CODEWITHSUNDEEP
c#
Kamrul Islam Rubel
Kamrul Islam Rubel

Reputation: 39

How to get variable value outside IF ELSE

I have a string array variable which will take filepaths based on condition but getting error as below:

if (chkIncludeSubFolders.Checked == true)
{
    string[] filePaths = Directory.GetFiles(txtPath.Text, txtFormat.Text, SearchOption.AllDirectories);
}
else
{
    string[] filePaths = Directory.GetFiles(txtPath.Text, txtFormat.Text, SearchOption.TopDirectoryOnly);
}

foreach (string item in filePaths)//Error: The name filePaths dose not exist in current context 
{
    //my code
}

Upvotes: 1

Views: 1633

Answers (6)

Matt
Matt

Reputation: 629

You need to define your filePaths variable outside of your if/else statements:

string[] filePaths;

if (chkIncludeSubFolders.Checked == true)
{
    filePaths = Directory.GetFiles(txtPath.Text, txtFormat.Text, SearchOption.AllDirectories);
}
else
{
    filePaths = Directory.GetFiles(txtPath.Text, txtFormat.Text, SearchOption.TopDirectoryOnly);
}

foreach (string item in filePaths)
{
    //your code
}

Upvotes: 4

SWeko
SWeko

Reputation: 30902

If you're comfortable with the ?: operator, you can omit the whole if, and have terser (and more confusing) code:

string[] filePaths = Directory.GetFiles(txtPath.Text, txtFormat.Text,
  chkIncludeSubFolders.Checked ? SearchOption.AllDirectories : SearchOption.TopDirectoryOnly);

You can define the SearchOption separately to make the code more readable, along these lines:

string searchOption = chkIncludeSubFolders.Checked 
  ? SearchOption.AllDirectories 
  : SearchOption.TopDirectoryOnly;
string[] filePaths = Directory.GetFiles(txtPath.Text, txtFormat.Text, searchOption);

Otherwise, just declare the variable before the if. Note that this is only a declaration so you are free to have it uninitialized, as long as you will (provably) initialize it afterwards.
Since you have a simple if/else, with exactly 2 branches, and you set the value of filePaths in both of them, the compiler is smart enough to know that the variable will definitely have a value once the if is executed.

Upvotes: 3

David Arno
David Arno

Reputation: 43254

You could follow the advice of the other answers and declare filePaths outside the if/else. However, you are repeating yourself as the only thing that differs between the two calls is the options. So set them up first and then make the call:

var searchOptions = chkIncludeSubFolders.Checked 
    ? SearchOption.AllDirectories 
    : SearchOption.TopDirectoryOnly; 

string[] filePaths = Directory.GetFiles(txtPath.Text, txtFormat.Text, searchOptions);

foreach (string item in filePaths) 
{
    //my code
}

Upvotes: 11

Akshey Bhat
Akshey Bhat

Reputation: 8545

Declare filepaths before if-else

Upvotes: 2

rory.ap
rory.ap

Reputation: 35310

You need to declare your variable outside the "if" block:

string[] filePaths;

if (chkIncludeSubFolders.Checked == true)
{
    filePaths = Directory.GetFiles(txtPath.Text, txtFormat.Text, SearchOption.AllDirectories);
}
else
{
    filePaths = Directory.GetFiles(txtPath.Text, txtFormat.Text, SearchOption.TopDirectoryOnly);
}

foreach (string item in filePaths)
{

}

Upvotes: 4

Patrick Hofman
Patrick Hofman

Reputation: 156998

Pull the variable declaration outside the method:

string[] filePaths;

if (chkIncludeSubFolders.Checked)
{
    filePaths = Directory.GetFiles(txtPath.Text, txtFormat.Text, SearchOption.AllDirectories);
}
else
{
    filePaths = Directory.GetFiles(txtPath.Text, txtFormat.Text, SearchOption.TopDirectoryOnly);
}

// You can use filePaths here

Upvotes: 11

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