trying to read a text file and write it to another text file. This is the code I am using:

string wdata = System.IO.File.ReadAllText(file);
       

// This is the statement that determines the encode // result in the output text file

System.IO.File.WriteAllText(wfile, wdata, System.Text.Encoding.Unicode);

The problem is that the text file I am reading from has ”hyphens”. But when I read it, and write it to the other text file, the ”hyphens” turn into: This is the “hyphen” in the original text I am trying to read.

This is when read the text using the encoding ASCII

This happens with encoding UTF8

Thanks for any advice or suggestions

• visual-studio
• asp-core

2 Answers 2

Please use Notepad++ to chekc the encoding of your original file which contains `IQWorksMSP -`.

Then we can specify the format when reading and writing. Here is my test code, it works properly.

    public IActionResult Index()
    {
        string rootPath = Directory.GetCurrentDirectory();
        string sourceFile = Path.Combine(rootPath, "1.txt");
        // You can read it in the same encoding as your original file.
        string content = System.IO.File.ReadAllText(sourceFile, Encoding.UTF8); 

        string targetFile = Path.Combine(rootPath, "2.txt");
        // You can write it in the same encoding as your original file.
        System.IO.File.WriteAllText(targetFile, content, Encoding.UTF8); 

        ViewData["Message"] = "success";
        return View();
    }

Test Result

I found this fix:

// Read Text test - Read the text from a txt file and add create a new txt file

  // with the original txt file data

  public void ReadAndWriteTextTest()

  {

      // Get the root path

      var webRoot = _env.WebRootPath;

      // Text with this txt file which is a copy of the MS Word document

      // what_we_do_and_how.docm

      var inputfile = System.IO.Path.Combine(webRoot, "What_we_do_and_how ENCODED.txt");

      // The txt file name to be created.

      var outputfile = System.IO.Path.Combine(webRoot, "A6CWrite.txt");

      // RC@202503100000 - Get the 1252 specific code page to use with Encoding.RegisterProvider

      Encoding.RegisterProvider(CodePagesEncodingProvider.Instance);

      // Read the input txt file data

      string inputdata = System.IO.File.ReadAllText(inputfile, System.Text.Encoding.GetEncoding(1252));

     // Create and write to the ouput txt file

      System.IO.File.WriteAllText(outputfile, inputdata, System.Text.Encoding.GetEncoding(1252));

 }

the outputfile now shows the correct encoding :