We Keep Coding

Dealing with derived properties with same name as in base class using reflection

I will try to explain my best, but it is a tricky one to explain.
I am having a problem using reflection when a derived object redefines a property already in a base class.
Let's consider the following classes to start with:
// The base class
namespace MyNamesapce
{
public abstract class MyClassBase: IMyClassBase
{
[JsonConstructor]
public MyClassBase()
{
}
public string Info { get; set; }
public string Unit { get; set; }
public string Name { get; set; }
}
}
// MyClassArray is most of the time used
namespace MyNamesapce
{
public class MyClassArray<TType> : MyClassBase, IMyClassArray<TType>
{
public MyClassArray()
{
}
[JsonConstructor]
public MyClassArray(IEnumerable<TType> value, TType minValue, TType maxValue)
{
MinValue = minValue;
MaxValue = maxValue;
Value = value;
}
public IEnumerable<TType> Value { get; set; }
public TType MinValue { get; set; }
public TType MaxValue { get; set; }
}
}
// In some rare cases we need 2D arrays
namespace MyNamesapce
{
public class MyClass2DArray<TType> : MyClassArray<TType>, IMyClass2DArray<TType>
{
private int[] _arraySize { get; set; }
public MyClass2DArray()
{
}
[JsonConstructor]
public MyClass2DArray(TType[][] value, TType minValue, TType maxValue)
{
MinValue = minValue;
MaxValue = maxValue;
_arraySize = new int[2] { value.Count(), value[0].Length };
Value = value;
}
public new TType[][] Value
{
get
{
TType[][] array2D = new TType[_arraySize[0]][];
// Reconstruct the 2D array
TType[] tmpArray;
int startIdx = 0;
for (int numArrays = 0; numArrays < _arraySize[0]; numArrays++)
{
tmpArray = new TType[_arraySize[1]];
Array.Copy(base.Value.ToArray(), startIdx, tmpArray, 0, _arraySize[1]);
startIdx += _arraySize[1];
array2D[numArrays] = tmpArray;
}
return array2D;
}
set
{
// Should not be able to set _value to null
if (value == null)
return;
base.Value = value.SelectMany(v => v).ToArray();
}
}
}
}
I now need to get all the properties from all instances of MyClassArray and MyClassArray2D. You will say, there are plenty of threads discussing that very point, just use "GetType().GetProperties()" for the former and use "GetType().GetProperty(..., BindingFlags.Instance | BindingFlags.Public | BindingFlags.DeclaredOnly)" for the latter.
The problem is that I do not know in advance which class is being processed. In my system when deserialising a Json, instances of both MyClassArray and MyClassArray2D have to be reconstructed, which is done using the following setter:
public static void SetProperty(this Object obj, string propName, Object value)
{
PropertyInfo info = null;
object[] indexer = null;
string[] nameParts = propName.Split('.');
if (obj == null) { return; }
var props = obj.GetType().GetProperties();
for (int idx = 0; idx < nameParts.Count() - 1; idx++)
{
try
{
indexer = null;
// Try to access normal property
info = obj.GetType().GetProperty(nameParts[idx]);
if (info == null)
continue;
obj = info.GetValue(obj, indexer);
}
catch
{
info = null;
indexer = null;
}
}
if (obj != null)
{
// !!! Note that here, using declare only will only work when using derived classes
PropertyInfo propertyToSet = obj.GetType().GetProperty(nameParts.Last(), BindingFlags.Instance | BindingFlags.Public | BindingFlags.DeclaredOnly); // | BindingFlags.DeclaredOnly);
propertyToSet?.SetValue(obj, value);
}
else
{
throw new SystemException($"Could not find the property {propName}");
}
}
As you can see an object is passed in to SetProperty() (that can be of any type).
When it is of type MyClassArray, there are no problems, but if it is of type MyClassArray2D it does not quite work as the latter redefines "Value", which will break the logic as 2 properties called value will exist. I need a way to detect that.
The first loop seems to do the right thing. "obj = info.GetValue(obj, indexer);" will return "obj" containing all the versions of "Value". The problem is in the next part of SetProperty().
How can I detect when more than one "Value" property is in "obj"? And how to always pick the derived version of "Value"?
Also if I just use "BindingFlags.DeclaredOnly" as done here in my code snipet, properties from the base class get lost/disappear, which is undesirable.
Is there maybe a way to return in "obj" all the properties without the duplicates coming from the base class? Or some kind of property filter maybe?

