Creating ArrayList with progresive ArrayListName in a loop
Hi @jake_pietrzak. What are you planning on putting into the ArrayList, and how do you intent to use the data you put into it? If there is just one ArrayList per referenced document, then you do not need to assign a unique name to each ArrayList, because it will only be used within that one iteration, then it will be reset for the next iteration. If you intend to hold onto data in a collection after the loop of referenced documents, then you would have to create the collection before the loop starts, that way it will still be recognized and usable after the loop has ended. I also recommend using something else besides an ArrayList, because Microsoft also discourages its use in new development, in favor of the List(Of ) (even if it is List(Of Object)). If you need to gather multiple pieces of data from every referenced document, you could use a List within a List like List(Of List(Of Object)).
Below is an example of that type of scenario.
Dim oDoc As Inventor.Document = ThisDoc.Document
Dim oListOfLists As New List(Of List(Of Object))
If oDoc.AllReferencedDocuments.Count > 0 Then
For Each oRefDoc As Inventor.Document In oDoc.AllReferencedDocuments
Dim oList As New List(Of Object)
oList.Add("DisplayName = " & oRefDoc.DisplayName)
oList.Add("DocumentType = " & oRefDoc.DocumentType.ToString)
oList.Add("IsModifiable = " & oRefDoc.IsModifiable)
oListOfLists.Add(oList)
Next oRefDoc
End If
If oListOfLists.Count > 0 Then
For Each oList In oListOfLists
If oList.Count > 0 Then
For Each oEntry In oList
Logger.Info(oEntry.ToString)
Next oEntry
End If
Next oList
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Wesley Crihfield
(Not an Autodesk Employee)
Hi @jake_pietrzak. First of all, what type of data / object do those list entries represent? Are they just Strings (text, like just the names of parameters), or are they numerical values (the numerical values obtained from parameters), or actual parameter objects themselves, or something else. Knowing what type of data / objects they are is usually important to knowing how to compare them for equality. There are built-in methods for comparing two lists with each other, but I am not aware of any built-in methods for comparing more than two lists with each other. Also, should the new list only contain entries that were present in all lists, or should it also contain entries that were present in more than one list, but not in all lists. I know this simple example does not have any values like that, but just to clarify, in case we need to create a custom code routine to do the comparison. If we did create a custom routine to figure this out, it would be awkward, because within each iteration of the overall list of lists, would need to be working with exactly two lists at a time, to compare those two (not just one list, or more than two lists).
Wesley Crihfield
(Not an Autodesk Employee)
Hi guys. I was talking about using the 'Intersect' method, but as I mentioned, it is essentially designed for comparing 2 arrays / lists, instead of 3 or more. However, these can be 'stacked' to add more arrays / lists into the comparison, but only if you have access to all of them directly, and not just iterating through them one by one. This method creates a new IEnumerable(Of ) type object each time it is called, but the result of one can be compared to the next, if that type of comparison procedure will work OK here. Below is an example of what I am talking about. However the problem with this example is that we are not really utilizing the List(Of List(Of )) object here in the end. We are accessing the individual List objects by their individual variables. Also, keep in mind that a List object is vb.net based, so its entries are zero based index (first item / element is at index of zero, not one).
This code outputs the correct two values to the iLogic Log window, but the end process needs to be able to work with the List of Lists somehow, which is awkward, since normal iterations only work on one instance at a time, not two at a time, and collections can have uneven numbers of entries, so some testing must be included to make sure the next element is actually there before comparison can be done.
Dim oListOfLists As New List(Of List(Of String))
Dim oList1 As New List(Of String)
oList1.Add("Param1")
oList1.Add("Param2")
oList1.Add("Param3")
oListOfLists.Add(oList1)
Dim oList2 As New List(Of String)
oList2.Add("Param1")
oList2.Add("Param3")
oList2.Add("Param4")
oListOfLists.Add(oList2)
Dim oList3 As New List(Of String)
oList3.Add("Param1")
oList3.Add("Param3")
oList3.Add("Param4")
oList3.Add("Param5")
oListOfLists.Add(oList3)
Dim oNewCommonList As List(Of String) = oList1.Intersect(oList2).Intersect(oList3).ToList
If oNewCommonList.Count > 0 Then
For Each sEntry In oNewCommonList
Logger.Info(sEntry)
Next sEntry
End If
Wesley Crihfield
(Not an Autodesk Employee)
OK @Stakin I see your intent now. At first, I thought you were attempting to use the Exists method, which did not look correct to me. In your code it was spelled "Exist" instead of "Exists", and did not include the Function(s) predicate codes, but then I realized you may be talking about the Contains() method, which is much simpler (no predicate Function involved). That might work OK if again we had access to all Lists at the same time, so we could include a comparison to each one in one line of code like that. But if we did not know the number of Lists, we may be able to use Count or Length, then use variables for them, one way or another.
Wesley Crihfield
(Not an Autodesk Employee)
Hi @jake_pietrzak. I may have come up with something that will work to create a new List containing only the values that are common within all the Lists in a List Of Lists, when the total number of Lists is varying / unknown. But it is likely more complicated than you were hoping for. I have attached two text files, each containing the same starting code, where the 3 original lists, and the List of Lists are being created, but with slightly different versions of a block of code following that part, where it inspects all the Lists within the List of Lists, and creates a new List containing only the common values. Again, I am using List(Of String) in these examples, because that is a common type of value, since I still do not know what types of entries/values you will actually be working with here. There are likely more efficient ways of figuring something like this out, but I only had a certain amount of '~free~' time (while at work) to work on these, while keeping up with everything else.
Wesley Crihfield
(Not an Autodesk Employee)
