Get PropertyInfo of a parameter passed as lambda expression
I wouldn't use PropertyInfo
, just like Reed Copsey
said in his answer, but just for information, you can extract the PropertyInfo
of an expression with this:
public PropertyInfo GetPropertyFromExpression<T>(Expression<Func<T, object>> GetPropertyLambda)
{
MemberExpression Exp = null;
//this line is necessary, because sometimes the expression comes in as Convert(originalexpression)
if (GetPropertyLambda.Body is UnaryExpression)
{
var UnExp = (UnaryExpression)GetPropertyLambda.Body;
if (UnExp.Operand is MemberExpression)
{
Exp = (MemberExpression)UnExp.Operand;
}
else
throw new ArgumentException();
}
else if (GetPropertyLambda.Body is MemberExpression)
{
Exp = (MemberExpression)GetPropertyLambda.Body;
}
else
{
throw new ArgumentException();
}
return (PropertyInfo)Exp.Member;
}
In the case of a composite expression like MyPerson.PersonData.PersonID
, you could go getting the sub expressions until they're not MemberExpressions
anymore.
public PropertyInfo GetPropertyFromExpression<T>(Expression<Func<T, object>> GetPropertyLambda)
{
//same body of above method without the return line.
//....
//....
//....
var Result = (PropertyInfo)Exp.Member;
var Sub = Exp.Expression;
while (Sub is MemberExpression)
{
Exp = (MemberExpression)Sub;
Result = (PropertyInfo)Exp.Member;
Sub = Exp.Expression;
}
return Result;
//beware, this will return the last property in the expression.
//when using GetValue and SetValue, the object needed will not be
//the first object in the expression, but the one prior to the last.
//To use those methods with the first object, you will need to keep
//track of all properties in all member expressions above and do
//some recursive Get/Set following the sequence of the expression.
}
This is possible, and there's no need to use PropertyInfo
.
You'd design your method like so:
public bool Update<T>(int id, Action<T> updateMethod)
// where T : SomeDbEntityType
{
T entity = LoadFromDatabase(id); // Load your "person" or whatever
if (entity == null)
return false; // If you want to support fails this way, etc...
// Calls the method on the person
updateMethod(entity);
SaveEntity(entity); // Do whatever you need to persist the values
return true;
}