Storing data in classes.

Is the below code a good way to store data in classes?

I have propetie get set classes, and a constructor to quickly set them all.

The only concern I have is that the byval in the constructor class and the byval in the set() properties, might be inefficient because the parameter is copied twice? Should I use ByRef? Or is that too dangerous?

Code:

---

'Config data for an Environment.
Public Class Environment
    Private msEnvName As String
    Private msRegionCode As String
    Private msDBName As String
    Private msDBAddress As String
    Private msDBRegion As String

    Public Sub New(ByVal lsEnvName As String, ByVal lsRegionCode As String, ByVal lsDBName As String, ByVal lsDBAddress As String, ByVal lsDBRegion As String)
        Me.EnvName = lsEnvName
        Me.RegionCode = lsRegionCode
        Me.DBName = lsDBName
        Me.DBAddress = lsDBAddress
        Me.DBRegion = lsDBRegion
    End Sub

    Public Property EnvName() As String
        Get
            Return msEnvName
        End Get
        Set(ByVal value As String)
            msEnvName = value
        End Set
    End Property

    Public Property RegionCode() As String
        Get
            Return msRegionCode
        End Get
        Set(ByVal value As String)
            msRegionCode = value
        End Set
    End Property

    Public Property DBName() As String
        Get
            Return msDBName
        End Get
        Set(ByVal value As String)
            msDBName = value
        End Set
    End Property

    Public Property DBAddress() As String
        Get
            Return msDBAddress
        End Get
        Set(ByVal value As String)
            msDBAddress = value
        End Set
    End Property

    Public Property DBRegion() As String
        Get
            Return msDBRegion
        End Get
        Set(ByVal value As String)
            msDBRegion = value
        End Set
    End Property
End Class

---

Seems pretty boilerplate to me. What framework are you using? If it's 4.0 you can auto implement your properties.

Your code will be condensed down to this:

vb.net Code:

Public Class Environment
 
    Public Property EnvironmentName As String
    Public Property RegionCode As String
    Public Property DBName As String
    Public Property DBAddress As String
    Public Property DBRegion As String
 
    Public Sub New(environmentName As String, regionCode As String, dbName As String, dbAddress As String, dbRegion As String)
        _EnvironmentName = environmentName
        _RegionCode = regionCode
        _DBName = dbName
        _DBAddress = dbAddress
        _DBRegion = dbRegion
    End Sub
 
End Class

Your arguments may not be getting copied twice. If the argument is a reference type, then you are only getting the reference anyways. While that reference IS being copied, there is nothing you can do about that, and it is about the fastest possible way to shift data anyways. Having said that, I would add that strings, while being reference types, don't always act as reference types.

In any case, I wouldn't worry about it. You won't gain a thing by switching to ByRef.

I'm going to contradict MattP here and say that you may want to go with the boilerplate code, but only if you are a fan of data binding. Your class looks like a row you'd get from a database table and sometimes you may want to show a list of them in a DataGridView and have them editable. In such a case you would want to implement the INotifyPropertyChange interface which requires that you raise the PropertyChanged event everytime you set one of the properties so what ever control you bind your list to can update its display, so keep that in mind. If you have no intention of using your class with any form of data binding that involves the data being changed while its bound then feel free to ignore this post. :)

This is how I implement classes that represent data that I may want to use in data binding:-

vbnet Code:

'
'Config data for an Environment.
Public Class Environment
    Implements System.ComponentModel.INotifyPropertyChanged
 
    Private msEnvName As String
    Private msRegionCode As String
    Private msDBName As String
    Private msDBAddress As String
    Private msDBRegion As String
 
    Public Event PropertyChanged(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.ComponentModel.PropertyChangedEventArgs) Implements System.ComponentModel.INotifyPropertyChanged.PropertyChanged
 
    Protected Overridable Sub OnPropertyChanged(ByVal e As System.ComponentModel.PropertyChangedEventArgs)
        RaiseEvent PropertyChanged(Me, e)
    End Sub
 
 
    Public Sub New(ByVal lsEnvName As String, ByVal lsRegionCode As String, ByVal lsDBName As String, ByVal lsDBAddress As String, ByVal lsDBRegion As String)
        Me.EnvName = lsEnvName
        Me.RegionCode = lsRegionCode
        Me.DBName = lsDBName
        Me.DBAddress = lsDBAddress
        Me.DBRegion = lsDBRegion
    End Sub
 
    Public Property EnvName() As String
        Get
            Return msEnvName
        End Get
        Set(ByVal value As String)
            msEnvName = value
            OnPropertyChanged(New System.ComponentModel.PropertyChangedEventArgs("EnvName"))
        End Set
    End Property
 
    Public Property RegionCode() As String
        Get
            Return msRegionCode
        End Get
        Set(ByVal value As String)
            msRegionCode = value
            OnPropertyChanged(New System.ComponentModel.PropertyChangedEventArgs("RegionCode"))
        End Set
    End Property
 
    Public Property DBName() As String
        Get
            Return msDBName
        End Get
        Set(ByVal value As String)
            msDBName = value
            OnPropertyChanged(New System.ComponentModel.PropertyChangedEventArgs("DBName"))
        End Set
    End Property
 
    Public Property DBAddress() As String
        Get
            Return msDBAddress
        End Get
        Set(ByVal value As String)
            msDBAddress = value
            OnPropertyChanged(New System.ComponentModel.PropertyChangedEventArgs("DBAddress"))
        End Set
 
    End Property
 
    Public Property DBRegion() As String
        Get
            Return msDBRegion
        End Get
        Set(ByVal value As String)
            msDBRegion = value
            OnPropertyChanged(New System.ComponentModel.PropertyChangedEventArgs("DBRegion"))
        End Set
    End Property
 
End Class

Come to think of it your class looks like some kind of config for your app so you may not want to do this but I'll leave it here for future reference.

