C# Object modelling 1:n:m... realtionships

Question

How do I create an object that has properties with multiple related properties that have multiple related properties and so on?

I'm creating a C# class that will describe toe disease on a various colonies of tigers.

One colony has many tigers. 1 tiger has 4 paws. 1 paw has 5 toes. Each toes is "infected" or "not infected".

How can I construct an object that will retrieve diseased status for the colony 4's tiger named Eddy's front-right paw's second toe? e.g.

 Tiger t = new Tiger;

 string toeStatus = t.colony(4).tiger("Eddy").paw("front-right").toe(2)

I've only every had to create objects that have properties unto themselves, not have properties that relate to properties that relate to properties.

I'd also like to re-use this object to get the names of all the names of all the tigers for a given colony...

string allTigersNames = t.colony(4).tiger(*)
//Eddy, Glennis, Barry, Toby, Punter

I've asked in an analogous similar post and have been given a response that I don't understand at my present experience level. Particularly the approach to use strongly typed properties.

You are best to start with strongly typed models. then it would be as simple as just using *linq* to query it... Maybe at this stage you need to paste the code for `Tiger` (which... mind you, doesn't conceptually make sense). how can a *tiger* have *subtigers*? — TheGeneral, Aug 20 '19 at 01:03
Thanks my problem is I don't understand what's meant by "strongly typed models". My searches return references to "strongly typed views" and articles on how C# is a strongly typed language. — Nimbocrux, Aug 20 '19 at 01:09

Gabriel Llorico · Answer 1 · 2019-08-20T02:18:51.477

public class Colony
{
    public int ColonyId {get; set;}
    public string ColonyName {get; set;}
    public List<Tiger> Tigers {get; set;}
}

public class Tiger
{
    public int TigerId {get; set;}
    public string TigerName {get; set;}
    public Colony Colony {get; set;}
    public List<Paw> Paws {get; set;}
}

public class Paw
{
    public int PawId {get; set;}
    public string PawDescription {get; set;}
    public Tiger Tiger {get; set;}
    public List<Toe> Toes {get; set;}
}

public class Toe
{
    public int ToeId {get; set;}
    public Paw Paw {get; set;}
    public int ToeFinger {get; set;}
}

this would be my hierarchy if you will ask me

Colony > Multiple Tigers
Tiger > Multiple Paws
Paw > Multiple Toes

then adding would look like these


var primaryColony = new Colony
{
    ColonyId = 1,
    ColonyName = "First Colony",
    Tigers = new List<Tigers>();
};

var colonies = new List<Colonies>();


//adding primary colony
colonies.Add(primaryColony);

//adding tiger to primary colony via name or you could use ColonyId == 1
colonies.First(c => c.ColonyName == "First Colony")
.Tigers.Add(new Tiger
{
    TigerId = 1,
    TigerName = "Eddy",
    Paws = new List<Paw>();,
    Colony = primaryColony
});

//adding paws to tiger named eddy in colony named primary colony
colonies.First(e => e.ColonyName == "First Colony")
.Tigers.First(r => r.TigerName == "Eddy")
.Paws.Add(new Paw
{
    PawId = 1,
    PawDescription = "right-front",
    Toes = new List<Toes>();,
    Tiger = colonies.First(e => e.ColonyName == "First Colony")
.Tigers.First(r => r.TigerName == "Eddy")
});

//adding toes to right front paw of tiger named eddy in colony named first colony
colonies.First(e => e.ColonyName == "First Colony")
.Tigers.First(r => r.TigerName == "Eddy")
.Paws.First(q => q.PawDescription == "right-front")
.First().Toes.Add(new Toe
{
    ToeId = 1,
    ToeFinger = 1,
    Paw = colonies.First(e => e.ColonyName == "First Colony")
.Tigers.First(r => r.TigerName == "Eddy")
.Paws.First(q => q.PawDescription == "right-front")
});

or if you have a filter, like you want paws to add to TigerName = Eddy

var tigerEddy = colonies.Select(y => new Tiger
{
    TigerId = y.Tigers.FirstOrDefault?.(c => c.TigerName == "Eddy").Select(e => e.TigerId),
    TigerName = y.Tigers.FirstOrDefault?.(c => c.TigerName == "Eddy").Select(e => e.TigerName),
    Colony = y.Tigers.FirstOrDefault?.(c => c.TigerName == "Eddy").Select(e => e.Colony)
    Paws = y.Tigers.FirstOrDefault?.(c => c.TigerName == "Eddy").Select(e => e.Paws)
}.Any(x => x.Tigers.Containes("Eddy").FirstOrDefault();

tigerEddy.Paws.Add(new Paws.....);

then pass it back to colonies with TigerId as the reference

C# Object modelling 1:n:m... realtionships

1 Answers1