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Assigning methods to object at run-time - Design Pattern

I have created an architecture in my C# code which does exactly what I want, but seems it would be very difficult to maintain in the long-run and am hoping there's a design pattern / better architecture I could be pointed towards.
I have created an object Test which, again, does exactly what I need perfectly which has the following structure:
class Test
{
public static Dictionary<string, Func<Test, object>> MethodDictionary;
public double Var1;
public double Var2;
private Lazy<object> _test1;
public object Test1 { get { return _test1.Value; } }
private Lazy<object> _test2;
public object Test2 { get { return _test2.Value; } }
public Test()
{
_test1 = new Lazy<object>(() => MethodDictionary["Test1"](this), true);
_test2 = new Lazy<object>(() => MethodDictionary["Test2"](this), true);
}
}
What this allows me to do is, at run-time to assign a dictionary of functions to my Test object and the 2 properties Test1 & Test2 will use the functions loaded into it to return values.
The implementation looking somewhat as follows:
class Program
{
static void Main(string[] args)
{
Dictionary<string, Func<Test, object>> MethodDictionary = new Dictionary<string,Func<Test,object>>();
MethodDictionary.Add("Test1", TestMethod1);
MethodDictionary.Add("Test2", TestMethod2);
Test.MethodDictionary = MethodDictionary;
var x = new Test() { Var1 = 20, Var2 = 30 };
Console.WriteLine(x.Test1.ToString());
Console.WriteLine(x.Test2.ToString());
Console.ReadKey();
}
private static object TestMethod1(Test t)
{ return t.Var1 + t.Var2; }
private static object TestMethod2(Test t)
{ return t.Var1 - t.Var2; }
}
And it works great and has proven very efficient for large sets of Test objects.
My challenge is that if I ever want to add in a new method to my Test class, I need to add in the:
private Lazy<object> _myNewMethod;
public object MyNewMethod { get { return _myNewMethod.Value; } }
Update the constuctor with the key to look for in the dictionary
And, although that is pretty simple, I'd love to have a 1-line add-in (maybe some form of custom object) or have the properties read directly form the dictionary without any need for defining them at all.
Any ideas? ANY help would be great!!!
Thanks!!!

One of the ways in which you could achieve your desired behavior, is to use something that resembles a miniature IoC framework for field injection, tuned to your specific use case.
To make things easier, allow less typing in your concrete classes and make things type-safe, we introduce the LazyField type:
public class LazyField<T>
{
private static readonly Lazy<T> Default = new Lazy<T>();
private readonly Lazy<T> _lazy;
public LazyField() : this(Default) { }
public LazyField(Lazy<T> lazy)
{
_lazy = lazy;
}
public override string ToString()
{
return _lazy.Value.ToString();
}
public static implicit operator T(LazyField<T> instance)
{
return instance._lazy.Value;
}
}
Furthermore, we define an abstract base class, that ensures that these fields will be created at construction time:
public abstract class AbstractLazyFieldHolder
{
protected AbstractLazyFieldHolder()
{
LazyFields.BuildUp(this); // ensures fields are populated.
}
}
Skipping for a moment how this is achieved (explained further below), this allows the following way of defining your Test class:
public class Test : AbstractLazyFieldHolder
{
public double Var1;
public double Var2;
public readonly LazyField<double> Test1;
public readonly LazyField<double> Test2;
}
Note that these fields are immutable, initialized in the constructor. Now, for your usage example, the below snippet shows the "new way" of doing this:
LazyFields.Configure<Test>()
// We can use a type-safe lambda
.SetProvider(x => x.Test1, inst => inst.Var1 + inst.Var2)
// Or the field name.
.SetProvider("Test2", TestMethod2);
var x = new Test() { Var1 = 20, Var2 = 30 };
Console.WriteLine(x.Test1);
double test2Val = x.Test2; // type-safe conversion
Console.WriteLine(test2Val);
// Output:
// 50
// -10
The class below provides the services that support the configuration and injection of these field value.
public static class LazyFields
{
private static readonly ConcurrentDictionary<Type, IBuildUp> _registry = new ConcurrentDictionary<Type,IBuildUp>();
public interface IConfigureType<T> where T : class
{
IConfigureType<T> SetProvider<FT>(string fieldName, Func<T, FT> provider);
IConfigureType<T> SetProvider<F, FT>(Expression<Func<T, F>> fieldExpression, Func<T, FT> provider) where F : LazyField<FT>;
}
public static void BuildUp(object instance)
{
System.Diagnostics.Debug.Assert(instance != null);
var builder = _registry.GetOrAdd(instance.GetType(), BuildInitializer);
builder.BuildUp(instance);
}
public static IConfigureType<T> Configure<T>() where T : class
{
return (IConfigureType<T>)_registry.GetOrAdd(typeof(T), BuildInitializer);
}
private interface IBuildUp
{
void BuildUp(object instance);
}
private class TypeCfg<T> : IBuildUp, IConfigureType<T> where T : class
{
private readonly List<FieldInfo> _fields;
private readonly Dictionary<string, Action<T>> _initializers;
public TypeCfg()
{
_fields = typeof(T)
.GetFields(BindingFlags.Instance | BindingFlags.Public)
.Where(IsLazyField)
.ToList();
_initializers = _fields.ToDictionary(x => x.Name, BuildDefaultSetter);
}
public IConfigureType<T> SetProvider<FT>(string fieldName, Func<T,FT> provider)
{
var pi = _fields.First(x => x.Name == fieldName);
_initializers[fieldName] = BuildSetter<FT>(pi, provider);
return this;
}
public IConfigureType<T> SetProvider<F,FT>(Expression<Func<T,F>> fieldExpression, Func<T,FT> provider)
where F : LazyField<FT>
{
return SetProvider((fieldExpression.Body as MemberExpression).Member.Name, provider);
}
public void BuildUp(object instance)
{
var typedInstance = (T)instance;
foreach (var initializer in _initializers.Values)
initializer(typedInstance);
}
private bool IsLazyField(FieldInfo fi)
{
return fi.FieldType.IsGenericType && fi.FieldType.GetGenericTypeDefinition() == typeof(LazyField<>);
}
private Action<T> BuildDefaultSetter(FieldInfo fi)
{
var itemType = fi.FieldType.GetGenericArguments()[0];
var defValue = Activator.CreateInstance(typeof(LazyField<>).MakeGenericType(itemType));
return (inst) => fi.SetValue(inst, defValue);
}
private Action<T> BuildSetter<FT>(FieldInfo fi, Func<T, FT> provider)
{
return (inst) => fi.SetValue(inst, new LazyField<FT>(new Lazy<FT>(() => provider(inst))));
}
}
private static IBuildUp BuildInitializer(Type targetType)
{
return (IBuildUp)Activator.CreateInstance(typeof(TypeCfg<>).MakeGenericType(targetType));
}
}

