How to update C# hashtable in a loop?

Question

I'm trying to update a hashtable in a loop but getting an error: System.InvalidOperationException: Collection was modified; enumeration operation may not execute.

private Hashtable htSettings_m = new Hashtable();
htSettings_m.Add("SizeWidth", "728");
htSettings_m.Add("SizeHeight", "450");
string sKey = "";
string sValue = "";
foreach (DictionaryEntry deEntry in htSettings_m)
{
    // Get value from Registry and assign to sValue.
    // ...
    // Change value in hashtable.
    sKey = deEntry.Key.ToString();
    htSettings_m[sKey] = sValue;
}

Is there way around it or maybe there is a better data structure for such purpose?

Answer 1

you could read the collection of keys into another IEnumerable instance first, then foreach over that list

        System.Collections.Hashtable ht = new System.Collections.Hashtable();

        ht.Add("test1", "test2");
        ht.Add("test3", "test4");

        List<string> keys = new List<string>();
        foreach (System.Collections.DictionaryEntry de in ht)
            keys.Add(de.Key.ToString());

        foreach(string key in keys)
        {
            ht[key] = DateTime.Now;
            Console.WriteLine(ht[key]);
        }

Answer 2

In concept I would do:

Hashtable table = new Hashtable(); // ps, I would prefer the generic dictionary..
Hashtable updates = new Hashtable();

foreach (DictionaryEntry entry in table)
{
   // logic if something needs to change or nog
   if (needsUpdate)
   {
      updates.Add(key, newValue);
   }
}

// now do the actual update
foreach (DictionaryEntry upd in updates)
{
   table[upd.Key] = upd.Value;
}