Shortening Code

Hey guys, this isn't a real bug, but its been bothering me.

I need a way to shorten this case method:

vb Code:

Select Case bgcolorVar
                    Case "red"
                        MyScripts.BackgroundImage = My.Resources.red
                        offlineAdd.BackgroundImage = My.Resources.red
                        Info.BackgroundImage = My.Resources.red
                        main.BackgroundImage = My.Resources.red
                        AboutBox.BackgroundImage = My.Resources.red
                        Add.BackgroundImage = My.Resources.red
                        bug_report.BackgroundImage = My.Resources.red
                        BugWindow.BackgroundImage = My.Resources.red
                        Credits.BackgroundImage = My.Resources.red
                        settings.BackgroundImage = My.Resources.red
                        Splash.BackgroundImage = My.Resources.red
                        Updates.BackgroundImage = My.Resources.red
                    Case "orange"
                        MyScripts.BackgroundImage = My.Resources.orange
                        offlineAdd.BackgroundImage = My.Resources.orange
                        Info.BackgroundImage = My.Resources.orange
                        main.BackgroundImage = My.Resources.orange
                        AboutBox.BackgroundImage = My.Resources.orange
                        Add.BackgroundImage = My.Resources.orange
                        bug_report.BackgroundImage = My.Resources.orange
                        BugWindow.BackgroundImage = My.Resources.orange
                        Credits.BackgroundImage = My.Resources.orange
                        settings.BackgroundImage = My.Resources.orange
                        Splash.BackgroundImage = My.Resources.orange
                        Updates.BackgroundImage = My.Resources.orange
                    Case "green"
                        MyScripts.BackgroundImage = My.Resources.green
                        offlineAdd.BackgroundImage = My.Resources.green
                        Info.BackgroundImage = My.Resources.green
                        main.BackgroundImage = My.Resources.green
                        AboutBox.BackgroundImage = My.Resources.green
                        Add.BackgroundImage = My.Resources.green
                        bug_report.BackgroundImage = My.Resources.green
                        BugWindow.BackgroundImage = My.Resources.green
                        Credits.BackgroundImage = My.Resources.green
                        settings.BackgroundImage = My.Resources.green
                        Splash.BackgroundImage = My.Resources.green
                        Updates.BackgroundImage = My.Resources.green
                    Case "blue"
                        MyScripts.BackgroundImage = My.Resources.blue
                        offlineAdd.BackgroundImage = My.Resources.blue
                        Info.BackgroundImage = My.Resources.blue
                        main.BackgroundImage = My.Resources.blue
                        AboutBox.BackgroundImage = My.Resources.blue
                        Add.BackgroundImage = My.Resources.blue
                        bug_report.BackgroundImage = My.Resources.blue
                        BugWindow.BackgroundImage = My.Resources.blue
                        Credits.BackgroundImage = My.Resources.blue
                        settings.BackgroundImage = My.Resources.blue
                        Splash.BackgroundImage = My.Resources.blue
                        Updates.BackgroundImage = My.Resources.blue
                    Case "violet"
                        MyScripts.BackgroundImage = My.Resources.purple
                        offlineAdd.BackgroundImage = My.Resources.purple
                        Info.BackgroundImage = My.Resources.purple
                        main.BackgroundImage = My.Resources.purple
                        AboutBox.BackgroundImage = My.Resources.purple
                        Add.BackgroundImage = My.Resources.purple
                        bug_report.BackgroundImage = My.Resources.purple
                        BugWindow.BackgroundImage = My.Resources.purple
                        Credits.BackgroundImage = My.Resources.purple
                        settings.BackgroundImage = My.Resources.purple
                        Splash.BackgroundImage = My.Resources.purple
                        Updates.BackgroundImage = My.Resources.purple
                    Case "default"
                        MyScripts.BackgroundImage = My.Resources._default
                        offlineAdd.BackgroundImage = My.Resources._default
                        Info.BackgroundImage = My.Resources._default
                        main.BackgroundImage = My.Resources._default
                        AboutBox.BackgroundImage = My.Resources._default
                        Add.BackgroundImage = My.Resources._default
                        bug_report.BackgroundImage = My.Resources._default
                        BugWindow.BackgroundImage = My.Resources._default
                        Credits.BackgroundImage = My.Resources._default
                        settings.BackgroundImage = My.Resources._default
                        Splash.BackgroundImage = My.Resources._default
                        Updates.BackgroundImage = My.Resources._default
                End Select

Any way I can do this?