Look at library https://github.com/ekonbenefits/impromptu-interface.
With it and using DynamicObject i wrote sample code that shows how to simplify adding new methods:
public class Methods
{
public Methods()
{
MethodDictionary = new Dictionary<string, Func<ITest, object>>();
LazyObjects = new Dictionary<string, Lazy<object>>();
}
public Dictionary<string, Func<ITest, object>> MethodDictionary { get; private set; }
public Dictionary<string, Lazy<object>> LazyObjects { get; private set; }
}
public class Proxy : DynamicObject
{
Methods _methods;
public Proxy()
{
_methods = new Methods();
}
public override bool TryGetMember(GetMemberBinder binder, out object result)
{
result = _methods.LazyObjects[binder.Name].Value;
return true;
}
public override bool TrySetMember(SetMemberBinder binder, object value)
{
_methods.MethodDictionary[binder.Name] = (Func<ITest, object>)value;
_methods.LazyObjects[binder.Name] = new Lazy<object>(() => _methods.MethodDictionary[binder.Name](this.ActLike<ITest>()), true);
return true;
}
}
//now you can add new methods by add single method to interface
public interface ITest
{
object Test1 { get; set; }
object Test2 { get; set; }
}
class Program
{
static void Main(string[] args)
{
var x = new Proxy().ActLike<ITest>();
x.Test1 = new Func<ITest, object>((y) => "Test1");
x.Test2 = new Func<ITest, object>((y) => "Test2");
Console.WriteLine(x.Test1);
Console.WriteLine(x.Test2);
}
}

I don't know what you are trying to do, but I think you can use a simpler approach like this:
class Test
{
public static Dictionary<string, Func<Test, object>> MethodDictionary;
public double Var1;
public double Var2;
}
Calling the function is simple:
static void Main(string[] args)
{
Dictionary<string, Func<Test, object>> MethodDictionary = new Dictionary<string,Func<Test,object>>();
MethodDictionary.Add("Test1", TestMethod1);
MethodDictionary.Add("Test2", TestMethod2);
Test.MethodDictionary = MethodDictionary;
var x = new Test() { Var1 = 20, Var2 = 30 };
Console.WriteLine(Test.MethodDictionary["Test1"](x).ToString());
Console.WriteLine(Test.MethodDictionary["Test2"](x).ToString());
Console.ReadKey();
}

Custom attributes in c# for data types

I am thinking about making a custom attribute so that when we are using multiple data readers [SqldataReader] on different objects/tables, we could use the attribute to get the type of the property, and the "columnName" of the property. This way, we could then have a method that takes the data reader as a param, and from there could reflect the attributes to read in the columns. An example of what is currently being done is below, and then an example of what I am trying to accomplish. The problem I am having, is how to manage how to tell it what the (Type) is.
private static App GetAppInfo(SqlDataReader dr)
{
App app = new App();
app.ID = MCCDBUtility.GetDBValueInt(dr, "APPLICATION_ID");
app.Name = MCCDBUtility.GetDBValueString(dr, "APPNAME");
app.Desc = MCCDBUtility.GetDBValueString(dr, "APPDESCRIPTION");
app.Version = MCCDBUtility.GetDBValueString(dr, "APP_VERSION");
app.Type = MCCDBUtility.GetDBValueString(dr, "APPLICATIONTYPEID");
app.AreaName = MCCDBUtility.GetDBValueString(dr, "AREANAME");
return app;
}
What I am thinking though, so if I had a class for example like so:
[DataReaderHelper("MethodNameToGetType", "ColumnName")]
public string APPNAME {get;set;}
How could I go about this?

