LineIO.cs

using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.IO;
using System.Text;

namespace LineIO {

  public class LineReader : StreamReader {
		public char separator = '\t';
		private bool skip = false;

		public LineReader (string path, bool skipFirst = true)
			: base(path, Encoding.UTF8) {
			this.skip = skipFirst;
		}

		/// <summary>
		/// Consumes the next line in the file
		/// </summary>
		/// <returns>Data present in line</returns>
		//the new keyword here is c#'s solution to its previously ridiculous
		// overriding restrictions
		public new List<string> ReadLine () {
			if (this.skip) {
				this.skip = false;
				base.ReadLine();
			}

			string line = base.ReadLine();

			if (line == null) {
				return null;
			}

			List<string> ret = new List<string>();
			StringBuilder hanz = new StringBuilder();

			foreach (char ch in line) {
				if (ch == this.separator) {
					ret.Add(hanz.ToString());
					hanz.Clear();
				}
				else {
					hanz.Append(ch);
				}
			}
			if (hanz.Length > 0) {
				ret.Add(hanz.ToString());
			}

			hanz.Clear();
			return ret;
		}
	}

	public class LineWriter : StreamWriter {
		public char separator = '\t';

		public LineWriter (string path)
			: base(path, false, Encoding.UTF8) { }

		/// <summary>
		/// Dumps the content of data into the file
		/// </summary>
		/// <param name="data">Stuff to write</param>
		//wow, I'm doing a really bad job at documenting this.
		//on the other hand, the code here is so clean!
		public void WriteLine (List<string> data) {
			base.WriteLine(this.Format(data));
		}

		private string Format (List<string> data) {
			return string.Join(this.separator.ToString(), data);
		}
	}
}