CODEWITHSUNDEEP
c#
Kasper Hansen
Kasper Hansen

Reputation: 6557

How do I convert a string into a variable reference?

I have to add a lot of shared folders from a configuration file. the names are very long, but all ends in "Name", "Domain", "Username" and "Password".

An example is:

AddSharedFolder(
  myConfigurationHandler.MyConfiguration.MyService.RSController.repositoryName,
  myConfigurationHandler.MyConfiguration.MyService.RSController.repositoryDomain,
  myConfigurationHandler.MyConfiguration.MyService.RSController.repositoryUsername,
  myConfigurationHandler.MyConfiguration.MyService.RSController.repositoryPassword);

My idea was to call it like

AddSharedFolder(
  "myConfigurationHandler.MyConfiguration.MyService.RSController.repository");

Then have an overloaded AddSharedFolders method:

private static void AddSharedFolder(string prefix)
{
   AddSharedFolder(prefix + "Name", prefix + "Domain", prefix + "Username", prefix + "Password");
}

Obviously the last method is wrong. But how do I convert the string into a variable name? Or is this a really dumb programming practice?

Upvotes: 3

Views: 274

Answers (4)

Carlo V. Dango
Carlo V. Dango

Reputation: 13902

There is no way in C# to do Eval("..."), the language is not that dynamic. Hence your last attempt at a method will not work.

I'd go for

var ctr = myConfigurationHandler.MyConfiguration.MyService.RSController;
AddSharedFolder(ctr.repositoryName, ctr.repositoryDomain,
                ctr.repositoryUsername, ctr.repositoryPassword);

Alternatively, you could use strings for the paths, but that would really be going down the wrong lane..

Upvotes: 2

Daniel Hilgarth
Daniel Hilgarth

Reputation: 174457

That's not the right way to do it. The right way would be to introduce a variable for the type the Properties are defined in. Something like this:

var controller = myConfigurationHandler.MyConfiguration.MyService.RSController;

AddSharedFolder(
  controller.repositoryName,
  controller.repositoryDomain,
  controller.repositoryUsername,
  controller.repositoryPassword);

Upvotes: 1

Massif
Massif

Reputation: 4433

wouldn't it be easier (and not sacrifice type safety) to do something like:

var controller = myConfigurationHandler.MyConfiguration.MyService.RSController;

AddSharedFolder( controller.repositoryName, controller.repositoryDomain, controller.repositoryUsername, controller.repositoryPassword);

Upvotes: 1

Mikael Östberg
Mikael Östberg

Reputation: 17176

You could use reflection and poke around with, but it is really bad programming practice in this case.

Wrap your settings in something that is easier to handle and accept the long names within that class, if you don't want to work with these long names.

Upvotes: 1

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