mysql - C# access List after return -

i'm noob c# i'm trying create simple code connecting mysql database (most of code got google). have part database selected , stored in list. want access class have no idea how , couldn't find answer on google either (this thread didn't worked me: access list class) can please me?

here's particular code:

public list<string>[] select()         {             string query = "select * users";              //create list store result             list<string>[] list = new list<string>[3];             list[0] = new list<string>();             list[1] = new list<string>();             list[2] = new list<string>();              //open connection             if (this.openconnection() == true)             {                 //create command                 mysqlcommand cmd = new mysqlcommand(query, connection);                 //create data reader , execute command                 mysqldatareader datareader = cmd.executereader();                  //read data , store them in list                 while (datareader.read())                 {                     list[0].add(datareader["id"] + "");                     list[1].add(datareader["test"] + "");                     list[2].add(datareader["balance"] + "");                 }                  //close data reader                 datareader.close();                  //close connection                 this.closeconnection();                  //return list displayed                 return list;             }             else             {                 return list;             }         } 

seriously think way you've structured data here, strange.

you're creating array of objects, object list of string:

list<string>[] list = new list<string>[3]; 

you want thinking in objects; create class represents data; in case user. this:

public class user  {     public string id { get; set; }     public string test { get; set; }     public string balance { get; set; } } 

so i'd following:

• create class represents each user record.
• create variable hold list of users.
• read mysql , assign each record new user object.
• add user list.
• return list.

change return type of select method list<user> this:

public list<user> select() { 

then amend rest of method create , return list of users.

public list<user> select() {      list<user> list = new list<user>();      if (this.openconnection() == true)     {         mysqlcommand cmd = new mysqlcommand(query, connection);          mysqldatareader datareader = cmd.executereader();          while (datareader.read())         {             user user = new user();              user.id = datareader["id"].tostring();             user.test = datareader["test"].tostring();             user.balance = datareader["balance"].tostring();              list.add(user);         }          datareader.close();          this.closeconnection();     }      return list; } 

then can use list this:

classthatcontainsselectmethod yourdbobject = new classthatcontainsselectmethod();  list<user> users = yourdbobject.select();  foreach (user user in users)  {     console.writeline(user.id, user.test, user.balance);  } 

this code of course better structured factories , error/null checks should going in right direction.