Fist of all, this is possible and if you like I could add a code sample.
But: This is not a good idea.
Why, you ask?
First - DataReader provides you with a method GetSchemaTable() which contains a property DataType which is a System.Type object. So basically you could create a MCCDBUtility.GetValue(dr, "columnName") that does the logic for your.
Second - What about you have a int property on your object but your datareader returns a decimal. For that case you can use Convert.ChangeType(value, type)
If you combine that you can achive what you want with
instance.Id = MCCDBUtility.GetValue<int>(dr, "columnName")
public T GetValue<T>(IDataReader reader, string columnName)
{
object value GetValue(reader, columnName);
return Convert.ChangeType(value, typeof(T));
}
private object GetValue(IDataReader reader, string columnName)
{
var schmema = reader.GetSchemaTable();
var dbType = typeof(object);
foreach(DataRowView row in schema.DefaultView)
if (row["columnName"].ToString().Equals(columnName, StringComparer.OrdinalIgnoreCase))
return row["ColumnType"];
if (dbType.Equals(typeof(int))
return GetInt(reader, columnName)
... // you get the point
else
return GetObject(reader, columnName);
}
And Third - Don't do this anyway there are great tools for mapping your query to your business objects. I don't want to name them all but a very lightweight and easy to understand is Dapper.NET, give it a try. https://github.com/StackExchange/dapper-dot-net
In combination with https://github.com/tmsmith/Dapper-Extensions you can easily map your database queries to your pocos
Update
As promised, here is the code for implementing on your own. Just create a Visual Studio Test project, insert the code and let it run. For readablity I omitted the unused IReadReader interface implementations, so you have to let intellisense create them for you.
Run the test and enjoy.
[TestClass]
public class UnitTest1
{
[TestMethod]
public void TestMethod1()
{
var values = new Dictionary<string, object>();
values.Add("ProductId", 17);
values.Add("ProductName", "Something");
values.Add("Price", 29.99M);
var reader = new FakeDataReader(values);
var product1 = new Product();
reader.SetValue(product1, p => p.Id);
reader.SetValue(product1, p => p.Name);
reader.SetValue(product1, p => p.Price);
Assert.AreEqual(17, product1.Id);
Assert.AreEqual("Something", product1.Name);
Assert.AreEqual(29.99M, product1.Price);
var product2 = new Product();
reader.SetAllValues(product2);
Assert.AreEqual(17, product2.Id);
Assert.AreEqual("Something", product2.Name);
Assert.AreEqual(29.99M, product2.Price);
}
}
public class Product
{
[Mapping("ProductId")]
public int Id { get; set; }
[Mapping("ProductName")]
public string Name { get; set; }
public decimal Price { get; set; }
}
[AttributeUsage(AttributeTargets.Property, AllowMultiple=false)]
public class MappingAttribute : Attribute
{
public MappingAttribute(string columnName)
{
this.ColumnName = columnName;
}
public string ColumnName { get; private set; }
}
public static class IDataReaderExtensions
{
public static void SetAllValues(this IDataReader reader, object source)
{
foreach (var prop in source.GetType().GetProperties())
{
SetValue(reader, source, prop);
}
}
public static void SetValue<T, P>(this IDataReader reader, T source, Expression<Func<T, P>> pe)
{
var property = (PropertyInfo)((MemberExpression)pe.Body).Member;
SetValue(reader, source, property);
}
private static void SetValue(IDataReader reader, object source, PropertyInfo property)
{
string propertyName = property.Name;
var columnName = propertyName;
var mapping = property.GetAttribute<MappingAttribute>();
if (mapping != null) columnName = mapping.ColumnName;
var value = reader.GetValue(reader.GetOrdinal(columnName));
var value2 = Convert.ChangeType(value, property.PropertyType);
property.SetValue(source, value2, null);
}
}
public static class ICustomFormatProviderExtensions
{
public static T GetAttribute<T>(this ICustomAttributeProvider provider)
{
return (T)provider.GetCustomAttributes(typeof(T), true).FirstOrDefault();
}
}
public class FakeDataReader : IDataReader
{
private Dictionary<string, object> values;
public FakeDataReader(Dictionary<string, object> values)
{
this.values = values;
}
public int GetOrdinal(string name)
{
int i = 0;
foreach (var key in values.Keys)
{
if (key.Equals(name, StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase)) return i;
i++;
}
return -1;
}
public object GetValue(int i)
{
return values.Values.ToArray()[i];
}
}

Overridable methods cannot be static: How else can I do what I'm trying to do?

