[RESOLVED] [2.0] Return 2 types with generic parameters?

Code:

---

    public class RoomCollection : List<Room>
    {
        public T IndexOfName<T>(string name)
        {
            if (!(typeof(T) == typeof(int)) && !(typeof(T) == typeof(Room)))
                throw new Exception("Invalid generic parameter!");
            for (int i = 0; i < this.Count; i++)
            {
                if (this[i].SiteID == name)
                {
                    if (typeof(T) == typeof(int))
                        return (T)(object)i;
                    return (T)(object)this[i];
                }
            }
            if (typeof(T) == typeof(int))
                return (T)(object)-1;
            return (T)(object)null;
        }
    }

---

I want to easily be able to choose what it returns so I made this. How do you properly do this?

I have a generic class that returns objects of type T, it is something like

Code:

---

public class RoomCollection<T>
    {
        public List<T> IndexOfName(string name)
        {
            //codes
            return null;
        }
    }

---

Does that make a difference on your current implementation?

Sampe usage would be

Code:

---

private static RoomCollection<Room> _rooms = null;

---

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by dee-u

I have a generic class that returns objects of type T, it is something like

Code:

---

public class RoomCollection<T>
    {
        public List<T> IndexOfName(string name)
        {
            //codes
            return null;
        }
    }

---

Does that make a difference on your current implementation?

Sampe usage would be

Code:

---

private static RoomCollection<Room> _rooms = null;

---

---

Yes, I allow the user of the class to choose between 2 returns. if they pass int as the generic parameter it returns the index. If they pass Room it returns the object instead of the index.

Create two different methods, one that accepts an int and one that accepts a 'Room'. This way, you're not hacking a single method to do two things, but have two methods, each of which does exactly what it says.

As mendhak suggests, that method is a complete hack. The name of the method is "IndexOfName", so there's no way that method should be returning an item. It should ONLY be returning an index of an item, which MUST be an int. You should have a completely separate method that returns an item by name.

Also, if you want to retrieve items by name then you should probably be using a Dictionary, not a List. That's no good if the names aren't unique, of course.

I guess you guys are right, thanks.