Using Indexers for multiple Arrays in the class c#

I have two arrays in my Base class, and I want to create Indexers that can be used in both of them, attached below is an MVCE of what I am trying to do.
class Indexer
{
private string[] namelist = new string[size];
private char[] grades = new string[size];
static public int size = 10;
public IndexedNames() {
for (int i = 0; i < size; i++){
namelist[i] = "N. A.";
grades[i] = 'F';
}
}
public string this[int index] {
get {
string tmp;
if( index >= 0 && index <= size-1 ) {
tmp = namelist[index];
} else {
tmp = "";
}
return ( tmp );
}
set {
if( index >= 0 && index <= size-1 ) {
namelist[index] = value;
}
}
}
In the above coed if you comment out the lines private char[] grades = new string[size]; and grades[i] = 'F'; then you can use the indexers as object_name[i] but I want to be able to access both namelist and grades by indexers.
Note : I cannot use structures to wrap them together as in my application, there size may not always be same.
Is this possible or I would need to go around with some hack.
Edit
I am looking for something like names.namelist[i] and names.grades[i], or some statements that I can access them separately. Also Indexer logic is not consistent, and even size varies in some arrays, that was skipped here to aid simplicity in MVCE.

Sorry, no-can-do.
Although Indexers can be Overloaded and can have more than one formal parameter, you can't make two variations based on the same Parameter in the same class. This is a Language Limitation (or blessing).
Indexers (C# Programming Guide)
However, this should lead you to several options.
You can just make use of C#7. Ref returns
Starting with C# 7.0, C# supports reference return values (ref
returns). A reference return value allows a method to return a
reference to a variable, rather than a value, back to a caller. The
caller can then choose to treat the returned variable as if it were
returned by value or by reference. The caller can create a new
variable that is itself a reference to the returned value, called a
ref local.
public ref string Namelist(int position)
{
if (array == null)
throw new ArgumentNullException(nameof(array));
if (position < 0 || position >= array.Length)
throw new ArgumentOutOfRangeException(nameof(position));
return ref array[position];
}
...
// Which allows you to do funky things like this, etc.
object.NameList(1) = "bob";
You could make sub/nested classes with indexers
That's to say, you could create a class that has the features you need with indexers, and make them properties of the main class. So you get something like you envisaged object.Namelist[0] and object.Grades[0].
Note : in this situation you could pass the arrays down as references and still access them in the main array like you do.
Example which includes both:
Given
public class GenericIndexer<T>
{
private T[] _array;
public GenericIndexer(T[] array)
{
_array = array;
}
public T this[int i]
{
get => _array[i];
set => _array[i] = value;
}
}
Class
public class Bobo
{
private int[] _ints = { 2, 3, 4, 5, 5 };
private string[] _strings = { "asd","asdd","sdf" };
public Bobo()
{
Strings = new GenericIndexer<string>(_strings);
Ints = new GenericIndexer<int>(_ints);
}
public GenericIndexer<string> Strings ;
public GenericIndexer<int> Ints ;
public void Test()
{
_ints[0] = 234;
}
public ref int DoInts(int pos) => ref _ints[pos];
public ref string DoStrings(int pos) => ref _strings[pos];
}
Usage:
var bobo = new Bobo();
bobo.Ints[1] = 234;
bobo.DoInts(1) = 42;