I have a series of static classes that I use to get strings for enum values. They all look something like this:
public static class MyEnumToString
{
private static Dictionary<MyEnum, string> map
= new Dictionary<MyEnum, string>();
public static string Get(MyEnum type)
{
PopulateEmptyMap();
return map[type];
}
static void PopulateEmptyMap()
{
if (!map.Any())
{
PopulateMap();
}
}
private static void PopulateMap()
{
map[MyEnum.enum1] = "string for enum 1";
map[MyEnum.enum2] = "string for enum 2";
}
}
I have multiple classes like this, that differ in the Enum type they use, and the string values. Clearly, I should combine the classes to reduce duplicated code.
What I tried doing was create generic base class so that it can handle any type, then implement the PopulateMap for the inherited classes. If it were possible, it would look something like this:
public static class TypeToString<TType>
{
public static Dictionary<TType, string> map
= new Dictionary<TType, string>();
public static string Get(TType type)
{
PopulateEmptyMap();
return map[type];
}
static void PopulateEmptyMap()
{
if (!map.Any())
{
PopulateMap();
}
}
public abstract static void PopulateMap();
}
public static class MyEnumToString: TypeToString<MyEnum>
{
public static void PopulateMap()
{
map[MyEnum.enum1] = "string for enum 1";
map[MyEnum.enum2] = "string for enum 2";
}
}
I had to make the Dictionary and the method PopulateMap public, because apparently generic classes cannot have protected or protected-internal members. Having to make that public isn't ideal, but not a deal-breaker.
What I am getting hung up on is the fact that "overridable methods cannot be static", so my PopulateMap method cannot be both abstract and static. And if it's not static, it can't be called from other static methods. And if it's not abstract, then the inheriting classes' PopulateMap doesn't get called.
This version doesn't even build.
Is there any way to do what I'm trying to do and still keep my class static? I'd really like to avoid having to have an instantiated TypeToString object every time I want to call TypeToString.Get().

Here's a handy extension method, as I'm guessing you're trying to map some description text to an enum value:
public static class EnumExtensions
{
public static string GetDescription(this Enum value)
{
var field = value.GetType().GetField(value.ToString());
if (field == null)
return value.ToString();
var attribute = field.GetCustomAttributes(typeof(DescriptionAttribute), false)
.OfType<DescriptionAttribute>()
.SingleOrDefault();
return attribute != null
? attribute.Description
: value.ToString();
}
}
Use it like this:
public enum Foo
{
[Description("Hello")]
Bar,
[Description("World")]
Baz
}
var value = Foo.Bar;
var description = value.GetDescription(); // Hello
Depending on your needs, you could cache the descriptions if reflection proves to be too slow for you, just modify the GetDescription method.
EDIT: to account for the additional info in the comment.
As it looks like you need something more extensible, you could use a custom attribute:
[AttributeUsage(AttributeTargets.Field, AllowMultiple = true, Inherited = false)]
public sealed class DescriptionEntryAttribute : Attribute
{
public string Key { get; private set; }
public string Value { get; private set; }
public DescriptionEntryAttribute(string key, string value)
{
Key = key;
Value = value;
}
}
Which would let you to do this:
public enum Foo
{
[DescriptionEntry("Name", "Hello")]
[DescriptionEntry("Title", "Some title")]
Bar,
[DescriptionEntry("Name", "World")]
[DescriptionEntry("Title", "Some title")]
Baz
}
Now, to read this thing, I'd advise you to store it in a cache like that:
public static class EnumExtensions
{
private static readonly ConcurrentDictionary<Type, DescriptionCache> Caches = new ConcurrentDictionary<Type, DescriptionCache>();
public static string GetDescription(this Enum value, string key)
{
var enumType = value.GetType();
var cache = Caches.GetOrAdd(enumType, type => new DescriptionCache(type));
return cache.GetDescription(value, key);
}
public static IEnumerable<TEnum> GetValuesFromDescription<TEnum>(string key, string description)
where TEnum : struct
{
var cache = Caches.GetOrAdd(typeof(TEnum), type => new DescriptionCache(type));
return cache.GetValues(key, description).Select(value => (TEnum)(object)value);
}
private class DescriptionCache
{
private readonly ILookup<Enum, Tuple<string, string>> _items;
private readonly ILookup<Tuple<string, string>, Enum> _reverse;
public DescriptionCache(Type enumType)
{
if (!enumType.IsEnum)
throw new ArgumentException("Not an enum");
_items = (from value in Enum.GetValues(enumType).Cast<Enum>()
let field = enumType.GetField(value.ToString())
where field != null
from attribute in field.GetCustomAttributes(typeof (DescriptionEntryAttribute), false).OfType<DescriptionEntryAttribute>()
select new {value, key = attribute.Key, description = attribute.Value})
.ToLookup(i => i.value, i => Tuple.Create(i.key, i.description));
_reverse = (from grp in _items
from description in grp
select new {value = grp.Key, description})
.ToLookup(i => i.description, i => i.value);
}
public string GetDescription(Enum value, string key)
{
var tuple = _items[value].FirstOrDefault(i => i.Item1 == key);
return tuple != null ? tuple.Item2 : null;
}
public IEnumerable<Enum> GetValues(string key, string description)
{
return _reverse[Tuple.Create(key, description)];
}
}
}
This way:
Foo.Bar.GetDescription("Name") returns "Hello"
EnumExtensions.GetValuesFromDescription<Foo>("Title", "Some title") returns a sequence containing Foo.Bar and Foo.Baz
That should be enough to get you started, now you should tweak it to your needs. For instance, you could use an enum instead of a string for the keys, it would help avoid typing mistakes, but I don't know if this would suit your needs.

