Easy way to cast an array of strings to an array of objects?

[ssg31415926]

I need to cast a string[] into an object[] and vice versa.

At the moment, I'm using code like this:

int numOfObjects = Values.Length;
object[] objects = new object[numOfObjects];
for(int i = 0; i < numOfObjects; i++) {
objects[i] = (object)Values[i];
}

where Values is a string[] passed to the member doing the conversion.

It works but it seems clunky. I feel there should be an easier way.
Is there?

[gmiley]

use (object[])stringArray

string[] stringItems = "a,b,c,d,e".Split(',');
object[] objectItems = (object[])stringItems;

[Daniel Jin]

you can't cast string[] to object[], but what you can do is use the
Array.Copy function instead of doing your own loop.

"ssg31415926" wrote:

I need to cast a string[] into an object[] and vice versa.

At the moment, I'm using code like this:

int numOfObjects = Values.Length;
object[] objects = new object[numOfObjects];
for(int i = 0; i < numOfObjects; i++) {
objects[i] = (object)Values[i];
}

where Values is a string[] passed to the member doing the conversion.

It works but it seems clunky. I feel there should be an easier way.
Is there?

[Daniel Jin]

sorry, I take that back, you can actually cast string[] to object[].

"Daniel Jin" wrote:

you can't cast string[] to object[], but what you can do is use the
Array.Copy function instead of doing your own loop.

"ssg31415926" wrote:

I need to cast a string[] into an object[] and vice versa.

At the moment, I'm using code like this:

int numOfObjects = Values.Length;
object[] objects = new object[numOfObjects];
for(int i = 0; i < numOfObjects; i++) {
objects[i] = (object)Values[i];
}

where Values is a string[] passed to the member doing the conversion.

It works but it seems clunky. I feel there should be an easier way.
Is there?

[ssg31415926]

Ah. Publicly embarassed with a simple solution. Serves me right for
being lazy!

I'd tried casting object[] to string[] and it didn't work so I assumed
it wouldn't work the other way and didn't test it. I've used the
simple cast to sort out string[] to object[] conversion as you just
suggested and Array.CopyTo to sort out the former problem:

object[] objects =
(object[])this.m_DirectoryEntry.Properties[PropertyName].Value;
string[] strings = new string[objects.Length];
objects.CopyTo(strings, 0);
return strings;

Thanks very much for your help, Daniel and gmiley.

[gmiley]

You can use the same code to go either way, I just tested it to double
check and it does work.
object[] objects =
(object[])this.m_DirectoryEntry.Properties[PropertyName].Value;

string[] strings = (string[])objects;
return strings;

[Bill Priess \(MCP\)]

I soooo can't wait for Generics ;)

List<string> blahList = new
List<string>(this.m_DirectoryEntry.Properties[PropertyName].Value);

string[] strings = blahList.ToArray();

Bill Priess, MCP

"gmiley" <gm****@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:11**********************@f14g2000cwb.googlegr oups.com...

You can use the same code to go either way, I just tested it to double
check and it does work.
object[] objects =
(object[])this.m_DirectoryEntry.Properties[PropertyName].Value;

string[] strings = (string[])objects;
return strings;

[ssg31415926]

Works for you but doesn't work for me! Weird. This code:

object[] objects =
(object[])this.m_DirectoryEntry.Properties[PropertyName].Value;
string[] strings = (string[])objects;
return strings;

gives:

An unhandled exception of type 'System.InvalidCastException' occurred
in utopiaadhelper.dll

Additional information: Specified cast is not valid.

[Jon Skeet [C# MVP]]

ssg31415926 <ne**********@gmail.com> wrote:

Works for you but doesn't work for me! Weird. This code:

object[] objects =
(object[])this.m_DirectoryEntry.Properties[PropertyName].Value;
string[] strings = (string[])objects;
return strings;

gives:

An unhandled exception of type 'System.InvalidCastException' occurred
in utopiaadhelper.dll

Additional information: Specified cast is not valid.

The difference is probably that your directory entry isn't *actually* a
string array, it's an object array which contains only strings.

--
Jon Skeet - <sk***@pobox.com>
http://www.pobox.com/~skeet
If replying to the group, please do not mail me too

[ssg31415926]

So, are you saying you can have an object array which is actually a
string array (containing strings) and an object array which is acually
an object array (containing strings)? How does that work?

Is this because DirectoryServices is using ADSI behind the scenes and
because the data is coming out of a COM object or is it possible to see
this using objects that have only ever been .NET objects?

SSG

[Jon Skeet [C# MVP]]

ssg31415926 <ne**********@gmail.com> wrote:

So, are you saying you can have an object array which is actually a
string array (containing strings) and an object array which is acually
an object array (containing strings)? How does that work?
Any array knows what kind of objects it can contain. So you can do:

object[] foo = new object[1];
foo[0] = "hello";

and foo will be of type object[]. This is different to:

string[] bar = new string[1];
bar[0] = "hello";

bar is of type string[]. You could then do:

object[] baz = bar;

and although the variable baz is of type object[], the actual value is
a reference to a string[].
Is this because DirectoryServices is using ADSI behind the scenes and
because the data is coming out of a COM object or is it possible to see
this using objects that have only ever been .NET objects?

I don't know what ADSI will do, but you can certainly see the effect
with plain .NET.

--
Jon Skeet - <sk***@pobox.com>
http://www.pobox.com/~skeet
If replying to the group, please do not mail me too

[ssg31415926]

Okay, that's what I understood. I just got a bit confused by your
earlier statement. Thanks for clarifying it.