C# inline conditional in string[] array

Question

How could you do the following inline conditional for a string[] array in C#. Based on a parameter, I'd like to include a set of strings...or not. This question is a followup of this one on stackoverflow.

        //Does not compile
        bool msettingvalue=false;
        string[] settings;
        if(msettingvalue)
            settings = new string[]{
                "setting1","1",
                "setting2","apple",
                ((msettingvalue==true) ? "msetting","true" :)};

If msettingvalue is true, I'd like to include two strings "msetting","true" : otherwise no strings.

Edit1 It doesn't have to be a key value pair...what if it were 5 strings to be (or not to be) added...I didn't think it'd be that tricky.

(Also...could someone with enough rep make a "inline-conditional" or "conditional-inline" tag?)

Based on your code sample, msettingvalue will always be true inside that array initialisation statement. — Bennor McCarthy
– Bennor McCarthy, Commented Oct 17, 2011 at 0:59
FWIW, perhaps a Dictionary or KeyValuePair[] (or ...) is better suited for setting pairs? — user166390
– user166390, Commented Oct 17, 2011 at 1:06
Use a dictionary, you're coding yourself into a corner here where there is no reason to do this at all. — BrokenGlass
– BrokenGlass, Commented Oct 17, 2011 at 1:54

Ilia G · Accepted Answer · 2011-10-17 00:59:05Z

22

settings = new string[]{"setting1","1", "setting2","apple"}
    .Concat(msettingvalue ? new string[] {"msetting","true"} : new string[0]);
    .ToArray()

answered Oct 17, 2011 at 0:59

Ilia G

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1 Comment

Ilia G Over a year ago

@pst it is only as ugly as given requirement. If I were to define it I would definitely NOT use a string array to store key/value pairs. Probably would be a Dictionary<key,value>, in which case you can get away with setting value for given key to null.

Cheeso · Accepted Answer · 2011-10-17 01:01:05Z

5

use a generic List<String>

bool msettingvalue=false;
string[] settings;
var s = new List<String>();
s.AddRange({"setting1","1","setting2","apple"});
if(msettingvalue)
    s.AddRange({"msetting","true"});
settings = s.ToArray();

But... from the look of your array you'd be better off using a different structure to store these things. It's an associative array you want. You could use a Tuple or a Dictionary to model the settings in a way that is easier to handle, and that more accurately reflects the semantics.

bool msettingvalue=false;
var settings = new Dictionary<String,String>();
settings.Add("setting1","1");
settings.Add("setting2","value2");
if(msettingvalue)
    settings.Add({"msetting","true");

...the last two lines could even be.

settings.Add({"msetting",msettingvalue.ToString());

answered Oct 17, 2011 at 1:01

Cheeso

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2 Comments

Cheeso Over a year ago

I didn't see that mentioned in the question. Still don't.

Alex McMillan Over a year ago

I don't think this answer respects the word "inline" used in the title of the question...

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