Question

Let’s start with the following snippet:

Foreach(Record item in RecordList){   ..   item = UpdateRecord(item, 5);   .. } 

The UpdateRecode function changes some field of item and returns the altered object. In this case the compiler throws an exception saying that the item can not be updated in a foreach iteration.

Now the UpdateRecord method is changed so that it returns void and the snippet would look like this:

Foreach(Record item in RecordList){   ..   UpdateRecord(item, 5);   .. } 

In this case the item would be updated because Record is a reference type. But it makes the code unreadable.

The project I’m working on has lots of foreach-loops with the almost the same code over and over, so I would like to create methods that update parts of the records. Is there a nice way to do this? One that make the code more readable instead of trashing it further more?

Answer 1

If you need to update a collection, don’t use an iterator pattern, like you said, its either error prone, or smells bad.

I find that using a for loop with an index a bit clearer in this situation, as its very obvious what you are trying to do that way.