How to avoid copy and pasting?

Question

I'd like to improve this method if possible: this is a small section whereby all of the textfield (eyepiece, objectivelenses etc) texts are saved. Unfortunately, having to do this lots of times for each part of my app is prone to error so I would like to improve it. I'm thinking some sort of fast enumeration with arguments for the method being the textfields etc. and I can have all the keys in a dictionary (which is already set up). Just a pointer to the right docs or, perhaps, some sort of process that has worked for you would be fantastic!

-(IBAction)saveUserEntries {


if (eyepiece.text != nil) {

    eyepieceString = [[NSString alloc] initWithFormat:eyepiece.text];
    [eyepiece setText:eyepieceString];
    NSUserDefaults *eyepieceDefault = [NSUserDefaults standardUserDefaults];
    [eyepieceDefault setObject:eyepieceString forKey:@"eyepieceKey"];
}
else {
    [[NSUserDefaults standardUserDefaults] removeObjectForKey:@"eyepieceKey"];
}

if (objectiveLenses.text != nil) {

    objectiveLensString = [[NSString alloc] initWithFormat:objectiveLenses.text];
    [objectiveLenses setText:objectiveLensString];
    NSUserDefaults *objectiveDefault = [NSUserDefaults standardUserDefaults];
    [objectiveDefault setObject:objectiveLensString forKey:@"objectiveKey"];
}
else {
    [[NSUserDefaults standardUserDefaults] removeObjectForKey:@"objectiveKey"];
}

Thank you for taking the time to read this!

Apologies, I obviously didn't make this very clear, in the actual method, I'm having to copy the if-else statements and edit each one for all of the different textfields. This is prone to error and I would like a method I can reuse elsewhere, using arguments perhaps — Rob W, Apr 26 '12 at 11:39

score 2 · Accepted Answer · answered Apr 26 '12 at 12:09

2

I will attempt to answer this question based on a OOP solution.

Create a method that accepts whatever type object these textboxes are as an argument, send the reference of said object to the method, and save the entry in a similar method you do know. This will avoid the "copy and paste" errors you are worried about.

You should be able to loop through every instance of said object that exists, if a cocoa application, works like similar to Java and .NET ( I really don't know ). I just know there must be a way to loop through every instance of a single object within the application domain.

If this was .NET I simply would suggest TextBox.Name and TextBox.String to make this a generic method that could be used to save the properties of any TextBox sent to it. If this doesn't anwer your question ( was a little long for a comment ) then I aplogize.

answered Apr 26 '12 at 12:09

Security Hound

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Thank you for the effort @Ramhound. That does make sense so I will attempt to implement that later on today :) I got marked down for a terribly worded question so thanks for taking time out to answer. – Rob W Apr 26 '12 at 13:07
@RobW - I wish I could have given you a more Coca directed response, the code is easy enough to understand, I just know how Coca handles the "controls" ( i.e. a TextBox ), in Java and .NET all controls within the application inherits a single class ( very simply description ). – Security Hound Apr 26 '12 at 19:07
1

There isn't a way to loop through every instance of a class wherever it exists in the application (holy encapsulation violation, Batman), but there is no reason why the questioner couldn't simply call their `fillInField:withPreferencesValueForKey:` method once for the eyepiece field and then again for the objective-lenses field. – Peter Hosey Apr 27 '12 at 02:07
@PeterHosey - Always good to learn the syntax of another language. I am not sure you understand my suggestion. Its possible to loop through the controls on a WPF Windows/Win32 Form/Group/Ect there is nothing wrong with doing this ( depending on how many controls were talking about ). – Security Hound Apr 27 '12 at 11:48

How to avoid copy and pasting?

1 Answers1