Question

I have a Dictionary that when I add multiple values to it, the items that were entered before take the values of the item added. I am using the .Net 3.5 Here is the code:

public static Dictionary<string, Neighborhoods> Families()     {         if (File.Exists(calculatePath() + 'Family.txt')){}         else {File.Create(calculatePath() + 'Family.txt').Close();}         string[] inp = File.ReadAllLines(calculatePath() + 'Family.txt');         Neighborhoods temp = new Neighborhoods();         Dictionary<string, Neighborhoods> All_Families = new Dictionary<string, Neighborhoods>();         string currentphase = null;         foreach (string s in inp)         {             switch (s)             {                 case '!<Start Family>!': temp = new Neighborhoods();                     break;                 case '<Family Name>': currentphase = '<Family Name>';                     break;                 case '<End Family Name>': currentphase = null;                     break;                 case '<Neighbour Enabled>True': temp.Neighbourhood_Enabled1 = true;                     currentphase = '<Neighbour Enabled>True';                     break;                 case '<Neighbour Enabled>False': temp.Neighbourhood_Enabled1 = false;                     temp.Neighbourhood_Input1 = null;                     break;                 case '<University Enabled>True': temp.University_Enabled1 = true;                     currentphase = '<University Enabled>True';                     break;                 case '<University Enabled>False': temp.University_Enabled1 = false;                     temp.University_Input1 = null;                     currentphase = null;                     break;                 case '<Downtown Enabled>True': temp.Downtown_Enabled1 = true;                     currentphase = '<Downtown Enabled>True';                     break;                 case '<Downtown Enabled>False': temp.Downtown_Enabled1 = false;                     temp.Downtown_Input1 = null;                     currentphase = null;                     break;                 case '!<End Family>!': All_Families.Add(temp.Name, temp);                     break;                 default: if (currentphase == '<Family Name>') temp.Name = s;                     if (currentphase == '<Neighbour Enabled>True') temp.Neighbourhood_Input1 = s;                     if (currentphase == '<University Enabled>True') temp.University_Input1 = s;                     if (currentphase == '<Downtown Enabled>True') temp.Downtown_Input1 = s;                     break;             }         }         return All_Families;     } 

How can I make it so that when I add new keys and values, the old keys keep their original value

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Sample data:

!<Start Family>! Family Name> qwe <End Family Name> <Neighbour Enabled>True qwe <University Enabled>True we <Downtown Enabled>True qwe !<End Family>! !<Start Family>! <Family Name> 123 <End Family Name> <Neighbour Enabled>True 123 <University Enabled>True 123 <Downtown Enabled>True 123 !<End Family>! 

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Here is the nieghbourhoods class for reference. I will try the xml methods but it wont be finished quickly, I’m still learning this stuff.

class Neighborhoods {     public Neighborhoods()     {         name = '';         Neighbourhood_Enabled = false;         Neighbourhood_Input = '';         University_Enabled = false;         University_Input = '';         Downtown_Enabled = false;         Downtown_Input = '';     }      static string name;      public string Name     {         get { return Neighborhoods.name; }         set { Neighborhoods.name = value; }     }     static bool Neighbourhood_Enabled;      public bool Neighbourhood_Enabled1     {         get { return Neighborhoods.Neighbourhood_Enabled; }         set { Neighborhoods.Neighbourhood_Enabled = value; }     }     static string Neighbourhood_Input;      public string Neighbourhood_Input1     {         get { return Neighborhoods.Neighbourhood_Input; }         set { Neighborhoods.Neighbourhood_Input = value; }     }     static bool University_Enabled;      public bool University_Enabled1     {         get { return Neighborhoods.University_Enabled; }         set { Neighborhoods.University_Enabled = value; }     }     static string University_Input;      public string University_Input1     {         get { return Neighborhoods.University_Input; }         set { Neighborhoods.University_Input = value; }     }     static bool Downtown_Enabled;      public bool Downtown_Enabled1     {         get { return Neighborhoods.Downtown_Enabled; }         set { Neighborhoods.Downtown_Enabled = value; }     }     static string Downtown_Input;      public string Downtown_Input1     {         get { return Neighborhoods.Downtown_Input; }         set { Neighborhoods.Downtown_Input = value; }     } } 

Answer 1

With the sample data you’ve given and the code you’ve given, it works okay using a Neighborhoods class like this:

public class Neighborhoods {     public string Name { get; set; }     public string Neighbourhood_Input1 { get; set; }     public string University_Input1 { get; set; }     public string Downtown_Input1 { get; set; }     public bool Neighbourhood_Enabled1 { get; set; }     public bool University_Enabled1 { get; set; }     public bool Downtown_Enabled1 { get; set; } } 

My test is to run this code:

static void Main() {     var families = Families();      foreach (var family in x.Values)     {         Console.WriteLine(y.Name);     } } 

That prints out ‘qwe’ and ‘123’ – showing that there are two different objects involved.

However, we haven’t seen the real Neighborhoods class yet. I don’t suppose it’s using static fields (but still instance properties) is it? That would certainly explain the behaviour you’re seeing.

EDIT: Yup, now you’ve shown us the Neighborhoods code it makes sense. Those fields are meant to be relevant for each instance, not just the type itself – so they shouldn’t be static.

To show this is nothing to do with the parser, try this:

Neighborhoods first = new Neighborhoods(); Neighborhoods second = new Neighborhoods();  first.Name = 'First'; Console.WriteLine(second.Name); 

You’ll see it prints out ‘First’ – which is clearly not what you want!

Unfortunately I don’t have a good page about what ‘static’ means, but I suggest you look it up in whatever C# books you have.