Question

This is a question on how to code this efficiently with as little as code possible. It already works but I need to incoporate the paramenter numberOfShapes. That if 1 returns ■, if 2 ■■, if 3 ■■■ etc…

I could do some extra if statemets and extra return statements. If Square->if number = 1> return ■, if number >2 return ■■ etc.. But that is a whole lot of code for something very simple.

What is the best way of coding this with the least amount of code?

- (NSString *)getShape: (NSNumber *)shape numberOfShapes: (NSNumber *)number
{
    if ([shape isEqualToNumber:[NSNumber numberWithInt:SQUARE]]) return @"■";
    if ([shape isEqualToNumber:[NSNumber numberWithInt:CIRCLE]]) return @"●";
    if ([shape isEqualToNumber:[NSNumber numberWithInt:TRIANGLE]]) return @"▲";

    return @"?";
}

Answer 1

- (NSString *)getShape: (NSNumber *)shape numberOfShapes: (NSNumber *)number
{
    unsigned shapeInt = [shape unsignedIntValue];
    if (shapeInt >= 3)
        return @"?";
    NSString *shapeStr = [@"■●▲" substringWithRange:NSMakeRange(shapeInt, 1)];

    // Add autorelease here, if using MRR...
    NSMutableString *result = [[NSMutableString alloc] init];

    unsigned numberInt = [number unsignedIntValue];
    for (unsigned i = 0; i < numberInt; i++)
        [result appendString:shapeStr];
    return result;
}

I don’t see the point of using NSNumber objects to pass parameters like this, as they can’t do anything that a simple NSUInteger or unsigned can, and are more expensive to use.