C#•11h ago

Menu Validation 'char input'

I just asking for some general directions to design a solid input validation for a menu. It 'works' but I feel like I am using the wrong tools. I want it to only use a key press, that is fine. The overall come I wrote doesn't feel solid.

        static void Main()
        {
            List<string> fruitList = new List<string>();
            bool IsMenuActive = true;

            while (IsMenuActive)
            {
                //Console.WriteLine("MainMenu\\");
                Console.WriteLine("[1] - Menu1");
                Console.WriteLine("[2] - Menu2");
                Console.WriteLine("[3] - Menu3");
                Console.WriteLine("[4] - Menu4");
                Console.WriteLine();
                ValidKeyPress();
            }




            static char ValidKeyPress()
            {
                
                Console.Write("Choose menu: ");
                char userInput = Console.ReadKey().KeyChar;
                while (!char.IsDigit(userInput))
                {
                    Console.WriteLine();
                    Console.Write("Wrong keypress, try again: ");
                    userInput = Console.ReadKey(true).KeyChar;
                    Console.Write(userInput);
                }

                Console.WriteLine();
                return userInput;



            }

        static void Main()
        {
            List<string> fruitList = new List<string>();
            bool IsMenuActive = true;

            while (IsMenuActive)
            {
                //Console.WriteLine("MainMenu\\");
                Console.WriteLine("[1] - Menu1");
                Console.WriteLine("[2] - Menu2");
                Console.WriteLine("[3] - Menu3");
                Console.WriteLine("[4] - Menu4");
                Console.WriteLine();
                ValidKeyPress();
            }




            static char ValidKeyPress()
            {
                
                Console.Write("Choose menu: ");
                char userInput = Console.ReadKey().KeyChar;
                while (!char.IsDigit(userInput))
                {
                    Console.WriteLine();
                    Console.Write("Wrong keypress, try again: ");
                    userInput = Console.ReadKey(true).KeyChar;
                    Console.Write(userInput);
                }

                Console.WriteLine();
                return userInput;



            }

5 Replies

Salman•11h ago

First of all $code

MODiX•11h ago

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Muhammad Hammad•11h ago

just do if char=='1' or use switch to check cases from 1 to 4 and any other input will be invalid

if(userInput==1 |.| userInput==2 |.|userInput==3|.| userInput==4)
{
 //input is valid do the work here
}

if(userInput==1 |.| userInput==2 |.|userInput==3|.| userInput==4)
{
 //input is valid do the work here
}

leowest•10h ago

you can resume it a bit further with

static char ValidKeyPress()
{
    char userInput = '\0';
    while (!char.IsDigit(userInput))
    {
        Console.WriteLine();
        Console.Write("Provide a valid option: ");
        userInput = Console.ReadKey().KeyChar;
    }
    return userInput;
}

static char ValidKeyPress()
{
    char userInput = '\0';
    while (!char.IsDigit(userInput))
    {
        Console.WriteLine();
        Console.Write("Provide a valid option: ");
        userInput = Console.ReadKey().KeyChar;
    }
    return userInput;
}

but in the end you would be using that result against a switch or some conditions to run more code @GreenMile this might be of your interest https://gist.github.com/ZacharyPatten/798ed612d692a560bdd529367b6a7dbd it shows various ways and scenarios on how to take console input and how simple it can be

Fanta•9h ago

@GreenMile What Leo said is good advice. Also, unsure if you need it but, you can provide ReadKey() with a boolean true to make it so that the pressed key doesn't appear in the terminal.

char letter = Console.ReadKey(true).KeyChar;
Console.WriteLine(letter); // holds the character you pressed

char letter = Console.ReadKey(true).KeyChar;
Console.WriteLine(letter); // holds the character you pressed

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Menu Validation 'char input'