C# Indexers (How It Works For Developers)

Basic Indexer Syntax

An indexer is an instance member using the this keyword in a class or struct, followed by the indexer declaration. You also specify the parameter types and the return type. The general syntax for an indexer instance member looks like this:

public return_type this[parameter_type index]
{
    get
    {
        // Code to return data
    }
    set
    {
        // Code to set data
    }
}

public return_type this[parameter_type index]
{
    get
    {
        // Code to return data
    }
    set
    {
        // Code to set data
    }
}

Here, return_type is the value type that the indexer will return such as an integer value, and parameter_type is the type of the index, often an int. The get accessor returns the value at the specified index, and the set block code accessor assigns a value to that index.

class Program
{
    private string[] values = new string[5]; // Array with 5 elements
    public string this[int index]
    {
        get
        {
            return values[index];
        }
        set
        {
            values[index] = value;
        }
    }
}

class Program
{
    private string[] values = new string[5]; // Array with 5 elements
    public string this[int index]
    {
        get
        {
            return values[index];
        }
        set
        {
            values[index] = value;
        }
    }
}

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        Program program = new Program();
        // Set values using indexer
        program[0] = "First";
        program[1] = "Second";
        // Access values using indexer
        Console.WriteLine(program[0]); // Output: First
        Console.WriteLine(program[1]); // Output: Second
    }
}

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        Program program = new Program();
        // Set values using indexer
        program[0] = "First";
        program[1] = "Second";
        // Access values using indexer
        Console.WriteLine(program[0]); // Output: First
        Console.WriteLine(program[1]); // Output: Second
    }
}

Understanding the get and set Accessors

The get and set accessors inside the indexer are like block code that allows you to retrieve and assign data similarly to how you would with properties. The main difference is that indexers use an index parameter to work with collections of data rather than individual data members.

The get block is responsible for returning the data at the specified index, while the set block assigns data to the specified index. Here’s another example to solidify your understanding:

class StudentRecords
{
    private string[] studentNames = new string[3];
    public string this[int index]
    {
        get
        {
            if (index >= 0 && index < studentNames.Length)
            {
                return studentNames[index];
            }
            return "Invalid Index";
        }
        set
        {
            if (index >= 0 && index < studentNames.Length)
            {
                studentNames[index] = value;
            }
        }
    }
    public int Length
    {
        get { return studentNames.Length; }
    }
}

class StudentRecords
{
    private string[] studentNames = new string[3];
    public string this[int index]
    {
        get
        {
            if (index >= 0 && index < studentNames.Length)
            {
                return studentNames[index];
            }
            return "Invalid Index";
        }
        set
        {
            if (index >= 0 && index < studentNames.Length)
            {
                studentNames[index] = value;
            }
        }
    }
    public int Length
    {
        get { return studentNames.Length; }
    }
}

In this example:

• The StudentRecords class has a private string[] studentNames array that holds the names of students.
• The indexer checks if the index is within the bounds of the array before setting or retrieving the value.
• An int type Length property provides access to the length of the array.

You can use this class in the Main method as follows:

class Program
{
    public static void Main()
    {
        StudentRecords records = new StudentRecords();
        // Set values using indexer
        records[0] = "John";
        records[1] = "Jane";
        records[2] = "Bob";
        // Access values using indexer
        for (int i = 0; i < records.Length; i++)
        {
            Console.WriteLine(records[i]);
        }
    }
}

class Program
{
    public static void Main()
    {
        StudentRecords records = new StudentRecords();
        // Set values using indexer
        records[0] = "John";
        records[1] = "Jane";
        records[2] = "Bob";
        // Access values using indexer
        for (int i = 0; i < records.Length; i++)
        {
            Console.WriteLine(records[i]);
        }
    }
}

Creating a Generic Indexer

You can also create generic classes with indexers, allowing your code to handle multiple data types. Here’s a simple example of a generic class with a generic indexer:

class GenericClass<T>
{
    private T[] elements = new T[5];
    public T this[int index]
    {
        get
        {
            return elements[index];
        }
        set
        {
            elements[index] = value;
        }
    }
    public int Length
    {
        get { return elements.Length; }
    }
}

class GenericClass<T>
{
    private T[] elements = new T[5];
    public T this[int index]
    {
        get
        {
            return elements[index];
        }
        set
        {
            elements[index] = value;
        }
    }
    public int Length
    {
        get { return elements.Length; }
    }
}

In this code:

• The GenericClassclass defines an indexer that can work with any data type.
• The this[int index] indexer allows you to access the elements in the array, regardless of the type.

