C# Array of Classes

Question

I am trying to make a console game where you enter as many names as you like up to 24. To do this I have created an array of a class called PlayerData named PlayerDataAr[] which has 24 elements. It prompts the user to enter some names and those names are assigned to each element in the array which a value of string Name and bool isAlive but for some reason I can't seem to be able to access these values while I am assigning them to the player.

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;
using System.Text;
using System.Threading.Tasks;

namespace hG
{
    public class PlayerData
    {
        private static bool _isAlive;
        public static bool isAlive
        {
            get { return _isAlive;}
            set { _isAlive = value;}
        }

        private static string _Name;
        public static string Name
        {
            get { return _Name; }
            set { _Name = value; }
        }

        public PlayerData()
        {
            _isAlive = false;
            _Name = "";
        }

        public static void SetisAlive(bool a)
        {
            _isAlive = a;
        }
    }

    class Program
    {
        static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            string EnterName = "";

            //Array of Player Data
            PlayerData[] PlayerDataAr = new PlayerData[24];
            for (int x = 0; x < 24; x++ )
            {
                PlayerDataAr[x] = new PlayerData();
            }

            //Set up the Console
            Console.Title = "Hunger Games";
            Console.SetBufferSize(100, 42);
            Console.SetWindowSize(100, 42);

            Console.BackgroundColor = ConsoleColor.Yellow;
            Console.Clear();

            Console.ForegroundColor = ConsoleColor.Magenta;
            Console.BackgroundColor = ConsoleColor.DarkRed;
            Console.WriteLine("Welcome");
            Console.BackgroundColor = ConsoleColor.Yellow;
            Console.ForegroundColor = ConsoleColor.Red;
            Console.WriteLine("Enter the names for tributes and press enter when done:");

            //Loop through collecting names
            for(int x = 0; x < 25; x++)
            {
                Console.Write("--> ");
                EnterName = Console.ReadLine();
                if (EnterName == "")
                {
                    break;
                }
                else
                {
                    //Assign Player Data
                    PlayerDataAr[x].Name = EnterName;        //Error appears here
                    PlayerDataAr[x].isAlive = true;          
                }                
            }
            Console.Clear();

            for (int x = 0; x < 24; x++)
            {

            }

            //Start Game
            while(true)
            {
                Console.ReadLine();
            }    
        }
    }

}

It returns:

Member 'hG.PlayerData.isAlive.get' cannot be accessed with an instance reference; qualify it with a type name instead.

I don't know what it is talking about it appears for both Name and isAlive. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

You could have found out about the problem by simply looking up what the static keyword means, which you are using in your code. — nv3
– nv3, Commented Sep 4, 2015 at 7:12

Dmitrii Bychenko · Accepted Answer · 2015-09-04 07:09:28Z

8

Remove static from PlayerData:

public class PlayerData
{
    private bool _isAlive;
    public bool isAlive
    {
        get { return _isAlive;}
        set { _isAlive = value;}
    }

    private string _Name;
    public string Name
    {
        get { return _Name; }
        set { _Name = value; }
    }

    public PlayerData()
    {
        _isAlive = false;
        _Name = "";
    }

    public void SetisAlive(bool a)
    {
        _isAlive = a;
    }
}

A even better design is to use auto implemented properties:

public class PlayerData 
{
    public bool isAlive
    {
        get;
        set;
    }

    public string Name
    {
        get;
        set;
    }

    public PlayerData()
    {
        isAlive = false; // redundant isAlive == false by default
        Name = "";
    }

    // redundant: you can easily put isAlive = value;
    public void SetisAlive(bool value)
    {
        isAlive = value;
    }
}

static means class-based: PlayerData as a whole has a singular isAlive property value. You want different behaviour: each PlayerData instance has its own property value, that's why isAlive should be just a instance property (no static).

edited Sep 4, 2015 at 7:09

answered Sep 4, 2015 at 7:00

Dmitrii Bychenko

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2 Comments

Nicholas Ramsay Over a year ago

Thank you, I suppose it was simple, I will make this the answer when I am allowed to

Andy Brown Over a year ago

I would upvote this answer if it not only provided the fish, but also taught the OP how to fish (EDIT - sorry, that was maybe too abstract, if it not only told the OP they needed to remove static, but also why so that future readers understand what static does, and why it was incorrect in this case)

michalk · Accepted Answer · 2015-09-04 07:04:55Z

4

You get error, because isAlive is static, which means it's not part of any instance. If you'd want to assign a value to your isAlive property you need to do this by type name:

PlayerData.isAlive = true;

But looking at your code, what you really want to do is remove static and access it through the instance reference:

private bool _isAlive;
public bool isAlive
{
    get { return _isAlive;}
    set { _isAlive = value;}
}

Then PlayerDataAr[x].isAlive = true; will work fine.

There is nice and simple explanation of static keyword here.

answered Sep 4, 2015 at 7:04

michalk

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