I think only a two parameter indexer can achieve what you want.
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;
using System.Reflection;
namespace ConsoleApp1
{
class MyClass
{
protected static Dictionary<string, FieldInfo[]> table = new Dictionary<string, FieldInfo[]>();
static public int size = 10;
protected char[] grades = new char[size];
public object this[string name, int index]
{
get
{
var fieldInfos = table[this.GetType().FullName];
return ((Array)fieldInfos.First((x) => x.Name == name).GetValue(this)).GetValue(index);
}
set
{
var fieldInfos = table[this.GetType().FullName];
((Array)fieldInfos.First((x) => x.Name == name).GetValue(this)).SetValue(value, index);
}
}
static void Main()
{
var names = new MyChildClass();
names[DataColumns.Grades, 1] = 'S';
names[DataColumns.NameList, 9] = "W.S";
}
}
class MyChildClass : MyClass
{
private string[] namelist = new string[size];
static MyChildClass()
{
var t = typeof(MyChildClass);
table.Add(t.FullName, t.GetFields(BindingFlags.NonPublic | BindingFlags.Instance));
}
public MyChildClass()
{
for (int i = 0; i < size; i++)
{
namelist[i] = "N. A.";
grades[i] = 'F';
}
}
}
static class DataColumns
{
public static string NameList = "namelist";
public static string Grades = "grades";
}
}

Maybe something like this:
class Indexer
{
private string[] namelist = new string[size];
private string[] grades = new string[size + 1]; // size +1 to indicate different
// size
static public int size = 10;
public void IndexedNames()
{
for (int i = 0; i < size; i++)
{
namelist[i] = "N. A.";
grades[i] = "F";
}
}
public string this[int i, int j]
{
get
{
string tmp;
// we need to return first array
if (i > 0)
{
tmp = namelist[i];
}
else
{
tmp = grades[i];
}
return (tmp);
}
set
{
if (i > 0)
{
namelist[i] = value;
}
else grades[i] = value;
}
}
}

Class with a generic class composition that implement IComparable, C#

I want to create a PQ that uses a separate class called Key to store the values that can take in a generic type, I also want to restrict the types to string and int. I will need to implement the IComparable interface. How do I do this?
I am getting a bunch of errors regarding the type arguments, I have put comments in my code to show where the errors are.
How do I implement something like this?
public class MaxPQ<T>
{
private Key[] pq; //Key requires 1 type argument
private int N;
public MaxPQ(int capacity)
{
pq = new Key[capacity + 1]; //Requires Type arguments
}
private void exch<T>(int i, int j)
{
Key<T> temp = pq[i]; //Cannot be used as a type
pq[i] = pq[j];
pq[j] = temp;
}
/// <summary>
/// Key class for value in the Priority Queue
/// </summary>
private class Key<T> where T : IComparable<int, string> //IComparable cannot be used with type argument
{
T _value;
public Key(T value)
{
_value = value;
}
public int CompareTo(Key obj) //Required type arguments
{
if (obj == null) return 1;
return;
}
}

Would this work?
public class MaxPQ<T> : IComparable<MaxPQ<T>>
{
static SortedDictionary<T, MaxPQ<T>> dict = new SortedDictionary<T, MaxPQ<T>>();
private string pq;
private int N;
private void exch(T i, T j)
{
MaxPQ<T> temp = dict[i];
dict[i] = dict[j];
dict[j] = temp;
}
public int CompareTo(MaxPQ<T> obj) //Required type arguments
{
int results = 0;
if (this.pq == obj.pq)
{
results = this.N.CompareTo(obj.N);
}
else
{
this.pq.CompareTo(obj.pq);
}
return results;
}
}

This is one way to do it:
public class Key<T>
{
public T Value { get; private set; }
private Key( ) { }
public static Key<T> Make(T inVal)
{
var inT = inVal.GetType();
if (inT != typeof(int) && inT != typeof(string))
throw new TypeAccessException("Wrong type");
return new Key<T> {Value = inVal};
}
}
to use it:
class Program
{
static void Main(string[] args)
{
var myKey = Key<string>.Make("StringKeyValue");
Console.WriteLine($"String Key is {myKey.Value}");
var otherKey = Key<int>.Make(23);
Console.WriteLine($"integer Key is {otherKey.Value}");
try {var badTypKey = Key<DateTime>.Make(DateTime.Now); }
catch (TypeAccessException x)
{ Console.WriteLine($" Got TypeAccessException {x.Message}"); }
Console.WriteLine("Hit any key to terminate.");
Console.ReadLine();
}
}