Your problem is that static methods and variables are essentially not inherited. They are variables that don't act on instances of the class themselves, but provide some functionality to the class.
So you have a bunch of different enums, and you want to populate them based on different stuff. So let's look at what parts you have, and what is common:
PopulateMap: Not common
Enum type: Not common
Storage variable: Common
Populate Map if empty: Common
So all you really want is a way to populate the map once, when it's used. There is already a class for this, it's called Lazy. Using that, the code becomes:
public abstract class TypeToString<Type>
{
protected TypeToString()
{
storage = new Lazy<Dictionary<Type, string>>(GetMap);
}
private Lazy<Dictionary<Type, string>> storage;
protected abstract Dictionary<Type, string> GetMap();
public string Get(Type t) {return storage.Value[t];}
}
public class MyEnumToString : TypeToString<MyEnum>
{
protected override Dictionary<MyEnum, string> GetMap()
{
return null;
}
public static Get(MyEnum e) { return new MyEnumToString.Get(e); }
}
Alternatively, you can decorate your enums with a [DescriptionAttribute] and then create a method to get the description of a specific enum. This is what I did when I was faced with a similar problem. (Be sure to cache the results for the enum, as it used reflection which was slow.)

AutoFixture.AutoMoq supply a known value for one constructor parameter

I've just started to use AutoFixture.AutoMoq in my unit tests and I'm finding it very helpful for creating objects where I don't care about the specific value. After all, anonymous object creation is what it is all about.
What I'm struggling with is when I care about one or more of the constructor parameters. Take ExampleComponent below:
public class ExampleComponent
{
public ExampleComponent(IService service, string someValue)
{
}
}
I want to write a test where I supply a specific value for someValue but leave IService to be created automatically by AutoFixture.AutoMoq.
I know how to use Freeze on my IFixture to keep hold of a known value that will be injected into a component but I can't quite see how to supply a known value of my own.
Here is what I would ideally like to do:
[TestMethod]
public void Create_ExampleComponent_With_Known_SomeValue()
{
// create a fixture that supports automocking
IFixture fixture = new Fixture().Customize(new AutoMoqCustomization());
// supply a known value for someValue (this method doesn't exist)
string knownValue = fixture.Freeze<string>("My known value");
// create an ExampleComponent with my known value injected
// but without bothering about the IService parameter
ExampleComponent component = this.fixture.Create<ExampleComponent>();
// exercise component knowning it has my known value injected
...
}
I know I could do this by calling the constructor directly but this would no longer be anonymous object creation. Is there a way to use AutoFixture.AutoMock like this or do I need to incorporate a DI container into my tests to be able to do what I want?
EDIT:
I probably should have been less absract in my original question so here is my specific scenario.
I have an ICache interface which has generic TryRead<T> and Write<T> methods:
public interface ICache
{
bool TryRead<T>(string key, out T value);
void Write<T>(string key, T value);
// other methods not shown...
}
I'm implementing a CookieCache where ITypeConverter handles converting objects to and from strings and lifespan is used to set the expiry date of a cookie.
public class CookieCache : ICache
{
public CookieCache(ITypeConverter converter, TimeSpan lifespan)
{
// usual storing of parameters
}
public bool TryRead<T>(string key, out T result)
{
// read the cookie value as string and convert it to the target type
}
public void Write<T>(string key, T value)
{
// write the value to a cookie, converted to a string
// set the expiry date of the cookie using the lifespan
}
// other methods not shown...
}
So when writing a test for the expiry date of a cookie, I care about the lifespan but not so much about the converter.

So I'm sure people could work out the generalized implementation of Mark's suggestion but I thought I'd post it for comments.
I've created a generic ParameterNameSpecimenBuilder based on Mark's LifeSpanArg:
public class ParameterNameSpecimenBuilder<T> : ISpecimenBuilder
{
private readonly string name;
private readonly T value;
public ParameterNameSpecimenBuilder(string name, T value)
{
// we don't want a null name but we might want a null value
if (string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(name))
{
throw new ArgumentNullException("name");
}
this.name = name;
this.value = value;
}
public object Create(object request, ISpecimenContext context)
{
var pi = request as ParameterInfo;
if (pi == null)
{
return new NoSpecimen(request);
}
if (pi.ParameterType != typeof(T) ||
!string.Equals(
pi.Name,
this.name,
StringComparison.CurrentCultureIgnoreCase))
{
return new NoSpecimen(request);
}
return this.value;
}
}
I've then defined a generic FreezeByName extension method on IFixture which sets the customization:
public static class FreezeByNameExtension
{
public static void FreezeByName<T>(this IFixture fixture, string name, T value)
{
fixture.Customizations.Add(new ParameterNameSpecimenBuilder<T>(name, value));
}
}
The following test will now pass:
[TestMethod]
public void FreezeByName_Sets_Value1_And_Value2_Independently()
{
//// Arrange
IFixture arrangeFixture = new Fixture();
string myValue1 = arrangeFixture.Create<string>();
string myValue2 = arrangeFixture.Create<string>();
IFixture sutFixture = new Fixture();
sutFixture.FreezeByName("value1", myValue1);
sutFixture.FreezeByName("value2", myValue2);
//// Act
TestClass<string> result = sutFixture.Create<TestClass<string>>();
//// Assert
Assert.AreEqual(myValue1, result.Value1);
Assert.AreEqual(myValue2, result.Value2);
}
public class TestClass<T>
{
public TestClass(T value1, T value2)
{
this.Value1 = value1;
this.Value2 = value2;
}
public T Value1 { get; private set; }
public T Value2 { get; private set; }
}

