Question

How could I get the string value from a hashtable without calling toString() methode?

example: my class:

public class myHashT : Hashtable
{
 public myHashT () { }
 ...
 public override object this[object key]
      {
         get
         {
            return base[key].ToString(); <--this doesn't work!
         }
         set
         {
            base[key] = value;
         }
      } 
}

In an other class:

myHashT hT;
string test = hT["someKey"]; 

it works with hT["someKey"].toString(); but I need it without calling ToString() and without casting to (string).

Answer 1

You could use System.Collections.Generic.HashSet. Alternately use composition instead of inheritance ie. have hashtable be your private field and write your own indexer that does ToString().

public class myHashT
{
public myHashT () { }
...

private Hashtable _ht;

public string this[object key]
{
  get
  {
     return _ht[key].ToString();
  }
  set
  {
     _ht[key] = value;
  }
} 

}