c# - Trouble Looping Through an Array Where Index 0 is a Second Dimension Array -

i've created object in code represents medical patient's chart. each chart corresponds 1 patient. within each chart, patient can have many visits, or "encounters". within each encounter, patient can have several supporting documents.

i having trouble looping through arrays first index [0] array. in code below, compiler complaining (int j = 0; j < chart.documentids[i].length; j++) invalid because type object has no length property. however, index @ documentids[i] int32[].

i trying generate string output list contents of patient's chart, broken down first encounter , document id. below code. if can point out i'm going wrong. i'd appreciate it. thanks.

public partial class mainwindow : window {         string chartoutput = "";     public mainwindow()     {         initializecomponent();          //initialize new chart object         var charts = new[]         {             new              {                    mrn= 745654,                    encounters = new int?[]                   {                       10,11,12                   },                    documentids = new object []                   {                        new int[]                       {                           110, 1101                       }, null, 112                    },                    documenttypes = new object[]                   {                       new string[]                       {                           "consents", "h&p"                       }, null, "intake questionnaire"                   },                    documentnames = new object[]                   {                        new string[]                       {                           "eartube surgery",                            "well-visit physical"                       }, null, "health survey"                   }                }                                 };          foreach (var chart in charts)         {             chartoutput += " patient mrn#: " +                              chart.mrn.tostring() +                            " has following visits:                             " + environment.newline +                             environment.newline ;               for(int =0; < chart.encounters.length; i++)             {                 chartoutput += "visit number: " +                                 chart.encounters[i].tostring() +                                 environment.newline;                  if (chart.documentids[i] != null)                 {                       (int j = 0; j < chart.documentids[j].length; j++)                     {                         chartoutput += "  document id:" +                                            chart.documentids[j].tostring() +                                            environment.newline +                                            "  document type: " +                                            chart.documenttypes[j].tostring() +                                           environment.newline + "  document name: " +                                           chart.documentnames[j].tostring() +                                           environment.newline + environment.newline;                     }                                                         }                 else                  {                     chartoutput += "  has no documents" +                                     environment.newline +                                     environment.newline;                  }             }          }     } }     //chartobject class  using system; using system.collections.generic; using system.linq; using system.text; using system.threading.tasks;  namespace codetester {     public class chartobject     {         public chartobject()         {             recordclass = "medical";         }          public string recordclass {get; private set; }         public int mrn { get; set; }         public object [] encounters { get; set; }         public object [] documentids { get; set; }         public object [] documenttypes { get; set; }         public object [] documentnames { get; set; }     } } 

}

since documentids array of object, retrieve indexing of type object - , require typecast before can access of specific properties. , trying access length property of each element iterating going dangerous: 1 element array, 1 null, , 1 integer: 1 of has length method!

i agree servy's comment: better off declaring explicit types instead of stuffing properties object arrays. approach going more trouble it's worth.