You have to replace:
string knownValue = fixture.Freeze<string>("My known value");
with:
fixture.Inject("My known value");
You can read more about Inject here.
Actually the Freeze extension method does:
var value = fixture.Create<T>();
fixture.Inject(value);
return value;
Which means that the overload you used in the test actually called Create<T> with a seed: My known value resulting in "My known value4d41f94f-1fc9-4115-9f29-e50bc2b4ba5e".

You could do something like this. Imagine that you want to assign a particular value to the TimeSpan argument called lifespan.
public class LifespanArg : ISpecimenBuilder
{
private readonly TimeSpan lifespan;
public LifespanArg(TimeSpan lifespan)
{
this.lifespan = lifespan;
}
public object Create(object request, ISpecimenContext context)
{
var pi = request as ParameterInfo;
if (pi == null)
return new NoSpecimen(request);
if (pi.ParameterType != typeof(TimeSpan) ||
pi.Name != "lifespan")
return new NoSpecimen(request);
return this.lifespan;
}
}
Imperatively, it could be used like this:
var fixture = new Fixture();
fixture.Customizations.Add(new LifespanArg(mySpecialLifespanValue));
var sut = fixture.Create<CookieCache>();
This approach can be generalized to some degree, but in the end, we're limited by the lack of a strongly typed way to extract a ParameterInfo from a particular constructor or method argument.

I fee like #Nick was almost there. When overriding the constructor argument, it needs to be for the given type and have it limited to that type only.
First we create a new ISpecimenBuilder that looks at the "Member.DeclaringType" to keep the correct scope.
public class ConstructorArgumentRelay<TTarget,TValueType> : ISpecimenBuilder
{
private readonly string _paramName;
private readonly TValueType _value;
public ConstructorArgumentRelay(string ParamName, TValueType value)
{
_paramName = ParamName;
_value = value;
}
public object Create(object request, ISpecimenContext context)
{
if (context == null)
throw new ArgumentNullException("context");
ParameterInfo parameter = request as ParameterInfo;
if (parameter == null)
return (object)new NoSpecimen(request);
if (parameter.Member.DeclaringType != typeof(TTarget) ||
parameter.Member.MemberType != MemberTypes.Constructor ||
parameter.ParameterType != typeof(TValueType) ||
parameter.Name != _paramName)
return (object)new NoSpecimen(request);
return _value;
}
}
Next we create an extension method to allow us to easily wire it up with AutoFixture.
public static class AutoFixtureExtensions
{
public static IFixture ConstructorArgumentFor<TTargetType, TValueType>(
this IFixture fixture,
string paramName,
TValueType value)
{
fixture.Customizations.Add(
new ConstructorArgumentRelay<TTargetType, TValueType>(paramName, value)
);
return fixture;
}
}
Now we create two similar classes to test with.
public class TestClass<T>
{
public TestClass(T value1, T value2)
{
Value1 = value1;
Value2 = value2;
}
public T Value1 { get; private set; }
public T Value2 { get; private set; }
}
public class SimilarClass<T>
{
public SimilarClass(T value1, T value2)
{
Value1 = value1;
Value2 = value2;
}
public T Value1 { get; private set; }
public T Value2 { get; private set; }
}
Finally we test it with an extension of the original test to see that it will not override similarly named and typed constructor arguments.
[TestFixture]
public class AutoFixtureTests
{
[Test]
public void Can_Create_Class_With_Specific_Parameter_Value()
{
string wanted = "This is the first string";
string wanted2 = "This is the second string";
Fixture fixture = new Fixture();
fixture.ConstructorArgumentFor<TestClass<string>, string>("value1", wanted)
.ConstructorArgumentFor<TestClass<string>, string>("value2", wanted2);
TestClass<string> t = fixture.Create<TestClass<string>>();
SimilarClass<string> s = fixture.Create<SimilarClass<string>>();
Assert.AreEqual(wanted,t.Value1);
Assert.AreEqual(wanted2,t.Value2);
Assert.AreNotEqual(wanted,s.Value1);
Assert.AreNotEqual(wanted2,s.Value2);
}
}

