How to Parse CSV Files in C#: A Quick Guide

Reading a file line by line is useful when handling large files without loading everything into memory at once.

✅ Best Practice: Use File.ReadLines() which is more memory efficient.

Example

foreach (string line in File.ReadLines("file.txt"))
{
    Console.WriteLine(line);
}

Why use ReadLines()?

Reads one line at a time, reducing overall memory usage. Ideal for large files (e.g., logs, CSVs).

Alternative: Use StreamReader (More Control)

For scenarios where you need custom processing while reading the contents of the file:

using (StreamReader reader = new StreamReader("file.txt"))
{
    string? line;
    while ((line = reader.ReadLine()) != null)
    {
        Console.WriteLine(line);
    }
}

Why use StreamReader?

Lets you handle exceptions, encoding, and buffering. Supports custom processing (e.g., search for a keyword while reading).

When to Use ReadAllLines()? If you need all lines at once, use:

string[] lines = File.ReadAllLines("file.txt");

Caution: Loads the entire file into memory—avoid for large files!

Closing a SqlDataReader correctly prevents memory leaks, connection issues, and unclosed resources. Here’s the best way to do it.

Use 'using' to Auto-Close

Using using statements ensures SqlDataReader and SqlConnection are closed even if an exception occurs.

Example

using (SqlConnection conn = new SqlConnection(connectionString))
{
    conn.Open();
    using (SqlCommand cmd = new SqlCommand("SELECT * FROM Users", conn))
    using (SqlDataReader reader = cmd.ExecuteReader())
    {
        while (reader.Read())
        {
            Console.WriteLine(reader["Username"]);
        }
    } // ✅ Auto-closes reader here
} // ✅ Auto-closes connection here

This approach auto-closes resources when done and it is cleaner and less error-prone than manual closing.

⚡ Alternative: Manually Close in finally Block

If you need explicit control, you can manually close it inside a finally block.

SqlDataReader? reader = null;
try
{
    using SqlConnection conn = new SqlConnection(connectionString);
    conn.Open();
    using SqlCommand cmd = new SqlCommand("SELECT * FROM Users", conn);
    reader = cmd.ExecuteReader();

    while (reader.Read())
    {
        Console.WriteLine(reader["Username"]);
    }
}
finally
{
    reader?.Close();  // ✅ Closes reader if it was opened
}

This is slightly more error prone if you forget to add a finally block. But might make sense when you need to handle the reader separately from the command or connection.

Using SqlDataReader asynchronously prevents blocking the main thread, improving performance in web apps and large queries. Here’s how to do it properly.

Use await with ExecuteReaderAsync()

using (SqlConnection conn = new SqlConnection(connectionString))
{
    await conn.OpenAsync();
    using (SqlCommand cmd = new SqlCommand("SELECT * FROM Users", conn))
    using (SqlDataReader reader = await cmd.ExecuteReaderAsync()) 
    {
        while (await reader.ReadAsync()) 
        {
            Console.WriteLine(reader["Username"]);
        }
    } // ✅ Auto-closes reader
} // ✅ Auto-closes connection

Why use async?

A couple of reasons:

• Frees up the thread while waiting for the database.
• Improves scalability in ASP.NET Core and web apps.

⚡ Alternative: ConfigureAwait(false) for ASP.NET

Use ConfigureAwait(false) in library code to avoid deadlocks in UI frameworks like ASP.NET.

using (SqlConnection conn = new SqlConnection(connectionString))
{
    await conn.OpenAsync().ConfigureAwait(false);
    using (SqlCommand cmd = new SqlCommand("SELECT * FROM Users", conn))
    using (SqlDataReader reader = await cmd.ExecuteReaderAsync().ConfigureAwait(false)) 
    {
        while (await reader.ReadAsync().ConfigureAwait(false)) 
        {
            Console.WriteLine(reader["Username"]);
        }
    }
}