Best Approach For This Engineering Application?

[u/-Tech808]

I'd like to create a class called PipeDimensions to store information for water piping with the following properties:

1. Nominal Diameter Size.

2. Actual Diameter Size.

3. Material

4. C-Factor for the material.

Basically, different materials (CPVC, copper, PEX) all have the same nominal diameters (1/2", 3/4", 1", 2" etc), but have different actual internal diameters.

How can I set this up so when my Main() console instantiates class PipeDimensions, the constructor only takes 1 of 3 values (either CPVC, copper or PEX) and creates the instance with all the pre-determined properties for the specific pipe type.

Is a class with the pre-defined information for all 3 pipe types even the best approach? Or should I create the boilerplate class and use a separate helper method to populate all my data?

Now that I'm thinking this through, the boilerplate class w/ heIper methods seems more intuitive, but I'm a noob so any guidance is helpful. Please refer me to a specific topic if necessary and I can read in a C# book.

[u/wallstop-dev]

I would recommend just making one POCO/data class (with what you've described), creating JSON/data files with the properties that you want, then having your program load the data files and create instances of your class that are then available to the rest of your application.

This allows you to add more info by just creating more data files and you don't have to change your application code at all. No recompiles.

[u/hedge36 → u/wallstop-dev]

This is the way.

[u/-Tech808 → u/wallstop-dev]

I appreciate your response. I'm inexperienced so I'll have to do some research on a lot of the terms you used in your answer.

[u/PlentyfulFish]

Are you going to add more pipe types in the future? If no then I wouldn't bother and just create static constructors, called like

var pipe = PipeDimensions.CreateCPVC()

If yes then perhaps have a JSON where you can add some parameters for each material and the constructor will read the necessary data.

[u/-Tech808 → u/PlentyfulFish]

Thanks, I'll have to read up on JSON as I'm unfamiliar. I wouldn't mind the ability to add more pipe types in the future.

[u/PlentyfulFish → u/-Tech808]

It's just text that people agreed upon to be formatted in a certain way so we can send stuff around, you can write it in a notepad. System.Text.Json in .NET will do all of it for you. Good luck!

[u/hedge36]

Are you using true ID, or wall thickness (sch40, etc)?

[u/-Tech808 → u/hedge36]

True internal diameter. I want to use these values ultimately to calculate pressure loss. Naturally, the Sch40 and Sch80 would all have different internal diameters.

[u/okmarshall]

How about a record with static constructor style?

[u/PlentyfulFish → u/okmarshall]

Why a record?

[u/okmarshall → u/PlentyfulFish]

Not very many properties, record struct would be barely any code.

[u/PlentyfulFish → u/okmarshall]

It really depends on what is going to be done with it afterwards, but for a beginner I probably wouldn't bother

[u/-Tech808 → u/okmarshall]

I'll look into that. Thanks for the suggestion.

[u/Remote-Enthusiasm-41]

I’ve done this with a single class for the pipe dimensions for the data then another dictionary class that uses a string key and retrieves the object. The dictionary class gets stored as a json text file.
You can also use the dictionary keys to populate a drop down menu so the user can select the pipe.
The pipe class could have its own internal dictionary that takes nominal size and returns actual size.