This seems to be the most comprehensive solution set here. So I'm going to add mine:
The first thing to create ISpecimenBuilder that can handle multiple constructor parameters
internal sealed class CustomConstructorBuilder<T> : ISpecimenBuilder
{
private readonly Dictionary<string, object> _ctorParameters = new Dictionary<string, object>();
public object Create(object request, ISpecimenContext context)
{
var type = typeof (T);
var sr = request as SeededRequest;
if (sr == null || !sr.Request.Equals(type))
{
return new NoSpecimen(request);
}
var ctor = type.GetConstructors(BindingFlags.Instance | BindingFlags.Public).FirstOrDefault();
if (ctor == null)
{
return new NoSpecimen(request);
}
var values = new List<object>();
foreach (var parameter in ctor.GetParameters())
{
if (_ctorParameters.ContainsKey(parameter.Name))
{
values.Add(_ctorParameters[parameter.Name]);
}
else
{
values.Add(context.Resolve(parameter.ParameterType));
}
}
return ctor.Invoke(BindingFlags.CreateInstance, null, values.ToArray(), CultureInfo.InvariantCulture);
}
public void Addparameter(string paramName, object val)
{
_ctorParameters.Add(paramName, val);
}
}
Then create extension method that simplifies usage of created builder
public static class AutoFixtureExtensions
{
public static void FreezeActivator<T>(this IFixture fixture, object parameters)
{
var builder = new CustomConstructorBuilder<T>();
foreach (var prop in parameters.GetType().GetProperties())
{
builder.Addparameter(prop.Name, prop.GetValue(parameters));
}
fixture.Customize<T>(x => builder);
}
}
And usage:
var f = new Fixture();
f.FreezeActivator<UserInfo>(new { privateId = 15, parentId = (long?)33 });

Good thread, I added another twist based on many of the aswers already posted:
Usage
Example:
var sut = new Fixture()
.For<AClass>()
.Set("value1").To(aInterface)
.Set("value2").ToEnumerableOf(22, 33)
.Create();
Test classes:
public class AClass
{
public AInterface Value1 { get; private set; }
public IEnumerable<int> Value2 { get; private set; }
public AClass(AInterface value1, IEnumerable<int> value2)
{
Value1 = value1;
Value2 = value2;
}
}
public interface AInterface
{
}
Full test
public class ATest
{
[Theory, AutoNSubstituteData]
public void ATestMethod(AInterface aInterface)
{
var sut = new Fixture()
.For<AClass>()
.Set("value1").To(aInterface)
.Set("value2").ToEnumerableOf(22, 33)
.Create();
Assert.True(ReferenceEquals(aInterface, sut.Value1));
Assert.Equal(2, sut.Value2.Count());
Assert.Equal(22, sut.Value2.ElementAt(0));
Assert.Equal(33, sut.Value2.ElementAt(1));
}
}
Infrastructure
Extension method:
public static class AutoFixtureExtensions
{
public static SetCreateProvider<TTypeToConstruct> For<TTypeToConstruct>(this IFixture fixture)
{
return new SetCreateProvider<TTypeToConstruct>(fixture);
}
}
Classes participating in the fluent style:
public class SetCreateProvider<TTypeToConstruct>
{
private readonly IFixture _fixture;
public SetCreateProvider(IFixture fixture)
{
_fixture = fixture;
}
public SetProvider<TTypeToConstruct> Set(string parameterName)
{
return new SetProvider<TTypeToConstruct>(this, parameterName);
}
public TTypeToConstruct Create()
{
var instance = _fixture.Create<TTypeToConstruct>();
return instance;
}
internal void AddConstructorParameter<TTypeOfParam>(ConstructorParameterRelay<TTypeToConstruct, TTypeOfParam> constructorParameter)
{
_fixture.Customizations.Add(constructorParameter);
}
}
public class SetProvider<TTypeToConstruct>
{
private readonly string _parameterName;
private readonly SetCreateProvider<TTypeToConstruct> _father;
public SetProvider(SetCreateProvider<TTypeToConstruct> father, string parameterName)
{
_parameterName = parameterName;
_father = father;
}
public SetCreateProvider<TTypeToConstruct> To<TTypeOfParam>(TTypeOfParam parameterValue)
{
var constructorParameter = new ConstructorParameterRelay<TTypeToConstruct, TTypeOfParam>(_parameterName, parameterValue);
_father.AddConstructorParameter(constructorParameter);
return _father;
}
public SetCreateProvider<TTypeToConstruct> ToEnumerableOf<TTypeOfParam>(params TTypeOfParam[] parametersValues)
{
IEnumerable<TTypeOfParam> actualParamValue = parametersValues;
var constructorParameter = new ConstructorParameterRelay<TTypeToConstruct, IEnumerable<TTypeOfParam>>(_parameterName, actualParamValue);
_father.AddConstructorParameter(constructorParameter);
return _father;
}
}
Constructor parameter relay from other answers:
public class ConstructorParameterRelay<TTypeToConstruct, TValueType> : ISpecimenBuilder
{
private readonly string _paramName;
private readonly TValueType _paramValue;
public ConstructorParameterRelay(string paramName, TValueType paramValue)
{
_paramName = paramName;
_paramValue = paramValue;
}
public object Create(object request, ISpecimenContext context)
{
if (context == null)
throw new ArgumentNullException(nameof(context));
ParameterInfo parameter = request as ParameterInfo;
if (parameter == null)
return new NoSpecimen();
if (parameter.Member.DeclaringType != typeof(TTypeToConstruct) ||
parameter.Member.MemberType != MemberTypes.Constructor ||
parameter.ParameterType != typeof(TValueType) ||
parameter.Name != _paramName)
return new NoSpecimen();
return _paramValue;
}
}

