Reading CsvReader field text field into Boolean field?

Question

I am new to using CsvReader and it is going well.

My object currently has these fields:

public class CLMExplorerStudent
{
    [Name("Student ID")]
    public int Id { get; set; }

    [Name("Last Name")]
    public string LastName { get; set; }

    [Name("First Name")]
    public string FirstName { get; set; }

    [Name("Gender")]
    public string Gender { get; set; }

    [Name("Active")]
    public string Active { get; set; }

    [Name("Role")]
    public string Role { get; set; }

    [Name("Use For")]
    public string UseFor { get; set; }

    [Name("Use Where")]
    public string UseWhere { get; set; }

    [Name("Email Address")]
    public string EmailAddress { get; set; }

    [Name("Phone #")]
    public string PhoneNumber { get; set; }

    [Name("Remarks")]
    public string Remarks { get; set; }
}

The Active field has a value in the CSV file of Y or N. Is it possible to map this so that the property in my class can be a bool property?

I am using the standard method for reading the CSV file:

using (var reader = new StreamReader(strPath))
using (var csv = new CsvReader(reader, CultureInfo.InvariantCulture))
{
    var records = csv.GetRecords<CLMExplorerStudent>();
}

I obviously know that I can simply test thevalue against Y or N instead but I would prefer to read into a bool property.

I only need to read in from the CSV file and not write out to it.

Does this answer your question? [Adding custom field attributes to CsvHelper](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/59459629/adding-custom-field-attributes-to-csvhelper) — Mathias R. Jessen, Dec 30 '21 at 16:22
@MathiasR.Jessen So I have to use a **convertor** or some kind to map to `bool`? — Andrew Truckle, Dec 30 '21 at 16:29

Mathias R. Jessen · Accepted Answer · 2021-12-30T16:47:48.110

2

Implement a custom type converter and register it using the [TypeConverter] attribute:

using CsvHelper.Configuration;
using CsvHelper.Configuration.Attributes;
using CsvHelper.TypeConversion;

class YesNoConverter : DefaultTypeConverter
{
    public override object ConvertFromString(string text, IReaderRow row, MemberMapData memberMapData)
        => "YES".StartsWith(text, StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase);
    

    public override string ConvertToString(object value, IWriterRow row, MemberMapData memberMapData)
        => value is bool b && b ? "Y" : "N";
}

public class CLMExplorerStudent
{
    // ...

    [Name("Active")]
    [TypeConverter(typeof(YesNoConverter))]
    public bool Active { get; set; }

    // ...
}

edited Dec 30 '21 at 16:47

answered Dec 30 '21 at 16:43

Mathias R. Jessen

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Thanks. I would be right in saying that `string Active` needs to be changed to `bool Active` in your code? – Andrew Truckle Dec 30 '21 at 16:47
1

@AndrewTruckle Correct! – Mathias R. Jessen Dec 30 '21 at 16:47
See my answer just added. – Andrew Truckle Jan 08 '22 at 19:47

score 1 · Answer 2 · answered Jan 08 '22 at 19:46

I also found this page: https://joshclose.github.io/CsvHelper/examples/configuration/attributes/

Where it suggests:

[BooleanTrueValues("yes")]
[BooleanFalseValues("no")]
public bool IsBool { get; set; }

So:

[BooleanTrueValues("Y")]
[BooleanFalseValues("N")]
public bool Active{ get; set; }

Reading CsvReader field text field into Boolean field?

2 Answers2