Checking if a pool exists

If you aren't sure if a pool exists there are two ways you can handle it, depending on what you want to do with the results of the test.

For the following examples, assume there is a variable 'poolName' which holds the name of the pool we want to test for. E.g. string poolName = "Enemies";

Example 1

// ContainsKey() returns true or false. See documentation for ContainsKey()
// Using the 'bang' or 'is-not'-exclamation-point inverts the result, so
// true is false and false is true

if (!PoolManager.Pools.ContainsKey(poolName))
{

Debug.Log("PoolManager does not contain a pool named " + poolName);
return;

}

// Now we know the pool exists, we can use it.
PoolManager.Pools[poolName].Spawn(myPrefab);

Example 2

The following is the fastest way to test if a pool exists AND get a reference to the pool to use it. If you don't need the out-value reference, just use Contains (for example, if you just want to quit rather than work with the pool)

// Create a variable which will be set in TryGetValue() below
SpawnPool pool;

// TryGetValue() returns the same as Containts() but also offers and out value
// see documentation for TryGetValue()

// Note the '!' here as well. Also note the 'out' keyword is needed in C#

if (!PoolManager.Pools.TryGetValue(poolName, out pool))
{

Debug.Log("PoolManager does not contain a pool named " + poolName);
return;

}

// Not only do we know the pool exists, but we also have a reference to it
// so we can use it immediately
pool.Spawn(myPrefab);