Suggestion: Allow local nested methods inside any code block

It would be nice if one could define methods inside other methods so that they are only accessible in the context of the parent method. In Pascal one could define them at the start of the parent method, before any other commands, but after local variables block, so they could also access the variables of their parent proc.

A trick to implement them could be to make them anononymous methods and assign them to respective local delegates inside the parent method. That way one could also do arbitrary level of such nesting.

Ideally they would also accept an optional inline keyword so that the compiler can inline them (useful for short methods) inside the parent method body (that is the only one allowed to call them anyway [they’re not visible from outside classes or other codeblock in the same class]).

For example, when I refactor code to split a big method to call into other smaller methods, I want them sometimes only to be callable from that original method, and not be accidentally called from elsewhere in my code, including elsewhere in the same class.

Note that in Object Pascal/Delphi such nested methods/procedures/functions could access variables defined at the parent method/procedure/function, since you define them always at the top before the local code.

Implementing the inner methods like you do with anonymous methods allows to grab such local context I believe, so you could allow such inner methods to be defined anywhere inside code blocks to allow access to the variables defined above them in the current code block.

Example syntax suggested:

public void SomeMethod(int i)

{

  if(i>10)

{

    int y = 2;

    void increment(int x) { i = i+x+y; }

    increment(5);

  }

  doSomething( i );

}

 

In this screenshot from my enhanced version of Hotspotizer (currently adding speech recognition to that Kinect-based full-body-gestures automation app), I’d like InitSpeechRecognition to only be callable from inside LoadSpeechRecognitionPlugin. I use two methods there to split a bigger method, but I don’t want the 2nd one to be accidentally called from elsewhere in my code.

If you like this suggestion, please vote for it at:
http://visualstudio.uservoice.com/forums/121579-visual-studio/suggestions/9639582-allow-nested-methods-inside-any-code-block

Update:

• Visual Studio Team commented:

You can do this today:

“`
public void SomeMethod(int i)
{
if (i > 10)
{
int y = 2;
Action<int> increment = x => { i += x + y; };
increment(5);
}
doSomething(i);
}
“`

It’s not the syntax you suggested, but it does do the same thing.

Bertrand Le Roy – .NET – Program Manager

 

• And this is my reply:

Thanks for the pointer Bertrand, having worked with Object Pascal / Delphi for many years too I like its cleaner syntax on this one