Question

I’ve got six text boxes, and as long as one has valid input in it I want my program to go ahead with import code. Problem is I don’t know what the most efficient way to do it is. The two alternatives I’ve come up with thus far are as follows:

Version 1:

        //if no paths are specified the user is shown an error and the program
        //will do nothing
        if ((txtForecastFTE.Text.Length != 0)
            || (txtActualFTE.Text.Length != 0)
            || (txtForecastAHT.Text.Length != 0)
            || (txtActualAHT.Text.Length != 0)
            || (txtForecastVolume.Text.Length != 0)
            || (txtActualVolume.Text.Length != 0))
        {
            if (txtForecastFTE.Text.Length != 0)
            {
                //import code
            }//end if

            if (txtActualFTE.Text.Length != 0)
            {
                //import code
            }//end if

            if (txtForecastAHT.Text.Length != 0)
            {
                //import code
            }//end if

            if (txtActualAHT.Text.Length != 0)
            {
                //import code
            }//end if

            if (txtForecastVolume.Text.Length != 0)
            {
                //import code
            }//end if

            if (txtActualVolume.Text.Length != 0)
            {
                //import code
            }//end if
        }//end if
        else
        {
            MessageBox.Show("You must enter the path for at least one file.");
        }//end if-else
    }//end import code

Version 2:

        //if no paths are specified the user is shown an error and the program
        //will do nothing
        if (txtForecastFTE.Text.Length != 0)
        {
    pathTrue = true;
            //import code
        }//end if

        if (txtActualFTE.Text.Length != 0)
        {
    pathTrue = true;
            //import code
        }//end if

        if (txtForecastAHT.Text.Length != 0)
        {
    pathTrue = true;
            //import code
        }//end if

        if (txtActualAHT.Text.Length != 0)
        {
    pathTrue = true;
            //import code
        }//end if

        if (txtForecastVolume.Text.Length != 0)
        {
    pathTrue = true;
            //import code
        }//end if

        if (txtActualVolume.Text.Length != 0)
        {
    pathTrue = true;
            //import code
        }//end if

        if (!pathTrue)
        {
            MessageBox.Show("You must enter the path for at least one file.");
        }//end if
    }//end import code

Obviously I’ll add further validation (try-catch) to each file import section, but this is the basic gist.

Any help appreciated 🙂 If there are other options which would be more efficient than either of the two versions supplied please don’t hesitate to put it forward. Thanks guys.

Answer 1

I’d argue “efficiency” in this case shouldn’t be your goal, but rather simple, readable, non-redundant code.

if (this.Controls.OfType<TextBox>().Any(tb => tb.Text.Length > 0))
{
    // get to work
}

Another approach, which might be more fitting upon inspection of your samples, could be

bool hasPath = false;
foreach (TextBox box in this.Controls.OfType<TextBox>().Where(tb => tb.Text.Length > 0))
{
     hasPath = true;
     // import code
}

if (!hasPath)
{
     MessageBox.Show("Need data");
}