C#•17mo ago

Advice for how best to adapt a Python habit to C#

(This is code for a Game of Life board's Populate method, that aims to create a 2D array of tiles based on a percentage living rate, or entered pattern) The way I used to do this in Python is as shown, I would pass a float into a method, but in the method I'd check first that the float wasn't a string, in which case I'd act differently. I could obviously do this by setting percentage as a var or object, and checking it can be cast to different types, but I'm curious to know what's best practice here. Can I do something with overloads? Optional parameters? I'm still very new to this.

21 Replies

laurapigeon•17mo ago

(oh also tileState is an int for other reasons)

Angius•17mo ago

Well, in C#, a float cannot be a string So you might need a second parameter, for example An enum perhaps Or, indeed, a method overload One that takes float percentage and other that takes float percentage, SomethingType somethingType With

enum SomethingType {
    Checkerboard,
    Lines,
    Edges
}

enum SomethingType {
    Checkerboard,
    Lines,
    Edges
}

Although it seems you wouldn't need that percentage parameter for the second method

laurapigeon•17mo ago

ideally, i would only need to pass a percentage in the case that the enum is Percentage, rather than Checkerboard etc since it isnt used in any other case

Angius•17mo ago

A float cannot be an enum An enum cannot be a float A float cannot be a string... you get the idea

laurapigeon•17mo ago

yeye i guess i can just pass in the enum and then an optional parameter for percentage which i only use if passed in it just feels ungainly to have to pass in an enum even if percentage is given, or have to pass in a percentage even if the enum is Checkerboard etc

Relevant•17mo ago

You can use overloads instead

laurapigeon•17mo ago

wait theres a kind of method that acts differently on different types, could I have the method work differently on a string for the type of populate, and a float for the percentage? i forget what it was called

Angius•17mo ago

public void DoStuff(float percentage)
{
    tileState = rng.NextSingle() < percentage ? 1 : 0
}
public void DoStuff(SomethingType somethingType)
{
    tileState = somethingType switch {
        SomethingType.Checkerboard => ...,
        SomethingType.Lines => ...,
        ...
    }
}

public void DoStuff(float percentage)
{
    tileState = rng.NextSingle() < percentage ? 1 : 0
}
public void DoStuff(SomethingType somethingType)
{
    tileState = somethingType switch {
        SomethingType.Checkerboard => ...,
        SomethingType.Lines => ...,
        ...
    }
}

Parametric polymorphism?

laurapigeon•17mo ago

scary lol

Anton•17mo ago

overloads or like this

public enum Kind
{
   Float,
   Lines,
   Edges,
   Checkerboard,
}
public struct Rules
{
    public Kind Kind;
    public float PercentageValue;
}

public enum Kind
{
   Float,
   Lines,
   Edges,
   Checkerboard,
}
public struct Rules
{
    public Kind Kind;
    public float PercentageValue;
}

laurapigeon•17mo ago

i could go find it,,, it might have been a class whose instances worked differently based on kind, so might be completely irrelevant

Anton•17mo ago

switch on Kind ignore the float if kind is not Float that's the best data oriented way to do it

laurapigeon•17mo ago

this seems good, since theres a lot in the method before i reach the point where the overload is important, is there a way to not have the whole method twice?

Angius•17mo ago

An optional prameter ig

laurapigeon•17mo ago

valid

Angius•17mo ago

public void DoStuff(SomethingType somethingType, float? percentage = null)
{
    tileState = somethingType switch {
        SomethingType.Checkerboard => ...,
        SomethingType.Lines => ...,
        ...,
        _ => rng.NextSingle() < percentage ? 1 : 0
    }
}

public void DoStuff(SomethingType somethingType, float? percentage = null)
{
    tileState = somethingType switch {
        SomethingType.Checkerboard => ...,
        SomethingType.Lines => ...,
        ...,
        _ => rng.NextSingle() < percentage ? 1 : 0
    }
}

laurapigeon•17mo ago

are there overloads that can call each other? i guess,,, thats just calling the method from one version of itself

Angius•17mo ago

Yes, you can call one method from another method

laurapigeon•17mo ago

lastly, if im calling the Board's Populate method from outside it, where best do i define the enum to be used inside and outside it? just in the namespace i guess? i might just not understand scope right here

Angius•17mo ago

Wherever, could be a whole separate file

laurapigeon•17mo ago

ok the enum definitely makes this feel a lot neater, even with the sorta stray null float

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Advice for how best to adapt a Python habit to C#