How to create 2 multidimensional string array (remove blank strings)?

Question

var movieNext = new string[,]
{
    { "superhero", "action", "waltdisney", "bat"}, 
    {"superhero", "action", "marvel",""}, 
    {"history", "action", "malay", "" },
    {"malay", "novel", "", ""}, 
    {"history", "bat", "", ""}
};

The above code is a multidimensional array, which stores a sequence of movie's keyword. Is there a way to implement this without having to put the blank strings in the array initialization?

For example you can see in the above code, I have to put the blank string "" to fill up the array.

Gabriel Isenberg · Accepted Answer · 2012-06-25 07:18:11Z

2

You could use a jagged array instead.

string[][] movieNext = new string[][] { { etc... } }.

answered Jun 25, 2012 at 7:18

Gabriel Isenberg

26.4k4 gold badges40 silver badges58 bronze badges

Sign up to request clarification or add additional context in comments.

Comments

Amit Mittal · Accepted Answer · 2012-06-25 07:22:53Z

1

You can consider C# jagged array (though they are different from multi-dimensional arrays).

string[][] movieNext =  {
new [] { "superhero", "action", "waltdisney", "bat"},
new []  {"superhero", "action", "marvel"}, <and so on>
};

If you want to stick with multi-dimensional arrays, you have to initialize the values individually. If you don't provide any string value for any of the index (i,j) by default it will be null.

answered Jun 25, 2012 at 7:22

Amit Mittal

2,75619 silver badges25 bronze badges

Comments

GregRos · Accepted Answer · 2012-06-25 08:33:33Z

I suggest never to use two-dimensional arrays. They have practically no support in the API (you'll be hard pressed to find a method that accepts a two-dimensional array as a parameter), and cannot be cast to IEnumerable<T> or similar well-supported interface. As such, you can really use them only in the most local of scopes.

Instead, I suggest you use something castable to IEnumerable<IEnumerable<string>>. Oh, another tip. Check this out. Specifically,

To initialize a Dictionary, or any collection whose Add method takes multiple parameters, enclose each set of parameters in braces as shown in the following example.

Thus, the following will work:

class Program
{
    static void Main(string[] args)
    {
        var d = new ManyList()
        {
            {"Hi", "Good", "People", "None", "Other"}
            {"Maybe", "Someone", "Else", "Whatever"}
        };
        Console.Read();
    }
}

class ManyList : List<string>
{
    public void Add(params string[] strs)
    {
        Console.WriteLine(string.Join(", ", strs));
    }
}

This might help you clean up your syntax a bit.

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

How to create 2 multidimensional string array (remove blank strings)?

3 Answers 3

Comments

Comments

Comments

Your Answer

Hot Network Questions

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

3 Answers 3

Comments

Comments

Comments

Your Answer

Sign up or log in

Post as a guest

Related