Using variables to refer to array indices in C#

Question

I'm working on some C# code where I have several files that use the same public variables (let's call these variables a, b, and c for now). Disclaimer: please don't berate me on the quality of the code, I didn't write it, it's simply my job to fix it. These variables are public and shared across all files, and should really be an array (a, b, and c all do the same thing, with slightly different properties). I am modifying the largest file of the bunch to take out all references to the variables and replace them with an array letters[], but other files contain disparate references to these variables. Is there any way to, in other files, define a variable or macro of some kind so that I don't have to change every reference in every file?

For example: In the biggest file "main.cs", I used to have:

    public string a;  
    public string b;  
    public string c;  
    a = "a";  
    b = "b";  
    c = "c";

but I fixed it to have:

    string[] letters;  
    letters[0] = "a";  
    //etc

Now, in file "small.cs", I have

    a = "hello world";  
    b = "goodbye world";

Instead of having to go through every single file, is there any way that I could just have 'a' be defined as the first element of letters (letters[0]), b reference letters[1], etc? This way, the program would still run, and in the small files, C# would know that any reference to 'a' really means a references to letters[0].

have you tried getters and setters ?

Gonzalo.-
– Gonzalo.-

2012-08-15 19:55:13 +00:00
Commented Aug 15, 2012 at 19:55 — Gonzalo.-
– Gonzalo.-, Commented Aug 15, 2012 at 19:55

SLaks · Accepted Answer · 2012-08-15 19:55:16Z

6

Use a property:

public string A { get { return letters[0]; } }

answered Aug 15, 2012 at 19:55

SLaks

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Comments

Dan Linus · Accepted Answer · 2012-08-15 19:57:29Z

1

Reference them from a property:

public string a
{
     get
     {
           return letters[0];
     }
     set
     {
           letters[0] = value;
     }
}

answered Aug 15, 2012 at 19:57

Dan Linus

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Comments

Charles Bretana · Accepted Answer · 2012-08-15 19:58:32Z

0

instead of writing

     public string a;
     public string b; 
     public string c;
     a = "a";
     b = "b";
     c = "c";

write

     private List<string> vals = new List<string>{ "a", "b", "c" };
     public string a { get { return vals[0]; } set { vals[0] = value; } }
     public string b { get { return vals[1]; } set { vals[1 = value; } }
     public string c { get { return vals[2]; } set { vals[2] = value; } }

answered Aug 15, 2012 at 19:58

Charles Bretana

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