Question

I am using below code :

            var list = new Collection<ArrayList>
                       {
                           new ArrayList
                               {
                                   1,
                                   "Test1"
                               },
                           new ArrayList
                               {
                                   2,
                                   "Test2"
                               },
                       };

In the above code I want to avoid the ArrayList and use the Generics. Is it possible in the above code?

Edit:
Above I have used only two values in one arraylist object, I may have multiple items of int’s and string’s in it.

Answer 1

You can’t mix types in a generic list (unless the generic type is object, but that equates to ArrayList and is just a perversion of generics).

But you can create a class that contains a string and int and use that as the generic parameter for a generic list.

public class MyClass
{
 public MyString string { get; set; }
 public MyInt int { get; set; }
}

var list = new Collection<MyClass>
           {
             new MyClass { MyInt = 1, MyString = "Test1" },
             new MyClass { MyInt = 2, MyString = "Test2" }
           }

Another alternative, if using .NET 4.0 is to use a Tuple, though I would rather have a strongly typed class.

(untested code):

 var list = new Collection<Tuple<int,string>>
           {
             Tuple.Create(1, "Test1"),
             Tuple.Create(2, "Test2")
           }