C# Structures and Data Retrieval

Sorry if the topic is off, was not sure what to name it.

I'm re-writing a game from C to C# as a learning project. And hope to eventually use C#'s extensive web utility to port the game from it's original IRC method to a more modern web version. The problem I am having is that I feel like I am just piling layers of confusion on myself and going totally round-about ways to solve problems that (i think) have better more succinct solutions.

Every player object contains army object, which contains a List of unit objects. The unit objects are derived from a struct declaration.

public struct unit

{

public string name;

public static int attack;

public static int defend;

public static int food;

public static int copper;

public static int range;

public static int numattacks;

public static int swarm;

public static int train;

public static int ambush;

}

^ This also contains a constructor that also sets the initial values but I didn't want to paste too much code in here for readability reasons.

Now, when a person makes a new player they are allocated 200 unit objects ala the addUnit method in the army object. 100 Soldiers and 100 Archers, placed in the List contained in army object.

At this point I can add, remove units using the addUnit removeUnit functions. So I go into the menu.cs file which simply contains a menu object which I interact with as I reconstruct the game. Just to shed a little light on it here is the commands I have thus far.

Console.WriteLine("1) Add a new character");

Console.WriteLine("2) Remove an existing character");

Console.WriteLine("3) Display character stats");

Console.WriteLine("4) List characters");

Console.WriteLine("5) Housekeeping");

Console.WriteLine("6) View character log");

Console.WriteLine("7) Show character's items");

Console.WriteLine("8) Quest item");

Console.WriteLine("9) Review army");

The PROBLEM is this under the Review army command I have gotten it to Show the total number of units as well as total "Archers" "Soldiers" etc. but I want to display some of the units stats as well, namely attack and defense. For example here is some console output for Review army.

Please enter your new characters name: Kaelozim

Total Troops: 200

Soldiers: 100 4/4

Archers: 100 4/4

As you can see I do have some sort of numbers in the spot where attack/defense should be, but these numbers in no way correlate to the real values for these units as defined here from the addUnits(int, string) army method:

case "archer":

while (count >= 1)

{

units.Add(new unit("Archer", 0, 6, 0, 1, 1, 1, 1, 0, 0));

count--;

}

This is the code for where I am actually writing the review output to the screen:

Console.WriteLine("Soldiers: {0} {1}/{2}", dplayer.unitCount("Soldier"), unit.attack, unit.defend);

Console.WriteLine("Archers: {0} {1}/{2}", dplayer.unitCount("Archer"), unit.attack, unit.defend);

I actually have no idea what unit. is referring to, since the class is not static and I don't believe I have an object reference, although apparently I have something. My problem is I have this nagging feeling that I am going about this the wrong way and since this is a learning project I really don't want to be practicing unorthodox or irresponsible coding techniques. I have pored over the first 3 pages in Google talking about structs and enums thinking this may hold the answer but alas I am just as confused as ever. I just need someone who has a little insight into my particular problem to make a suggestion. Any help would be appreciated!

The first thing that strikes me is that your unit struct contains nine static fields but only one instance field. This means that the static fields will have the same value for every instance of the struct you create.

Whilst it might appear that you're giving each instance separate values for these fields in the constructor in fact all the instances will have exactly the same values - the new values will simply overwrite the existing ones because static fields are shared by all instances.

So, I think you need to make all ten fields non-static. As the resulting data structure will then be too large for a struct (ideally these should have a small number of instance fields occupying memory of no more than 16 bytes) I'd make it into a class instead. You'll then end up with:

public class unit

{

public string name;

public int attack;

public int defend;

public int food;

public int copper;

public int range;

public int numattacks;

public int swarm;

public int train;

public int ambush;

}

Arguably, the fields should all be converted to properties but that's perhaps an argument for another time.

1 Reply

Know the answer? Post it — somebody with the same question will find it here.

Vulpes13y ago
The first thing that strikes me is that your unit struct contains nine static fields but only one instance field. This means that the static fields will have the same value for every instance of the struct you create.

Whilst it might appear that you're giving each instance separate values for these fields in the constructor in fact all the instances will have exactly the same values - the new values will simply overwrite the existing ones because static fields are shared by all instances.

So, I think you need to make all ten fields non-static. As the resulting data structure will then be too large for a struct (ideally these should have a small number of instance fields occupying memory of no more than 16 bytes) I'd make it into a class instead. You'll then end up with:

public class unit
{
public string name;
public int attack;
public int defend;
public int food;
public int copper;
public int range;
public int numattacks;
public int swarm;
public int train;
public int ambush;
}

Arguably, the fields should all be converted to properties but that's perhaps an argument for another time.