Is there any way to reduce this ado.net code?

Question

I need reduce significantly this code, is there any way to create a sql parameter describing its direction? Here is the code:

    Dim Oparam1 As SqlParameter = New SqlParameter("@ROJO", SqlDbType.Int)
    Dim Oparam2 As SqlParameter = New SqlParameter("@AMBAR", SqlDbType.Int)
    Dim Oparam3 As SqlParameter = New SqlParameter("@AMARILLO", SqlDbType.Int)
    Dim Oparam4 As SqlParameter = New SqlParameter("@VERDE", SqlDbType.Int)
    Oparam1.Direction = ParameterDirection.Output
    Oparam2.Direction = ParameterDirection.Output
    Oparam3.Direction = ParameterDirection.Output
    Oparam4.Direction = ParameterDirection.Output
    command.Parameters.Add(Oparam1)
    command.Parameters.Add(Oparam2)
    command.Parameters.Add(Oparam3)
    command.Parameters.Add(Oparam4)

thanks in advance.

Answer 1

There is an overload of the constructor that includes the direction, but then you have to specify a lot of other parameters, so the code won't be any shorter after all.

You can make an extension method:

Imports System.Runtime.CompilerServices

Module SqlExtensions

  <Extension()>
  Public Function SetOutput(parameter As SqlParameter) As SqlParameter
    parameter.Direction = ParameterDirection.Output
    Return parameter
  End Function

End Module

Now you can use that on the parameters:

command.Parameters.Add(New SqlParameter("@ROJO", SqlDbType.Int).SetOutput())
command.Parameters.Add(New SqlParameter("@AMBAR", SqlDbType.Int).SetOutput())
command.Parameters.Add(New SqlParameter("@AMARILLO", SqlDbType.Int).SetOutput())
command.Parameters.Add(New SqlParameter("@VERDE", SqlDbType.Int).SetOutput())