Arrays in Structs?

[yllanger]

Hi, I know this is a simple question and I've googled for the answers too many times now. I've tried every possible answers in my coding however, I still cannot seem to make it work. :'(

What I wanted to do in my coding is to be able to parse and store the value of <selects> and their <options> so that I would be able to use them later in my other functions. I decided to use structs (declared as array) as there can be many <select> in a webpage and use arraylist to save their options. So that when calling them, it would look like select[1].options[1] or select[1].options[2]... etc.

My coding goes something like this:

class Parser {
 
static Select[] selects = new Select[100]; 
//declared so it can be called in other fuctions however, is there a way so that even if selects is not global and declared in main, it can still be called on loop function?
 
public struct Select
    {
        public string selectname;
        public int selectnumber;
        public String[] options;
 
public Select()
{
 
options = new String[20]; 
//the error I get here is: structs cannot contain explicit parameterless constructors - I have absolutely no idea what parameter to put in there since in main, I also have selects[selectcount].selectname = selectname; and selects[selectcount].selectnumber = selectnumber; and a for(;;) selects[selectcount].options[i]=value;
 
}
    } 
 
static int Main(string[] args)
{
//my code is long.. XD this is a shortcut :D
 
selects[selectcount].selectname = selectname;  selects[selectcount].selectnumber = selectnumber; 
for(;;) 
selects[selectcount].options[i]=value;
 
recursiveloop(selectcount, selects[selectcount].selectnumber);
}
 
public void recursiveloop(int limit, int num)
{
//the fuction i've been talking about where...
String valuehere;
 
for(;;)
 
if (condition here)
     valuehere += selects[fixedvaluehere].option[i]; //it does not recognize selects if I don't declare it global.
 
else
     recursiveloop();
 
display(valuehere);
}
 
}

Err... I have no idea if I have explained my problem clearly but.. any advice or suggestions would be greatly greatly appreciated. Have been bouncing here and there and tweak codes and still not get the solution. T.T

[GaryTexmo]

You're making a constructor for a struct? I didn't know you could do that...

I think you need to change your struct definition to a class. I may be mistaken though...

*Edit: Scratch that... apparently you can make a constructor for a struct, but it doesn't get called when you define an array of them. This is the same for a class as well, since you are just defining references. I'd recommend using a class, but you can use a struct and do the following...

public Select(int length)
{
options = new String[length];
}

inside main...

for (int i = 0; i < selects.Length; i++)
  selects[i] = new Select(20);
...

You've gotta initialize your array anyways. If you change it to a class you can use a parameter-less constructor if you want.

[tlhintoq]

TIP: When you are writing your question, there is a button on the tool bar that wraps the [code] tags around your copy/pasted code. It helps a bunch. Its the button with a '#' on it. More on tags. They're cool. Check'em out.

[tlhintoq]

Hi, I know this is a simple question and I've googled for the answers too many times now. I've tried every possible answers in my coding however, I still cannot seem to make it work. :'(

What I wanted to do in my coding is to be able to parse and store the value of <selects> and their <options> so that I would be able to use them later in my other functions. I decided to use structs (declared as array) as there can be many <select> in a webpage and use arraylist to save their options. So that when calling them, it would look like select[1].options[1] or select[1].options[2]... etc.

Great description of what you are planning. Less clear on the actual failure. "It doesn't work" is a bit vague. Are you unable to retrieve values? Are you getting exception errors?

[GaryTexmo]

@tlhintoq
It's kinda nested in the code, but there is a description of the failure...

//the error I get here is: structs cannot contain explicit parameterless constructors - I have absolutely no idea what parameter to put in there since in main, I also have selects[selectcount].selectname = selectname; and selects[selectcount].selectnumber = selectnumber; and a for(;;) selects[selectcount].options[i]=value;

It's a build error.

[tlhintoq]

I'm with Gary. Shift out of structs and into classes

[Plater]

Very rarely do I find a use for structs (except for dealing with pinvoke things, and certain byte[] <-> struct things).
I usually decide that a class would be much better. And then I usually end up deciding a DataTable is better then my own custom class.
Have you investigated the DataTable object?

[yllanger]

i just would like to say thank you for all of you who replied. :D:D

I have converted the struct into class and somehow it's working now. :D i hope it'll always work after all the codes I am going to put in. XD

I will remember to use the [code] tag the next time I post in the forum. :) And thanks again for responding fast.

And Mr. Plater, im sorry but I'm a newbie to C# and haven't studied DataTable objects yet. :( But I will explore the wonders of C# soon enough. =)