How can I create a generic method to compare two list of any type. The type may be a List of class as well

Following is a class
public class Attribute
{
public string Name { get; set; }
public string Value { get; set; }
}
Following is the code in my main method
{
var test = new List<Attribute>();
test.Add(new Attribute { Name = "Don", Value = "21" });
test.Add(new Attribute { Value = "34", Name = "Karthik" });
var test1 = new List<Attribute>();
test1.Add(new Attribute { Name = "Don", Value = "21" });
test1.Add(new Attribute { Value = "34", Name = "Karthik" });
var obj = new Program();
var areEqual1 = obj.CompareList<List<Attribute>>(test, test1);
}
I have a ComapreList method
public bool CompareList<T>(T firstList, T secondList) where T : class
{
var list1 = firstList as IList<T>;
return true;
}
Now, list1 has null. I know that .net does not allow us to do this. But is there any other way where I can cast this generic list. My purpose is to compare each property value of these two list. I am using reflection to get the property but it works only if I can convert the firstlist/secondlist to something enumerable. if I directly use the name of the class in the IList<> (firstList as IList<Attribute>) it works, but not if I give <T>. Please help.

Just create method parameterized by type of lists items type. Even more, you can create method which compares any type of collections:
public bool CompareSequences<T> (IEnumerable<T> first, IEnumerable<T> second,
Comparer<T> comparer = null)
{
comparer = comparer ?? Comparer<T>.Default;
if (first == null)
throw new ArgumentNullException(nameof(first));
if (second == null)
throw new ArgumentNullException(nameof(second));
var firstIterator = first.GetEnumerator();
var secondIterator = second.GetEnumerator();
while(true)
{
bool firstHasItem = firstIterator.MoveNext();
bool secondHasItem = secondIterator.MoveNext();
if (firstHasItem != secondHasItem)
return false;
if (!firstHasItem && !secondHasItem)
return true;
if (comparer.Compare(firstIterator.Current, secondIterator.Current) != 0)
return false;
}
}
If collection items are primitive types, you can use default comparer. But if collections contain custom items, you need either IComparable to be implemented by collection items type:
public class Attribute : IComparable<Attribute>
{
public string Name { get; set; }
public string Value { get; set; }
public int CompareTo (Attribute other)
{
int result = Name.CompareTo(other.Name);
if (result == 0)
return Value.CompareTo(other.Value);
return result;
}
}
Or you can create and pass comparer instance. You can create comparer which is using reflection to compare fields/properties of some type. But it's not as simple as you might think - properties can be complex type or collections.
Usage:
var areEqual1 = obj.CompareSequences(test, test1);
If you don't need to compare objects with complex structure (which have inner collections and other custom objects) then you can use comparer like this one:
public class SimplePropertiesComparer<T> : Comparer<T>
{
public override int Compare (T x, T y)
{
Type type = typeof(T);
var flags = BindingFlags.GetProperty | BindingFlags.Public | BindingFlags.Instance;
foreach (var property in type.GetProperties(flags))
{
var propertyType = property.PropertyType;
if (!typeof(IComparable).IsAssignableFrom(propertyType))
throw new NotSupportedException($"{propertyType} props are not supported.");
var propertyValueX = (IComparable)property.GetValue(x);
var propertyValueY = (IComparable)property.GetValue(y);
if (propertyValueX == null && propertyValueY == null)
continue;
if (propertyValueX == null)
return -1;
int result = propertyValueX.CompareTo(property.GetValue(y));
if (result == 0)
continue;
return result;
}
return 0;
}
}
And pass it to sequence comparer
var equal = obj.CompareSequences(test, test1, new SimplePropertiesComparer<Attribute>());

