If the templates don't change often, but are used somewhat more often, then it might be worth pre-processing them: that is parse them initially, and spit them out in parts with a directive file. Then you simply read the directive file and stitch the parts together.
Eg: Long text <%=placeholder1 %> more text <%=someotherplaceholder%> even more text Would be preprocessed into 3 files and one directive file. The directive file would just list the parts and placeholder sequence: eg: <parts> <part @index=0 @type=file>file1.txt</part> <part @index=0 @type=replacement>placeholder1</part> <part @index=0 @type=file>file2.txt</part> <part @index=0 @type=replacement> someotherplaceholder</part> <part @index=0 @type=file>file3.txt</part> </parts> This would save you re-parsing the templates. Whether or not it is worth the effort in your case is something you'd have to decide on. I wouldn't bother unless initial performance and/or you are doing a lot of re-use of the templates. As to using a asp.net style parser, it's a possibility, but probably not worth the overhead or time it would take to investigate another engine. |-----Original Message----- |From: ozdotnet-boun...@ozdotnet.com [mailto:ozdotnet- |boun...@ozdotnet.com] On Behalf Of Bec Carter |Sent: Monday, 7 February 2011 1:42 PM |To: ozDotNet |Subject: Re: Placeholders in large text file | |On Mon, Feb 7, 2011 at 1:33 PM, Michael Minutillo |<michael.minuti...@gmail.com> wrote: |> Well, if the template size isn't going change and this is the only app |> running on the machine then so be it. Chances are good that neither of |> those things is true. I'd still err on the side of having a single |> line memory at a time because it's not like the optimization is making |> it any harder to read or understand. |> | |Yup template file will mostly likely not change and app will always run locally |as an exe. This sort of optimisation you suggested seems good enough to use as |it is fairly simple. | |...But I was kinda questioning the design of doing things this way at all. It seems |like what I want is a dynamic "page" (like a webform) that can run and spit out |text just like an asp page does.....so the placeholders would really be <%= %> |tags. Is something like this an option? Can I somehow run an asp.net page |locally? Will this cause performance problems for 750megs of data which is |around 70 pages? Am I going completely crazy? :-) | | |> Michael M. Minutillo |> Indiscriminate Information Sponge |> Blog: http://wolfbyte-net.blogspot.com |> |> |> On Mon, Feb 7, 2011 at 10:30 AM, mike smith <meski...@gmail.com> wrote: |>> |>> On Mon, Feb 7, 2011 at 12:49 PM, Michael Minutillo |>> <michael.minuti...@gmail.com> wrote: |>>> |>>> If you're in .NET 4.0 land then I'd do something similar to this: |>>> public string ReplaceTokens(string src) { /* ... */ } |>>> File.WriteAllLines(outputFileName, |>>> File.ReadLines(inputFileName).Select(ReplaceTokens)); |>>> The ReadLines call (new to .NET 4.0) reads one line at a time and |>>> returns it as you iterate over it so in theory you don't need to |>>> have the whole file in memory. Don't use the ReadAllLines method on |>>> a 750MB file which DOES read the whole thing in before you start. |>>> |>> |>> |>> Is that a real problem given physical RAM these days? If you're |>> going to write multiple outputs from the one template file of 750 |>> it's going to rapidly get more efficient to have the template in-ram. Wait a |moment. |>> You don't work for Readers Digest, do you? I have no desire |>> whatever to make them more efficient. |>> -- |>> Meski |>> |>> "Going to Starbucks for coffee is like going to prison for sex. Sure, |>> you'll get it, but it's going to be rough" - Adam Hills |> |>
