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Simple extension methods for code readability

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2 Oct 2012CPOL 16.6K   5   3
Make your code more readable by using these methods related to Timespan management

Introduction

Whenever you deal with Timers, Timeouts, or anything which involves calculation on dates you will end up dealing with the TimeSpan class.

I don't find particularly readable to write the following code : 

C#
// a 5 hours lapse of time
var theTimespan = new TimeSpan(0, 5, 0, 0, 0);

and find much more easy to read this one:

C#
// a 5 hours lapse of time
var theTimespan = 5.Hours();

Extension methods 

Use these methods (which extends the int class) to create TimeSpan the easy and readable way. 

C#
public static TimeSpan Days(this int value)
{
    return new TimeSpan(value, 0, 0, 0, 0);
}

public static TimeSpan Years(this int value)
{
    var dt = DateTime.Now.AddYears(value);
    return (dt - DateTime.Now).Duration();
}

public static TimeSpan Hours(this int value)
{
    return new TimeSpan(0, value, 0, 0, 0);
}

public static TimeSpan Minutes(this int value)
{
    return new TimeSpan(0, 0, value, 0, 0);
}

public static TimeSpan Seconds(this int value)
{
    return new TimeSpan(0, 0, 0, value, 0);
}

public static TimeSpan Milliseconds(this int value)
{
    return new TimeSpan(0, 0, 0, 0, value);
}

License

This article, along with any associated source code and files, is licensed under The Code Project Open License (CPOL)


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Comments and Discussions

 
QuestionNot really more readable Pin
suq madiq3-Oct-12 10:23
suq madiq3-Oct-12 10:23 
This isn't really any more readable than the built in syntax. In fact, I'd argue it is less readable since you can't tell what the Hours method returns without explicitly typing it (not using var) or looking up the method's return type by hovering or viewing the definition.

C#
var theTimespan = 5.Hours();


vs
C#
var theTimespan = TimeSpan.FromHours(5);


At least here, the API implies FromHours returns a type of TimeSpan. Also, methods on numbers and strings (instead of variables or objects) make me cringe and should be discouraged. You could at least do something like:

C#
int hours = 5;
TimeSpan theTimespan = hours.Hours();


modified 3-Oct-12 17:14pm.

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