Need to add Parameters to NewActionConfiguration but cant use a foreach inside the definition

Question

Using Axis Communications VAPIX WSDL APIs - I'm setting up a NewActionConfiguration which takes a number of parameters that I have saved in a List but the way the API documents have the implementation I cant loop through my parameter list XML objects while defining the newAction object.

//This is how the API docs say to do it:
NewActionConfiguration newAction = new NewActionConfiguration
{
    TemplateToken = overlayToken,
    Name = "Overlay Text",
    Parameters = new ActionParameters
    {
        Parameter = new[]
        {
            new ActionParameter { Name = "text", Value = "Trigger:Active" },
            new ActionParameter { Name = "channels", Value = "1" },
            new ActionParameter { Name = "duration", Value = "15" }
         }
     }
};

//This is what I need to do:
 NewActionConfiguration newAction = new NewActionConfiguration
 {
     Name = xmlPrimaryAction["Name"].InnerText,
     TemplateToken = xmlPrimaryAction["ActionTemplate"].InnerText,
     Parameters = new[]
     {
         foreach (ActionParameter actionParameter in actionParameterList)
         {
             new ActionParameter { Name = actionParameter.Name, Value = actionParameter.Value };
          }
      }
};

The API will not allow me to just do a: newAction.Parameters.Parameter.Add(actionParameter) or the like. Anyone got any ideas?

Sorry. I'm a little confused. What exactly is "the API" in this context? Are you coding within the API? Are you calling an API? — Casey Crookston, Sep 06 '19 at 18:48
That doesn't answer my question. I guess what I'm asking is... how can this mysterious API determine how you write your code? — Casey Crookston, Sep 06 '19 at 18:51
it just doesn't allow me to use a foreach inside of its bracket definition of this new object and i cant write out the parameters one-by-one because sometimes it may be more than just 3 parameters — Dillon Tucker, Sep 06 '19 at 18:53
But HOW does it now allow you? HOW does it have any say over how you create your code? — Casey Crookston, Sep 06 '19 at 18:54
'newAction.Parameters.Parameter' is an array data type and if i make a new[] { new ActionParameter {....}} it clears my array each time it comes around. — Dillon Tucker, Sep 06 '19 at 19:07

score 0 · Answer 1 · answered Sep 06 '19 at 19:05

0

So first things, you cannot declare a foreach block inside an object instantiating scope block. What you need to do is declare a variable before, in the function scope and then attribute the Parameter property to it. Like so:

var actionParameters = new List<ActionParameter>();
foreach (ActionParameter actionParameter in actionParameterList)
     {
         actionParameters.Add(new ActionParameter { Name = actionParameter.Name, Value = actionParameter.Value });
      }
NewActionConfiguration newAction = new NewActionConfiguration
 {
     Name = xmlPrimaryAction["Name"].InnerText,
     TemplateToken = xmlPrimaryAction["ActionTemplate"].InnerText,
     Parameters = actionParameters.ToArray()//Use System.Linq here to convert the list into an array
};

answered Sep 06 '19 at 19:05

Vitor Ribeiro

115
5

i see what you're doin' i think... shoot i'm not very familiar with LINQ. – Dillon Tucker Sep 06 '19 at 19:27
Oh it is simple, just put on the top of the file using System.Linq; and you are good to go. Did it work? – Vitor Ribeiro Sep 06 '19 at 19:36
ERROR: Cannot initialize type `ActionParameters` with a collection initializer because it does not implement `System.Collections.IEnumerable` – Dillon Tucker Sep 06 '19 at 19:45
I just read the docs, List implements the IEnumerable interface, so removing the method ToArray should work, for converting it – Vitor Ribeiro Sep 06 '19 at 20:02

score 0 · Accepted Answer · answered Sep 06 '19 at 22:57

Found it! Thanks for the help @Vitor you were close but learned how to cast my list as my object after i found this: Convert List to object[]

Here's what finally worked:

var actionParameterList = new List<ActionParameter>();
foreach (XmlNode xmlParameter in xmlActionParameters)
{
    ActionParameter actionParameter = new ActionParameter();
    actionParameter.Name = xmlParameter["Name"].InnerText;
    actionParameter.Value = xmlParameter["Value"].InnerText;
    actionParameterList.Add(new ActionParameter { Name = actionParameter.Name, Value = actionParameter.Value });
}
 NewActionConfiguration newAction = new NewActionConfiguration
 {
     Name = xmlPrimaryAction["Name"].InnerText,
     TemplateToken = xmlPrimaryAction["ActionTemplate"].InnerText,
     Parameters = new ActionParameters
     {
         Parameter = actionParameterList.Cast<ActionParameter>().ToArray()
     }
 };

Need to add Parameters to NewActionConfiguration but cant use a foreach inside the definition

2 Answers2