asked on

Namespaced constants?

I have a class writtne in Java with a large number of constants that I am currently porting to C#. I nested the constants in Java so that the code would be a bit more readable:

public class Class1
{
public static final class CONSTANTS
{
public static final String CONST1 = "CONST1";
public static final class NESTED
{
public static final String CONST2 = "CONST2";
}
}
}

I can then access the constants using code like:

String strTemp1 = Class1.CONSTANTS.CONST1;
String strTemp2 = Class1.CONSTNATS.NESTED.CONST2;

How could I do something similar in C#? I know that C# supports nested classes, but I also notice you cannot declare the class static. Does this mean every instance will get a separate copy of the class?

I've got only 70 points, and I'm putting them all up.

Thanks,
Derek

tinchos

Hi Derek

You can always do:

public class MyClass
{
public const static string MyString = "My String";

public class MyInnerClass
{
public const static string MyOtherString = "My Other String";
}
}

and you would call them using

MyClass.MyString
and MyClass.MyInnerClass.MyOtherString

Hope this helps

Tincho

derekl

ASKER

Thanks Tincho! What are the implications of the fact that I cannot declare the inner class Static. Does this mean every instance of the class I get will contain an instance of the Constants classes?

ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION

tinchos

membership

This solution is only available to members.

To access this solution, you must be a member of Experts Exchange.

Start Free Trial

SOLUTION

gregoryyoung

membership

This solution is only available to members.

To access this solution, you must be a member of Experts Exchange.

Start Free Trial

derekl

ASKER

I think I understand now. The definition of class MyInnerClass is associated with MyClass. I won't ever have an instance of MyInnerClass unless I actuall create either from within MyClass or from without as follows:

MyClass.MyInnerClass = new MyClass.MyInnerClass();

gregoryyoung

right.

tinchos

That's right

monkeymole

.. and a constuctor marked as private will enforce this.