Yeah, you could fill a single variable (of a type that BackgroundImage accepts) in the select case. You'd be filling the variable with either My.Resources.Orange, or My.Resource.green, or My.Resources.red. You could then move all those assignments out to after the select statement and assign the variable to them. That would cut the code length by not quite two thirds.

Code:

---

    Dim Ctrls() As Control = {MyScripts, offlineAdd, Info, main, AboutBox, Add, bug_report, BugWindow, Credits, settings, Splash, Updates}
    Dim Resources() As System.Drawing.Image = {My.Resources.red, My.Resources.orange, My.Resources.green, My.Resources.blue, My.Resources.violet, My.Resources._default}
    Public Sub ShortenCode()
        Dim Index As Integer = 0
        Select Case bgcolorVar
            Case "red"
                Index = 0
            Case "orange"
                Index = 1
            Case "green"
                Index = 2
            Case "blue"
                Index = 3
            Case "violet"
                Index = 4
            Case "default"
                Index = 5
        End Select
        For Each ctrl As Control In Ctrls
            ctrl.BackgroundImage = Resources(Index)
        Next
    End Sub

---

22/80 = 28% of the size ;)

I think the key to shortening code is to balance compact code with readability.

If I were judging a code beauty contest I'd suggest taking parts from each of Shaggy_Hiker and ForumAccount's examples...

I like the idea of ForumAccount's control array rather than referencing the controls individually, but I'd opt for Shaggy_Hiker's idea of a variable to hold the resource (on the basis that the resulting code is slightly more readable and doesn't rely on arbitrary "magic numbers" to index an array of resources)

hey formlesstree4

this is wht Shaggy Hiker is advising

vb Code:

Dim oImage As Image
 
        Select Case bgcolorVar
            Case "red"
                oImage = My.Resources.red
            Case "orange"
                oImage = My.Resources.orange
            Case "green"
                oImage = My.Resources.green
            Case "blue"
                oImage = My.Resources.blue
            Case "violet"
                oImage = My.Resources.violet
            Case "default"
                oImage = My.Resources.My.Resources._default
        End Select
 
        MyScripts.BackgroundImage = oImage
        offlineAdd.BackgroundImage = oImage
        Info.BackgroundImage = oImage
        main.BackgroundImage = oImage
        AboutBox.BackgroundImage = oImage
        Add.BackgroundImage = oImage
        bug_report.BackgroundImage = oImage
        BugWindow.BackgroundImage = oImage
        Credits.BackgroundImage = oImage
        settings.BackgroundImage = oImage
        Splash.BackgroundImage = oImage
        Updates.BackgroundImage = oImage

or optionally all controls can be stored in array as forumaccount suggest will be an another step for Shortening Code :-)

Su ki, thanks for writing out what I didn't bother with.

There is a VERY slight advantage to what I suggested in that it is effectively an unrolled loop. There once was a time when that mattered, but certainly not now. What ForumAccount suggested is much more compact, and as easy to extend, in my opinion.

You don't need a case statement. My.Resources supports dictionary type search:

Code:

---

Dim Ctrls() As Control = {MyScripts, offlineAdd, Info, main, AboutBox, Add, bug_report, BugWindow, Credits, settings, Splash, Updates}
For Each ctrl As Control In Ctrls
    ctrl.BackgroundImage = CType(My.Resources(bgcolorVar), Image)
Next

---