How is an array with a length declared within a class? [Visual Basic]-CodePudding

I want to declare an array with a set length as a Public Property within a class, and fill the array with zeroes so that squares(0) = squares(5) = squares(42) = 0, etc.

What I tried:

Public Class Board     
    Public Property squares(width*height) As Integer 
End Class

What I expected:

squares = {0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0}

What actually happened:

Error BC36759: Auto-implemented properties cannot have parameters

CodePudding user response：

Public Class Board
    Public Property squares As Integer()

    Sub New(ArraySize As Integer)
        ReDim squares(ArraySize)
    End Sub

End Class

When you create the class, you create it like:

MyBoard = New Board(64)

CodePudding user response：

Here's a variation, if your size is hard-coded:

Public Class Board

    Private width As Integer = 5
    Private height As Integer = 10
    Private _squares(width * height) As Integer

    Public ReadOnly Property squares As Integer()
        Get
            Return _squares
        End Get
    End Property

End Class

CodePudding user response：

Another variation, maintaining the auto-property and using a valid private field name:

Public Class Board
    Private Const width As Integer = 5
    Private Const height As Integer = 10

    Private privateSquares(width * height) As Integer
    Public Property squares() As Integer() = privateSquares
End Class

Note that you can't name the new private field "_squares" because that conflicts with a hidden field that VB uses.

CodePudding user response：

Public Class Board

    Private _board() As Integer = New Integer() {}
    Public ReadOnly Property Squares() As Integer()
        Get
            Return Me._board
        End Get
    End Property

    Public Sub New(width As Integer, height As Integer)
        Array.Resize(Me._board, width * height)
    End Sub
End Class