Question

I’m primarily a Python developer but I am unfortunately having to write a GUI-based program in VB .NET for a client. I’ve been able to figure out most of VB’s peculiarities myself, but I’ve had no luck finding a way to translate this simple idiom into VB:

def my_function(arg1, arg2, arg3):
    # do stuff with args
    pass

args = [1,2,3]
my_function(*args)

I’m dealing with some nasty functions with lots of variables, and the code would be a lot nicer and more readable if I could do something like that so I’m not stuck with

MyFunction(reader(0), reader(1), reader(2), reader(3)) 'ad infinum

Answer 1

Sort of! First off, if it makes it more convenient for you, though, you can do the opposite. They’re called parameter arrays:

Sub MyFunction(ParamArray things() As Whatever)
    ' Do something with things
End Sub

So these are equivalent:

MyFunction(reader(0), reader(1), reader(2), reader(3), ...)
MyFunction(reader)

But if you really want a splat-ish thing, then that’s delegates:

Dim deleg As New Action(Of YourTypeA, YourTypeB)(AddressOf MyFunction)

deleg.DynamicInvoke(reader)

If you can’t find an Action or Func to suit your needs, then you need to define your own delegate type to match:

Private Delegate Sub WayTooManyArgumentsDelegate(match arguments here)

and

Dim deleg As New WayTooManyArgumentsDelegate(AddressOf MyFunction)