List<object>.RemoveAll - How to create an appropriate Predicate

Question

This is a bit of noob question - I'm still fairly new to C# and generics and completely new to predicates, delegates and lambda expressions...

I have a class 'Enquiries' which contains a generic list of another class called 'Vehicles'. I'm building up the code to add/edit/delete Vehicles from the parent Enquiry. And at the moment, I'm specifically looking at deletions.

From what I've read so far, it appears that I can use Vehicles.RemoveAll() to delete an item with a particular VehicleID or all items with a particular EnquiryID. My problem is understanding how to feed .RemoveAll the right predicate - the examples I have seen are too simplistic (or perhaps I am too simplistic given my lack of knowledge of predicates, delegates and lambda expressions).

So if I had a List<Of Vehicle> Vehicles where each Vehicle had an EnquiryID, how would I use Vehicles.RemoveAll() to remove all vehicles for a given EnquiryID?

I understand there are several approaches to this so I'd be keen to hear the differences between approaches - as much as I need to get something working, this is also a learning exercise.

As an supplementary question, is a Generic list the best repository for these objects? My first inclination was towards a Collection, but it appears I am out of date. Certainly Generics seem to be preferred, but I'm curious as to other alternatives.

Answer 1

The RemoveAll() methods accept a Predicate<T> delegate (until here nothing new). A predicate points to a method that simply returns true or false. Of course, the RemoveAll will remove from the collection all the T instances that return True with the predicate applied.

C# 3.0 lets the developer use several methods to pass a predicate to the RemoveAll method (and not only this one…). You can use:

Lambda expressions

vehicles.RemoveAll(vehicle => vehicle.EnquiryID == 123);

Anonymous methods

vehicles.RemoveAll(delegate(Vehicle v) {
  return v.EnquiryID == 123;
});

Normal methods

vehicles.RemoveAll(VehicleCustomPredicate);
private static bool
VehicleCustomPredicate (Vehicle v) {
    return v.EnquiryID == 123; 
}