Change the signature of your method and remove the then redundant cast:
public bool CompareList<T>(IList<T> firstList, IList<T> secondList) where T : class
{
var list1 = firstList as IList<T>; // Cast is not necessary any more
return true;
}

public bool CompareGenericLists<T, U>(List<T> list1, List<U> list2)
{
try
{
if (typeof(T).Equals(typeof(U)))
{
//For checking null lists
if (list1 == null && list2 == null)
return true;
if (list1 == null || list2 == null)
throw new Exception("One of the Lists is Null");
if (list1.Count.Equals(list2.Count))
{
Type type = typeof(T);
//For primitive lists
if (type.IsPrimitive)
{
int flag = 0;
for (int i = 0; i < list1.Count; i++)
{
if (list1.ElementAt(i).Equals(list2.ElementAt(i)))
flag++;
}
if (flag != list1.Count)
throw new Exception("Objects values are not same");
}
//For Reference List
else
{
for (int i = 0; i < list1.Count; i++)
{
foreach (System.Reflection.PropertyInfo property in type.GetProperties())
{
string Object1Value = string.Empty;
string Object2Value = string.Empty;
Object1Value = type.GetProperty(property.Name).GetValue(list1.ElementAt(i)).ToString();
Object2Value = type.GetProperty(property.Name).GetValue(list2.ElementAt(i)).ToString();
if (Object1Value != Object2Value)
{
throw new Exception("Objects values are not same");
}
}
}
}
}
else
throw new Exception("Length of lists is not Same");
}
else
throw new Exception("Different type of lists");
}
catch(Exception ex)
{
throw ex;
}
return true;
}
this method can be used for both primitive and reference lists.try this method.It will compare type,counts,and members of lists.

How do I pass an enum in this context

I want to change the below function that I have written so that it will take the Enum (MyColors in this instance) as argument so that I can use the function on any suitable contiguous Enum. Everything I have tried so far has failed so I'm stuck.
private enum MyColors { Red, Green, Blue }
private String GetNext(String colorName)
{
MyColors colorValue;
String colorNameOut = String.Empty;
if (Enum.TryParse(colorName, out colorValue))
{
MyColors initial = colorValue, next = colorValue;
for (int i = ((Int32)initial) + 1; i < 10; i++)
{
if (Enum.IsDefined(typeof(MyColors), i))
{
next = (MyColors)i;
break;
}
else
{
next = (MyColors)0;
}
}
colorNameOut = next.ToString();
}
return colorNameOut;
}

The following ought to work:
private static String GetNext<T>(String colorName) where T : struct
{
// Verify that T is actually an enum type
if (!typeof(T).IsEnum)
throw new ArgumentException("Type argument must be an enum type");
T colorValue;
String colorNameOut = String.Empty;
if (Enum.TryParse<T>(colorName, out colorValue))
{
T initial = colorValue, next = colorValue;
for (int i = (Convert.ToInt32(initial)) + 1; i < 10; i++)
{
if (Enum.IsDefined(typeof(T), i))
{
next = (T)Enum.ToObject(typeof(T), i);
break;
}
else
{
next = (T)Enum.ToObject(typeof(T), 0);
}
}
colorNameOut = next.ToString();
}
return colorNameOut;
}
Since the method is now generic it has to be called with a type argument of the enum type, like:
GetNext<MyColors>("Red")

This will give you the next value in an enum or null if the input is the last value
public TEnum? GetNext<TEnum>(TEnum enm) where TEnum : struct
{
var values = Enum.GetValues(enm.GetType());
var index = Array.IndexOf(values, enm) + 1;
return index < values.Length ? (TEnum?)values.GetValue(index) : null;
}
Usage
var nextColor = GetNext(MyColors.Red);
GetValues function for silverlight
public static object[] GetValues(Type enumType)
{
if (!enumType.IsEnum)
{
throw new ArgumentException("Type '" + enumType.Name + "' is not an enum");
}
List<object> values = new List<object>();
var fields = from field in enumType.GetFields()
where field.IsLiteral
select field;
foreach (FieldInfo field in fields)
{
object value = field.GetValue(enumType);
values.Add(value);
}
return values.ToArray();
}