C# Variable length string array

Question

Based on comboBox1 selection, I populate comboBox2. The comboBox2 has a variable quantity of list items. Currently I am doing this manually like this:

string[] str1 = { "item1", "item2" }
string[] str2 = { "item1", "item2", "item3" , "item4" }

etc.

if (cbox1.SelectedIndex == 0)
{
       cbox2.Items.AddRange(str1);
}
if (cbox1.SelectedIndex == 1)
{
       cbox2.Items.AddRange(str2);
}

etc.

Although this works, I have events for 4 drop downs and 13 possible choices for each. This makes for a lot of if's. I would prefer to do this with an array of strings so that I can get rid of all of the if's and just do the following for each SelectedIndexChanged:

cbox2.Items.AddRange(str[cbox1.SelectedIndex]);

but I am not sure if I can do this with the variable lengths of the strings. I get errors when doing:

string[,] str = { { "Item1", "Item2"},{"Item1", "Item2", "Item3", "Item4"} };

Is there a way to do this?

Thanks!

Mark Byers · Accepted Answer · 2011-12-13 23:04:38Z

7

You have already discovered that you cannot use a multidimensional array in this situation, because your arrays have different lengths. However you could use a jagged array instead:

string[][] str =
{
    new string[] { "Item1", "Item2" },
    new string[] { "Item1", "Item2", "Item3", "Item4" }
};

answered Dec 13, 2011 at 23:04

Mark Byers

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Comments

Strillo · Accepted Answer · 2011-12-13 23:13:01Z

1

You can use a Dictionary and map your SelectedIndex values to string arrays (or even better, IEnumerable<string>):

IDictionary<int, string[]> values = new Dictionary<int, string[]>
                                 {
                                    {0, new[] {"item1", "item2"}},
                                    {1, new[] {"item3", "item4", "item5"}},
                                 };
...
string[] items = values[1];

answered Dec 13, 2011 at 23:13

Strillo

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1 Comment

Dr. Hoads Over a year ago

I had not thought of this, I will at least try this solution as well.

Brian Deragon · Accepted Answer · 2011-12-13 23:20:36Z

1

You could also use a dictionary to accomplish your goal:

Dictionary<int, string[]> itemChoices = new Dictionary<int,string>()
{
    { 1, new [] { "Item1", "Item2" }},
    { 2, new [] { "Item1", "Item2", "Item3", "Item4" }}
};

Then you can simply call:

cbox1.Items.AddRange(itemChoices[cbox1]);
cbox2.Items.AddRange(itemChoices[cbox2]);

answered Dec 13, 2011 at 23:20

Brian Deragon

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2 Comments

Brian Deragon Over a year ago

and apparently @Strillo beat me to clicking post (I was originally going to use LINQ); though my implementation is slightly different.

Dr. Hoads Over a year ago

Thanks also for your solution.

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