You can now use the GenericClass with different data types in the Main method:

class Program
{
    public static void Main()
    {
        GenericClass<int> intArray = new GenericClass<int>();
        intArray[0] = 10;
        intArray[1] = 20;

        GenericClass<string> stringArray = new GenericClass<string>();
        stringArray[0] = "Hello";
        stringArray[1] = "World";

        // Output the integer array values
        for (int i = 0; i < intArray.Length; i++)
        {
            Console.WriteLine(intArray[i]);
        }

        // Output the string array values
        for (int i = 0; i < stringArray.Length; i++)
        {
            Console.WriteLine(stringArray[i]);
        }
    }
}

class Program
{
    public static void Main()
    {
        GenericClass<int> intArray = new GenericClass<int>();
        intArray[0] = 10;
        intArray[1] = 20;

        GenericClass<string> stringArray = new GenericClass<string>();
        stringArray[0] = "Hello";
        stringArray[1] = "World";

        // Output the integer array values
        for (int i = 0; i < intArray.Length; i++)
        {
            Console.WriteLine(intArray[i]);
        }

        // Output the string array values
        for (int i = 0; i < stringArray.Length; i++)
        {
            Console.WriteLine(stringArray[i]);
        }
    }
}

Using IronPDF with C# Indexer

IronPDF is a C# library designed for generating, editing, and converting PDFs in .NET applications. It simplifies working with PDFs for developers to create PDFs from HTML, manipulate PDF files, and handle advanced functionalities such as merging, printing, and adding signatures programmatically.

You can leverage IronPDF within your C# programs that utilize indexers to dynamically generate and manage PDF content. For example, suppose you have a class that holds HTML strings, and you want to generate PDFs for each HTML entry using an indexer. This approach streamlines PDF generation while keeping your code organized and intuitive.

using IronPdf;
using System;

class PdfGenerator
{
    private string[] htmlTemplates = new string[3];
    public string this[int index]
    {
        get { return htmlTemplates[index]; }
        set { htmlTemplates[index] = value; }
    }

    public void GeneratePdf(int index, string outputPath)
    {
        var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();
        var pdfDocument = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(this[index]); // Access HTML string using indexer
        pdfDocument.SaveAs(outputPath);
    }
}

class Program
{
    public static void Main()
    {
        PdfGenerator pdfGen = new PdfGenerator();
        // Populate HTML templates
        pdfGen[0] = "<h1>First Document</h1><p>This is the first PDF.</p>";
        pdfGen[1] = "<h1>Second Document</h1><p>This is the second PDF.</p>";
        pdfGen[2] = "<h1>Third Document</h1><p>This is the third PDF.</p>";

        // Generate PDFs using the indexer
        pdfGen.GeneratePdf(0, "first.pdf");
        pdfGen.GeneratePdf(1, "second.pdf");
        pdfGen.GeneratePdf(2, "third.pdf");

        Console.WriteLine("PDFs generated successfully.");
    }
}

using IronPdf;
using System;

class PdfGenerator
{
    private string[] htmlTemplates = new string[3];
    public string this[int index]
    {
        get { return htmlTemplates[index]; }
        set { htmlTemplates[index] = value; }
    }

    public void GeneratePdf(int index, string outputPath)
    {
        var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();
        var pdfDocument = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(this[index]); // Access HTML string using indexer
        pdfDocument.SaveAs(outputPath);
    }
}

class Program
{
    public static void Main()
    {
        PdfGenerator pdfGen = new PdfGenerator();
        // Populate HTML templates
        pdfGen[0] = "<h1>First Document</h1><p>This is the first PDF.</p>";
        pdfGen[1] = "<h1>Second Document</h1><p>This is the second PDF.</p>";
        pdfGen[2] = "<h1>Third Document</h1><p>This is the third PDF.</p>";

        // Generate PDFs using the indexer
        pdfGen.GeneratePdf(0, "first.pdf");
        pdfGen.GeneratePdf(1, "second.pdf");
        pdfGen.GeneratePdf(2, "third.pdf");

        Console.WriteLine("PDFs generated successfully.");
    }
}

Conclusion

C# indexers are a useful feature that helps you to make your classes and structs behave like arrays. By providing simplified syntax and flexible data access, you can create more intuitive and readable code. Whether you’re working with strings, integers, or any other data type, indexers give you the ability to encapsulate your data structure and access it using indices cleanly and efficiently.

IronPDF makes it easy to get started with a free trial that gives you access to all the features you need to create, manipulate, and render PDFs. You can take your time exploring the software, and once you're satisfied, licenses are available starting at $799.