[RESOLVED] Dictionary Generic Class, Key.Value = count # of Class

I don't know if this is the way to go

I have Dictionary<Class, int>
the int value - counts how many of that Class is stored there
I have a method that does that

Code:

---

        public void DictionaryAddClass(Class Class)
        {
            if (Dictionary.ContainsKey(Class))
            {
                int value = Dictionary[Class];
                value++;
                Dictionary[Class] = value;
            }
            else
            {
                Dictionary.Add(Class, 1);
            }
        }

---

so if we did this

Code:

---

            Class myclass = new Class ("AClass");
            DictionaryAddClass(myclass );
            DictionaryAddClass(myclass );
            DictionaryAddClass(myclass );

---

the value of that Key would be 3

Here is the probliem - I learned that if somewhere else I create a new class
Class myclass = new Class ("AClass");
even with the same parameters it treats it as a new Key
and this > if (Dictionary.ContainsKey(Class))
will not be true

I need to hold a number of these Classes in some kind of Inventory and store how many I have. Should I be using Dictionary or doing something else?

I have an idea...

Maybe I should hold the name of the Property of Class in there instead

Dictionary<string, int>

Class myclass = new Class ("AClass");
string name = myclass.Name

DictionaryAddClass(name);
DictionaryAddClass(name);
DictionaryAddClass(name);

then if somewhere else I instance another Class and name it "AClass"

if (Dictionary.ContainsKey(name)) this will actually be true.

I will think on this...

Solved! This worked soooo much better than actually storing the Class as a Key. I at first though I should store the class there if I need to access it properties. But since I can simply match the a string with the class Property.Name I can easily access the class properties that way. Much faster and easier than the other way.

You could also do it by overriding GetHashCode and Equals on your class. These are the methods the dictionary uses to check if two classes are supposed to be the same.

What about using Type instead of Class?

Code:

---

public void DictionaryAddClass(Type t)
{
  ...
}
...
Class myclass = new Class ("AClass");\
DictionaryAddClass(myclass.GetType());

---