[SergioM]

Ok, this is probably a gimme, but I'm not a C# coder! I want to pull a column of information from a flat file to populate a database. The app is already completed and working, but now I want to add Model Numbers. I want to try to pull the information. If the field is null or empty, I want it to catch it and just fill it in with "Unknown". I'm pretty sure that I'm close. I just need to correct the syntax! Any help?

         try
                {
                    public override string ModelAlone { get { return item["ITEM"].ToString(); } }
                }
                catch
                {
                    public override string ModelAlone { get { return "Unknown"; } }
                }

This post has been edited by SergioM: 09 June 2010 - 07:51 PM

[tlhIn`toq]

The try/catch construct goes inside the method, not the other way around as you have it.

It is fully explained on the MSDN site.
http://msdn.microsof...esw(VS.80).aspx

Also, try/catch does not work the way you describe that you are wanting it to work. Not even close.

May I suggest picking up a basic C# introductory book? There are so many great "How do I build my first application" tutorials on the web... There are dozens of "Learn C# in 21 days", "My first C# program" books at your look book seller or even public library...

Build a Program Now! in Visual C# by Microsoft Press, ISBN 0-7356-2542-5
is a terrific book that has you build a Windows Forms application, a WPF app, a database application, your own web browser.

C# Cookbooks
Are a great place to get good code, broken down by need, written by coding professionals. You can use the code as-is, but take the time to actually study it. These professionals write in a certain style for a reason developed by years of experience and heartache.

Microsoft Visual Studio Tip, 251 ways to improve your productivity, Microsoft press, ISBN 0-7356-2640-5
Has many, many great, real-world tips that I use all the time.

The tutorials below walk through making an application including inheritance, custom events and custom controls.
Building an application Part 1
Building an application part 2
#############################################################################################################
MSDN C# Developers Center with tutorials
Welcome to Visual Studio

Have you seen the MSDN Code Samples? They spent a lot of time creating samples and demos. It seems a shame to not use them.

• Anonymous Delegates: Demonstrates the use of unnamed delegates to reduce application complexity.
  
• Arrays: Shows how to use arrays.
  
• Attributes: Shows how to create custom attribute classes, use them in code, and query them through reflection.
  
• Collection Classes: Shows how to make non-generic collection classes that can be used with the foreach statement.
  
• COM Interop Part I: Shows how to use C# to interoperate with COM objects.
  
• COM Interop Part II: Shows how to a use a C# server together with a C++ COM client.
  
• Commandline: Demonstrates simple command-line processing and array indexing.
  
• Condiational Methods: Demonstrates conditional methods, which provide a powerful mechanism by which calls to methods can be included or omitted depending on whether a symbol is defined.
  
• Delegates: Shows how delegates are declared, mapped to static and instance methods, and combined into multicast delegates.
  
• Events: Shows how to declare, invoke, and configure events in C#.
  
• Explicit Interface: Demonstrates how to explicitly implement interface members and how to access those members from interface instances.
  
• Generics: Shows how to make generic collection classes that can be used with the foreach statement.
  
• Hello World: A Hello World application.
  
• Indexers Part I: Shows how C# classes can declare indexers to provide array-like access to objects.
  
• Indexers Part II: Shows how to implement a class that uses indexed properties. Indexed properties enable you to use a class that represents an array-like collection.
  
• Libraries: Shows how to use compiler options to create a DLL from multiple source files; also, how to use the library in other programs
  
• Named and Optional (C# 4.0): Demonstrates Named and Optional parameters, an alternative to method overloads
  
• Nullable: Demonstrates value types, such as double and bool, that can be set to null
  
• Office Sample (C# 4.0): Demonstrates how Dynamic and COM Interop make it easy to call Microsoft Office in C# 4.0
  
• OLEDB: Demonstrates how to use a Microsoft Access database from C# by creating a dataset and adding tables to it.
  
• Operator Overloading: Shows how user-defined classes can overload operators
  
• Partial Types: Demonstrates how classes and structures can be defined in multiple C# source-code files
  
• PInvoke: Shows how to call exported DLL functions from C#
  
• Properties: Shows how properties are declared and used; also demonstrates abstract properties
  
• Python Sample (C# 4.0): Learn how to call a Python script by using the Dynamic feature in C# 4.0
  
• Security: Discusses .NET Framework security and shows how to modify security permissions in C# by using permission classes and permission attributes
  
• Simple Variance (C# 4.0): See how Covariance and Contravariance are supported in generic interfaces and delegates
  
• Structs: Shows how to use structs in C#.
  
• Threading: Demonstrates various thread activities such as creating and executing a thread, synchronizing threads, interacting between threads, and using a thread pool
  
• Unsafe: Shows how to use unmanaged code (code that uses pointers) in C#
  
• User Conversions: Shows how to define conversions to and from user-defined types
  
• Versioning: Demonstrates versioning in C# by using the override and new keywords
  
• XML Documents: Shows how to document code by using XML
  
• Yield: Demonstrates how to use the yield keyword to filter items in a collection

This post has been edited by tlhIn'toq: 09 June 2010 - 08:40 PM

[MentalFloss]

Quote

If the field is null or empty, I want it to catch it and just fill it in with "Unknown".

myField = (String.IsNullOrEmpty(myField)) ? "Unknown" : myField;

You have no need to catch such a condition. Just assign it.

[reaper4334]

There's also a thread in this forum about exception handling: http://www.dreaminco...ling-in-c%23/#/

don't know if that may be any use to you