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Need help understanding 'Split'. C#

I need help to make sure I am understanding the below code correctly.

FYI: textBox1 is an input box. The user can search for anything they want.

textBox1.Text.Split(';')[0]

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Is the 'Split' looking for ';' as a separator that the user inputted to search for multiple items in the textBox1? If so, then does the [0] mean only the first item listed is being searched for?

Here is more of the code:

for (int i = 0; i < textBox1.Text.Split(';')[0].Length; i++)
                    {
                        if (textBox1.Text.Split(';')[0][i] == '.')
                        {
                            cnt++;
                        }
                    }

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Can someone let me know if I am reading this code correctly?

ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION

Éric Moreau

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Jacque Scott

ASKER

I didn't write the code and when I was trying to read it I was getting confused.

Jacque Scott

ASKER

The [0] is an indexer. Not sure why but the original programmer allowed the user to input a search for multiple items but never searched for anything after the first ';'.

Dustin Saunders

If you're ever curious, take your code and write outputs to see what it does. Like this:

string test = "Hey; what is the problem?  Did you know; One period.  Two periods.  Not three!";
            int cnt = 0;
            Console.WriteLine(test.Split(';').Length.ToString());
            for (int i = 0; i < test.Split(';').Length; i++)
            {
                
                if (test.Split(';')[0][i] == '.')
                {
                    cnt++;
                }
                Console.WriteLine(test.Split(';')[0][i].ToString());
            }
            Console.WriteLine(test.Split(';')[0].ToString());
            Console.WriteLine(cnt.ToString());
            Console.Read();

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You can see what exactly the code is doing. In this case, yes they never iterate paste the first block of ';'.

You need to use a nested for(i++) in order to iterate through the first item and the second set.

Like this:

string test = "Hey; what is the problem?  Did you know; One period.  Two periods.  Not three!";
            int cnt = 0;
            Console.WriteLine(test.Split(';').Length.ToString());
            for (int i = 0; i < test.Split(';').Length; i++)
            {
                for (int j = 0; j < test.Split(';')[i].Length; j++)
                {
                    if (test.Split(';')[i][j] == '.')
                    {
                        cnt++;
                    }
                    Console.WriteLine(test.Split(';')[i][j].ToString());
                }
                
            }
            
            Console.WriteLine(cnt.ToString() + " periods found.");
            Console.Read();

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