declaring class array property

[venerable bede]

I have an interface which is going to set up the definition of 3 dimensional array which will contain something like :

Name of variable e.g "txtName", Type of variable e.g "String or Int", Content e.g "C:\\myfile.txt" or "1".

I need to create a class with the appropriate definition but am a wee bit confused about interfaces.

Any ideas gurus ?

[jmcilhinney]

I strongly suggest that you do not use a 3D array for that. You would be far better off defining a class or structure with three properties corresponding to those values, then give your container class a property that is a collection of those objects. You haven't specified which version you're using (c'mon, after 692 posts you should know better) so I don't know if Generic collections are available to you. Here's an example using an ArrayList but you should use a strongly typed collection, either derived from CollectionBase in .NET 1.x or a Generic.List in .NET 2.0.

Public Class Class1
 
    Private _variables As ArrayList
 
    Public ReadOnly Property Variables() As ArrayList
        Get
            'Don't create the collection until it is needed.
            If Me._variables Is Nothing Then
                Me._variables = New ArrayList
            End If
 
            Return Me._variables
        End Get
    End Property
 
End Class
 
Public Class Variable
 
    Private _variableName As String
    Private _variableType As Type
    Private _value As Object
 
    Public ReadOnly Property VariableName() As String
        Get
            Return Me._variableName
        End Get
    End Property
 
    Public ReadOnly Property VariableType() As Type
        Get
            Return Me._variableType
        End Get
    End Property
 
    Public Property Value() As Object
        Get
            Return Me._value
        End Get
        Set(ByVal value As Object)
            Me._value = value
        End Set
    End Property
 
    Public Sub New(ByVal name As String, ByVal type As Type)
        Me.New(name, type, Nothing)
    End Sub
 
    Public Sub New(ByVal name As String, ByVal type As Type, ByVal value As Object)
        Me._variableName = name
        Me._variableType = type
        Me._value = value
    End Sub
 
End Class

[jmcilhinney]

Oops. Here's a C# translation:

public class Class1 {
    
    private ArrayList _variables;
    
    public ArrayList Variables {
        get {
            // Don't create the collection until it is needed.
            if ((this._variables == null)) {
                this._variables = new ArrayList();
            }
            return this._variables;
        }
    }
}
public class Variable {
    
    private string _variableName;
    
    private Type _variableType;
    
    private object _value;
    
    public Variable(string name, Type type) : 
            this(name, type, null) {
    }
    
    public Variable(string name, Type type, object value) {
        this._variableName = name;
        this._variableType = type;
        this._value = value;
    }
    
    public string VariableName {
        get {
            return this._variableName;
        }
    }
    
    public Type VariableType {
        get {
            return this._variableType;
        }
    }
    
    public object Value {
        get {
            return this._value;
        }
        set {
            this._value = value;
        }
    }
}

[venerable bede]

Thanks for the detailed reply.

You're right, I always forget to mention that I am using VS 2005 and 2.0 of the framework :-(.

The arraylist isn't available so I will have to study up on Generics to get this to work. All new to me. I'm scared

[jmcilhinney]

Of course the ArrayList is available. It hasn't been removed in .NET 2.0, but you'd be better to use a Generic.List anyway.

public class Class1
{
    private List<Variable> _variables;

    public List<Variable> Variables
    {
        get
        {
            // Don't create the collection until it is needed.
            if ((this._variables == null))
            {
                this._variables = new List<Variable>();
            }  return this._variables;
        }
    }
}

The List will behave pretty much exactly as an ArrayList does except that it will only accept items of type Variable.