C#: Class does not contain a definition

Question

I am currently trying to search through an array of objects via a name, and wants the output to be the index of the array. However, an error occurred when I tried to call my searching function (Does not contain a definition). I have no idea how to solve this problem.

I am very new to programming so pardon me if I'm doing everything wrong, and please keep things as simple as possible.

class Program
{
    static void Main(string[] args)
    {
        //Initialize array based on number of records
        RecordArray.Init(5);

        //Calling FindByName
        RecordArray.FindByName (RecordArray.rArray, "Name3");
    }
}

public class RecordClass
{
    //Declaring member variables
    public string Name;
    public int Number;
    public string Email;
}

public class RecordArray
{
    public static void Init(int Size)
    {
        //RNG for phone numbers
        Random Rnd = new Random();

        //Creating an array of RecordClass
        RecordClass[] rArray = new RecordClass[Size];

        //Loop through the array
        for(int i = 0; i < rArray.Length; i++)
        {
            rArray[i].Name = "Name" + i;
            rArray[i].Number = Rnd.Next();
            rArray[i].Email = rArray[i].Name + "@gmail.com";
        }
    }

    public static int FindByName(RecordClass[] rArray, string Name)
    {
        //Loop through rArray to find if Name matches. If match, return index. Otherwise, return -1.
        for(int i = 0; i < rArray.Length; i++)
        {
            if (rArray[i].Name == Name)
            {
                return i;
            }
        }

        return -1;
    }
}

}

Answer 1

rarray is only declared in a function so you wont have access to it. you could try something like this

public static RecordClass[] Init(int Size)
{
    //RNG for phone numbers
    Random Rnd = new Random();

    //Creating an array of RecordClass
    RecordClass[] rArray = new RecordClass[Size];

    //Loop through the array
    for(int i = 0; i < rArray.Length; i++)
    {
        RecordClass record = new RecordClass();
        record.Name = "Name" + i;
        record.Number = Rnd.Next();
        record.Email = record.Name + "@gmail.com";
        rArray[I] = record;
    }

    return rArray;
}




static void Main(string[] args)
{
    //Initialize array based on number of records

    //Calling FindByName
    RecordArray.FindByName (RecordArray.Init(5), "Name3");
}

Answer 2

First, let me start by saying that there is almost never a need to write your own array.
The C# langange and .NET framework support arrays and many other collection types, so it's really not needed.

Having said that, here is what's wrong with your current code:
The class RecordArray does not contain a member called rArray .
For your code to work, you must break up this line in the init function:

//Creating an array of RecordClass
RecordClass[] rArray = new RecordClass[Size];

into two separate code lines. First, you must create a static member for rArray , second, you initialize it in the Init method:

public class RecordArray
{
    public static RecordClass[] rArray {get; private set;}

    public static void Init(int Size)
    {
        //RNG for phone numbers
        Random Rnd = new Random();

        //Creating an array of RecordClass
        rArray = new RecordClass[Size];

        //Loop through the array
        for(int i = 0; i < rArray.Length; i++)
        {
            rArray[i] = new RecordClass();
            rArray[i].Name = "Name" + i;
            rArray[i].Number = Rnd.Next();
            rArray[i].Email = rArray[i].Name + "@gmail.com";
        }
    }

    public static int FindByName(RecordClass[] rArray, string Name)
    {
        //Loop through rArray to find if Name matches. If match, return index. Otherwise, return -1.
        for(int i = 0; i < rArray.Length; i++)
        {
            if (rArray[i].Name == Name)
            {
                return i;
            }
        }

        return -1;
    }
}