Question

I have an overridden ToString() method that I want to output formatted data. This data consisted of 11 different items. I can get all but one item to display properly but that one item just shows up as 0. Somehow, it is not reaching the ToString() method. I debugged the program and followed the data line by line and it disappears at the point right before going to the ToString() method and I have no idea why. Here is my code. I’m only posting the code I think is involved with passing the data. If I am wrong and all of the code is needed, let me know.

private void btnPaymentButton_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
    {            
        amountPaid = double.Parse(this.txtAmountPaid.Text);

        orderPaymentObject = new Payment(orderObject.TotalAmountDue, amountPaid);            

        this.txtNumberOfPizzaOrdered.Clear();
        this.txtNumberOfCokesOrdered.Clear();
        this.txtAmountDue.Clear();
        this.txtAmountPaid.Clear();

        this.lblYourOrder.Visible = true;
        this.rtxtYourOrder.Visible = true;

        this.rtxtYourOrder.Text =  orderObject.ToString();               
    }     

.......

public class Payment
{
    PizzaOrder orderObject;
    double amountPaid = 0.0,
            totalAmountDue = 0.0;        

    public Payment()
    {
    }

    public Payment(double amountDue, double payment)
    {  
        orderObject = new PizzaOrder();
        amountPaid = payment;
        totalAmountDue = amountDue;
        orderObject.GetChangeDue(totalAmountDue, amountPaid);
        //orderObject.ToString();            
    }

    public Payment(double payment)
    {
        amountPaid = payment;
    }

    public double AmountPaid
    {
        get
        {
            return this.amountPaid;
        }
    }
}

......

public override string ToString()
    {
        Payment paymentOrder = new Payment();

        return string.Format(" {0} Pizzas @ {1:C}: {2,8:C}\n" +
            " {3} Cokes @ {4:C}:  {5,8:C}\n" +
            "       Order Amount: {6,8:C}\n" +
            "             Sales Tax: {7,9:C}\n" +
            "         Amount Due: {8,8:C}\n" +
            "         Amount Paid: {9,9:C}\n\n" +
            "              Change Due: {10,9:C}", NumberOfPizzas, 
            PIZZA_PRICE, totalCostOfPizza, NumberOfCokes, COKE_PRICE,
            totalCostOfCoke, FoodAndDrinkTotal, TotalSalesTax, 
            TotalAmountDue, paymentOrder.AmountPaid, GetChangeDue(totalAmountDue,amountPaid));
    }        

The value that is not being passed is the amountPaid (second from last).

I’ve tried:

• passing the amountPaid variable in the OrderFrom class by instantiating an OrderForm object both inside and outside of the ToString() method,
• passing the amountPaid variable in the Payment class by instantiating a Payment object both inside and outside of the ToString method, and
• calling inputting the amountPaid variable in the toString method as a variable and as a property.

To be honest I’ve grasped at so many straws that I am now completely confused and have no idea what to do.

Answer 1

Your ToString provides wrong payment info because it, quite honestly, does not have access to that payment object that you are creating. Instantiating new Payment does not help: you need a different approach here.

One way to deal with the problem is to make a FormatWithPayment method, instead of overriding ToString. It is a good idea to avoid using the plain ToString in your business code, reserving it to debugging and logging.

public string FormatWithPayment(Payment paymentOrder )
{
    return string.Format(" {0} Pizzas @ {1:C}: {2,8:C}\n" +
        " {3} Cokes @ {4:C}:  {5,8:C}\n" +
        "       Order Amount: {6,8:C}\n" +
        "             Sales Tax: {7,9:C}\n" +
        "         Amount Due: {8,8:C}\n" +
        "         Amount Paid: {9,9:C}\n\n" +
        "              Change Due: {10,9:C}"
        ,   NumberOfPizzas
        ,   PIZZA_PRICE
        ,   totalCostOfPizza
        ,   NumberOfCokes
        ,   COKE_PRICE
        ,   totalCostOfCoke
        ,   FoodAndDrinkTotal
        ,   TotalSalesTax
        ,   TotalAmountDue
        ,   paymentOrder.AmountPaid
        ,   GetChangeDue(totalAmountDue,amountPaid)
        );
}

It’s almost the same as your code, only the payment object is now passed in.

Now you can modify your click handler to use this new method, like this:

this.rtxtYourOrder.Text =  orderObject.FormatWithPayment(orderPaymentObject);