The original post contained boilerplate code that could be condensed to auto implemented properties. If he needs to change it in the future all he needs to do is hit enter and type in 'Get' to convert it from an auto implemented property to explicit implementation.

-----

Here's the BaseClass that I use to implement INotifyPropertyChanged. It overloads the NotifyPropertyChanged method to take an Expression(Of Func(Of T)) so you're not passing in magic strings.

vb.net Code:

Imports System.ComponentModel
Imports System.Linq.Expressions
Imports System.Reflection
 
Public MustInherit Class BindingBaseClass
    Implements INotifyPropertyChanged
 
    Public Event PropertyChanged As PropertyChangedEventHandler Implements INotifyPropertyChanged.PropertyChanged
 
    Public Sub NotifyPropertyChanged(name As String)
        RaiseEvent PropertyChanged(Me, New PropertyChangedEventArgs(name))
    End Sub
 
    Public Sub NotifyPropertyChanged(Of T)(propertyExpression As Expression(Of Func(Of T)))
        Dim propertyName As String = GetPropertyName(propertyExpression)
        NotifyPropertyChanged(propertyName)
    End Sub
 
    Private Function GetPropertyName(Of T)(propExpression As Expression(Of Func(Of T))) As String
        If propExpression Is Nothing Then
            Throw New ArgumentNullException("propExpression")
        End If
 
        Dim mbrExpression As MemberExpression = TryCast(propExpression.Body, MemberExpression)
        If mbrExpression Is Nothing Then
            Throw New ArgumentException("The expression is not a member access expression.", "propExpression")
        End If
 
        Dim prop As PropertyInfo = TryCast(mbrExpression.Member, PropertyInfo)
        If prop Is Nothing Then
            Throw New ArgumentException("The member access expression does not access a property.", "propExpression")
        End If
 
        If Not prop.DeclaringType.IsAssignableFrom(Me.[GetType]()) Then
            Throw New ArgumentException("The referenced property belongs to a different type.", "propExpression")
        End If
 
        Dim getMethod As MethodInfo = prop.GetGetMethod(True)
        If getMethod Is Nothing Then
            Throw New ArgumentException("The referenced property does not have a get method.", "propExpression")
        End If
 
        If getMethod.IsStatic Then
            Throw New ArgumentException("The referenced property is a static property.", "propExpression")
        End If
 
        Return mbrExpression.Member.Name
    End Function
End Class

Here is a sample class inheriting from the base class and adding a setter guard clause.

vb.net Code:

Public Class Environment
    Inherits BindingBaseClass
 
    Private _envName As String
    Public Property EnvName As String
        Get
            Return _envName
        End Get
        Set(value As String)
            If _envName = value Then Return
            _envName = value
            NotifyPropertyChanged(Function() EnvName)
        End Set
    End Property
 
    Private _regionCode As String
    Public Property RegionCode As String
        Get
            Return _regionCode
        End Get
        Set(value As String)
            If _regionCode = value Then Return
            _regionCode = value
            NotifyPropertyChanged(Function() RegionCode)
        End Set
    End Property
 
    Private _dbName As String
    Public Property DBName As String
        Get
            Return _dbName
        End Get
        Set(value As String)
            If _dbName = value Then Return
            _dbName = value
            NotifyPropertyChanged(Function() DBName)
        End Set
    End Property
 
    Private _dbAddress As String
    Public Property DBAddress As String
        Get
            Return _dbAddress
        End Get
        Set(value As String)
            If _dbAddress = value Then Return
            _dbAddress = value
            NotifyPropertyChanged(Function() DBAddress)
        End Set
    End Property
 
    Private _dbRegion As String
    Public Property DBRegion As String
        Get
            Return _dbRegion
        End Get
        Set(value As String)
            If _dbRegion = value Then Return
            _dbRegion = value
            NotifyPropertyChanged(Function() DBRegion)
        End Set
    End Property
 
    Public Sub New(lsEnvName As String, lsRegionCode As String, lsDBName As String, lsDBAddress As String, lsDBRegion As String)
        _envName = lsEnvName
        _regionCode = lsRegionCode
        _dbName = lsDBName
        _dbAddress = lsDBAddress
        _dbRegion = lsDBRegion
    End Sub
 
End Class

That is really amazing :D. Id give you rep twice if I could for that godly piece of code but alas I cant give even once until the next 24 hours.

Can't get over how clever that is.