Initialize a new instance of the class through its method

Question

Got this class with lots of properties. There`s constructor which sets properties to its default values and Clear method. (Clear method here is just an example)

public class Person
{
    public string A;
    public string B;
    public string C;
    ...
    public string Z;

    public Person()
    {
        this.A = "Default value for A";
        this.B = "Default value for B";
        this.C = "Default value for C";
        ...
        this.Z = "Default value for Z";
    }

    public void Clear()
    {
        this = new Person(); // Something like this ???
    }
}

How can I reinitialize class through Clear method?

I mean:

Person p = new Person();

p.A = "Smething goes here for A";
p.B = "Smething goes here for B";
...
// Here do stuff with p
...

p.Clear(); // Here I would like to reinitialize p through the Clear() instead of use p = new Person();

I know I could write a function with all the default values settings and use it in constructor and in Clear method. But... is there a "proper" way instead of workarounds?

Do you have any specific reason, why are you trying reuse the instance? — jnovacho
– jnovacho, Commented Feb 27, 2014 at 11:15
avoid memory allocation I guess : which is quite a noble purpose :) — Kek
– Kek, Commented Feb 27, 2014 at 11:20

Dmitrii Bychenko · Accepted Answer · 2014-02-27 11:16:29Z

5

I'd rather implement initializer:

public class Person
{
    public string A;
    public string B;
    public string C;
    ...
    public string Z;

    private void Ininialize() {
      this.A = "Default value for A";
      this.B = "Default value for B";
      this.C = "Default value for C";
      ...
      this.Z = "Default value for Z";
    }

    public Person()
    {
       Ininialize();
    }

    public void Clear()
    {
       Ininialize();
    }
}

....

Person p = new Person();
...
p.A = "Something goes here for A";
p.B = "Something goes here for B";
...
p.Clear(); // <- return A, B..Z properties to their default values

answered Feb 27, 2014 at 11:16

Dmitrii Bychenko

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4 Comments

Kek Over a year ago

Yes... or put Initialize code into Clear method and directly call Clear from constructor : you would avoid one function (which is not a big deal, I agree)

Dmitrii Bychenko Over a year ago

@Kek: I'd rather separate Initialize() and Clear(): often you have to do something additional on Clear(): e.g. ask a permission, invoke an event(s), say "Clearing" and "Cleared" etc.

majk86 Over a year ago

@Dmitry Thanks for anwser. Basically if I rename Initialize to SomethingElse then it

s just what i said earlier :) I could write function and use it in constructor and Clear method. I was just **curious** if there

s "intended way"; like this in parameters or so..

Dmitrii Bychenko Over a year ago

@majk86: In good old times (Delphi, C++), when "this" was just a pointer you could have done some pretty tricks with it; but now in managed .Net environment we can't.

user1967122 · Accepted Answer · 2014-02-27 11:32:42Z

1

I don't know what you want , but I would do it like this :

   public class Person
{
    public string A;
    public string B;
    public string C;
    ...
    public string Z;

    public Person()
    {
        ResetToDefault();
    }

    public void ResetToDefault()
    {
        this.A = "Default value for A";
        this.B = "Default value for B";
        this.C = "Default value for C";
        ...
        this.Z = "Default value for Z";
    }
}

well , at some point you must give the parameters their values.

When you want to reset it to default.. just do this :

Person person = new Person();
//do your stuff here .....
//when reset it:
person.ResetToDefault();

edited Feb 27, 2014 at 11:32

answered Feb 27, 2014 at 11:24

user1967122

631 silver badge9 bronze badges

1 Comment

majk86 Over a year ago

Basically same as Dmitry wrote.. but thanks anyway :)

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