Question

I was wondering if there was a more efficient (efficient as in simpler/cleaner code) way of making a case statement like the one below…

I have a dictionary. Its key type is an Enum and its value type is a bool. If the boolean is true, I want to change the color of a label on a form.

The variable names were changed for the example.

Dictionary<String, CustomType> testDict = new Dictionary<String, CustomType>();

//populate testDict here...

Dictionary<MyEnum, bool> enumInfo = testDict[someString].GetEnumInfo(); 
//GetEnumInfo is a function that iterates through a Dictionary<String, CustomType>
//and returns a Dictionary<MyEnum, bool>

            foreach (KeyValuePair<MyEnum, bool> kvp in enumInfo)
            {
                switch (kvp.Key)
                {
                    case MyEnum.Enum1:
                        if (someDictionary[kvp.Key] == true)
                        {
                            Label1.ForeColor = Color.LimeGreen;
                        }
                        else
                        {
                            Label1.ForeColor = Color.Red;
                        }
                        break;
                    case MyEnum.Enum2:
                       if (someDictionary[kvp.Key] == true)
                        {
                            Label2.ForeColor = Color.LimeGreen;
                        }
                        else
                        {
                            Label2.ForeColor = Color.Red;
                        }
                        break;
               }
           }

So far, MyEnum has 8 different values.. which means I have 8 different case statements..
I know there must be an easier way to do this, I just can’t conceptualize it in my head.

If anyone could help, I’d greatly appreciate it. I love C# and I learn new things every day.. I absorb it like a sponge 🙂

-CP

Answer 1

You could just switch the label, and then set the colors after the switch statement:

Label label = null;
switch (kvp.Key)
{
    case MyEnum.Enum1:
        label = Label1;
        break;
    case MyEnum.Enum2:
        label = Label2;
        break;
}

label.ForeColor = kvp.Value ? Color.LimeGreen : Color.Red;

Alternatively, you could have a Dictionary<MyEnum, Label>, and just lookup the label appropriately:

labelDictionary[kvp.Key].ForeColor = kvp.Value ? Color.LimeGreen : Color.Red;