Duck Typing DynamicObject derivate

I wrote a class that allows a derivate to specify which of its properties can be lazy loaded. The code is:
public abstract class SelfHydratingEntity<T> : DynamicObject where T : class {
private readonly Dictionary<string, LoadableBackingField> fields;
public SelfHydratingEntity(T original) {
this.Original = original;
this.fields = this.GetBackingFields().ToDictionary(f => f.Name);
}
public T Original { get; private set; }
protected virtual IEnumerable<LoadableBackingField> GetBackingFields() {
yield break;
}
public override bool TryGetMember(GetMemberBinder binder, out object result) {
LoadableBackingField field;
if (this.fields.TryGetValue(binder.Name, out field)) {
result = field.GetValue();
return true;
} else {
var getter = PropertyAccessor.GetGetter(this.Original.GetType(), binder.Name);
result = getter(this.Original);
return true;
}
}
public override bool TrySetMember(SetMemberBinder binder, object value) {
LoadableBackingField field;
if (this.fields.TryGetValue(binder.Name, out field)) {
field.SetValue(value);
return true;
} else {
var setter = PropertyAccessor.GetSetter(this.Original.GetType(), binder.Name);
setter(this.Original, value);
return true;
}
}
}
And a derivate class:
public class SelfHydratingPerson : SelfHydratingEntity<IPerson> {
private readonly IDataRepository dataRepository;
public SelfHydratingDerivate(IDataRepository dataRepository, IPerson person)
: base(person) {
this.dataRepository = dataRepository
}
protected override IEnumerable<LoadableBackingField> GetBackingFields() {
yield return new LoadableBackingField("Address", () => this.dataRepository.Addresses.Get(this.Original.AddressID));
}
}
This works perfectly fine for getting and settings property values, but I get a either a RuntimeBinderException when I implicitly cast or an InvalidCastException with an explicitly cast SelfHydratingEntity back to T.
I know that you can override the DynamicObject.TryConvert method, but I'm wondering what exactly to put in this method. I've read a lot about duck typing today, and have tried out several libraries, but none of them work for this particular scenario. All of the libraries I've tried today generate a wrapper class using Reflection.Emit that makes calls to "get_" and "set_" methods and naturally use reflection to find these methods on the wrapped instance. SelfHydratingEntity of course doesn't have the "get_" and "set_" methods defined.
So, I'm wondering if this kind of thing is even possible. Is there any way to cast an instance of SelfHydratingEntity to T? I'm looking for something like this:
var original = GetOriginalPerson();
dynamic person = new SelfHydratingPerson(new DataRepository(), original);
string name = person.Name; // Gets property value on original
var address = person.Address; // Gets property value using LoadableBackingField registration
var iPerson = (IPerson)person;
- or -
var iPerson = DuckType.As<IPerson>(person);

Have you seen this Duck Typing project. It looks pretty good. I have just found a great example from Mauricio. It uses the Windsor Castle dynamic proxy to intercept method calls
Using the code from Mauricio the following code works like a dream
class Program
{
static void Main(string[] args)
{
dynamic person = new { Name = "Peter" };
var p = DuckType.As<IPerson>(person);
Console.WriteLine(p.Name);
}
}
public interface IPerson
{
string Name { get; set; }
}
public static class DuckType
{
private static readonly ProxyGenerator generator = new ProxyGenerator();
public static T As<T>(object o)
{
return generator.CreateInterfaceProxyWithoutTarget<T>(new DuckTypingInterceptor(o));
}
}
public class DuckTypingInterceptor : IInterceptor
{
private readonly object target;
public DuckTypingInterceptor(object target)
{
this.target = target;
}
public void Intercept(IInvocation invocation)
{
var methods = target.GetType().GetMethods()
.Where(m => m.Name == invocation.Method.Name)
.Where(m => m.GetParameters().Length == invocation.Arguments.Length)
.ToList();
if (methods.Count > 1)
throw new ApplicationException(string.Format("Ambiguous method match for '{0}'", invocation.Method.Name));
if (methods.Count == 0)
throw new ApplicationException(string.Format("No method '{0}' found", invocation.Method.Name));
var method = methods[0];
if (invocation.GenericArguments != null && invocation.GenericArguments.Length > 0)
method = method.MakeGenericMethod(invocation.GenericArguments);
invocation.ReturnValue = method.Invoke(target, invocation.Arguments);
}
}

impromptu-interface
https://github.com/ekonbenefits/impromptu-interface
Can static cast interfaces onto objects derived from DynamicObject.