Expression Tree ToString() method generates strange string WHY? - c#

I need string conversion of an Expression Tree so
I create an Expression Tree and use ToString method like this
var exp = ((Expression<Func<UserDetailInfo, bool>>) (x => x.OperationID == operationId)).ToString();
but result is strange
x => (x.OperationID == value(TCS.Proxy.PermissionProxy+<>c__DisplayClass5).operationId)
TCS.Proxy.PermissionProxy is my class in WCF proxy project !!! (I send expression from client to proxy)
but when I create this Expression myself everything is good
var entity = Expression.Parameter(typeof(UserDetailInfo));
var constant = Expression.Constant(operationId);
var e = Expression.Equal(Expression.Property(entity, "OperationID"), constant);
var exp = Expression.Lambda<Func<UserDetailInfo, bool>>(e, entity).ToString();
and result is ok
Param_0 => (Param_0.OperationID == operationId) // I Need this
How I can use ToString() can generates result like above ?
Why two results is different ?
* I Convert Expression to String for transfer it from client to WCF service so I need correct string for convert in server side from string to Expression

This is because your right hand side member is not a constant, it is a captured variable. The TCS.Proxy.PermissionProxy+<>c__DisplayClass5 part means in the class TCS.Proxy.PermissionProxy it had to create 5 new classes that holds values that where passed in via variable capture and this specific lambda uses the 5th one it created.
Your code (You never show your function so I made some guesses)
namespace TCS.Proxy
{
class PermissionProxy
{
public void SomeFunction()
{
int operationId = 0;
var exp = ((Expression<Func<UserDetailInfo, bool>>) (x => x.OperationID == operationId)).ToString()
}
}
}
Is getting re-written to something similar (It's actually a lot different but this example gets the point across) to
namespace TCS.Proxy
{
public class PermissionProxy
{
private class c__DisplayClass5
{
public int operationId;
}
public void SomeFunction()
{
int operationId = 0;
var <>c__DisplayClass5 = new c__DisplayClass5();
<>c__DisplayClass5.operationId = operationId;
var exp = ((Expression<Func<UserDetailInfo, bool>>) (x => x.OperationID == <>c__DisplayClass5.operationId)).ToString()
}
}
}
Which is different than what you manually created. If you want to "unbox" these custom classes you will need to write up a ExpressionVisitor that will go through the expression and re-write it in to the form you want to go over the wire.

Related

Convert string to lambda expression that contains variables from other classes

What I've been trying to do is convert a string of the form:
"StudentDatabase.avgHeight > 1.7"
to a lambda expression that looks like this:
() => StudentDatabase.avgHeight > 1.7;
I tried something in the lines of this:
/* String splitting and parsing occurs here */
var comparison = Expression.GreaterThan(
Type.GetType("MyNamespace.StudentDatabase").GetField("avgHeight"),
Expression.Constant(1.7)
);
var lambda = Expression.Lambda<Func<bool>>(comparison).Compile();
Of course something like this wouldn't work since the GetField() method returns type FieldInfo and not Expression.
Here's a list about useful stuff you might want to know about my sample code:
The StudentDatabase class is a static class that contains a static field avgHeight.
I have already done the part of the code that parses the string so there's no need to include it in any provided solutions.
This is just an example so you can change the string and variable/class names if you wish so.
This is not an assignment so feel free to post source code. In fact, that would be greately appreciated.
TL;DR; What I'm trying to do is use LINQ Expressions to access variables from other places of the code.
I disagree with the following comments, Linq expressions is a viable way to do this sort of thing. The below code accomplishes it. However, please consider the following code:
namespace MyNamespace
{
class Program
{
static void Main(string[] args)
{
/* String splitting and parsing occurs here */
var comparison = Expression.GreaterThan(
Expression.Field(null, Type.GetType("MyNamespace.StudentDatabase").GetField("avgHeight")),
Expression.Constant(1.7)
);
var lambda = Expression.Lambda<Func<bool>>(comparison).Compile();
StudentDatabase.avgHeight = 1.3;
var result1 = lambda(); //is true
StudentDatabase.avgHeight = 2.0;
var result2 = lambda(); //is false
}
}
class StudentDatabase
{
public static double avgHeight = 1.3;
}
}
Should result2 be true or false? If you want it to be true, then you have more work to do.
I've created this as a sort of framework you can work off of. It does not use LINQ but will output the value specified by the string.
var type = Type.GetType("MyNamespace.StudentDatabase");
if (type != null)
{
var field = type.GetField("avgHeight");
if (field != null)
{
Func<bool> lambda = () => (double)field.GetValue(type) > 1.7;
}
}
There is some error checking you could add/remove. The other areas such as the > and 1.7 can be parsed elsewhere and inserted but this is how you could get a value from the strings.

Evaluating a mathematical expression

Guys I am up with evaluating a string mathematical expression.
First I imported the library
using System.Linq.Expressions;
Then in my codes I did,
Expression e = new Expression("(450*5)+((3.14*7)/50)*100");
double result = e.Evaluate();
however I get the error as
Cannot create an instance of the abstract class or interface 'System.Linq.Expressions.Expression'
Why the above is not working?
How can I evaluate this ?
In order to evaluate expressions like this in c#, you have to use Roslyn. Here's an example (I changed a piece of code take from here http://blogs.msdn.com/b/csharpfaq/archive/2011/12/02/introduction-to-the-roslyn-scripting-api.aspx):
using Roslyn.Scripting.CSharp;
namespace RoslynScriptingDemo {
class Program {
static void Main(string[] args) {
var engine = new ScriptEngine();
engine.Execute(#"System.Console.WriteLine((450*5)+((3.14*7)/50)*100);");
}
}
}
Expressions only let you to create a syntax tree from code:
Expression<Func<int,int,int>> add = (x, y) => x + y;
var res = add.Compilie()(2,3);
So you can't use string as a source for expression, you have to write it as a valid c# code.
I went for Ncalc.
I am posting my codes for future users who will be on same problems like me.
1.Download the Ncalc(Binaries)http://ncalc.codeplex.com/releases/view/73656
Reference the dll in your solution.(Right click > add reference > Browse > NCalc.dll)
In codes
Using NCalc;
3.May be used as
public Double Calculate(string argExpression)
{
//get the user passed string
string ExpressionToEvaluate = argExpression;
//pass string in the evaluation object declaration.
Expression z = new Expression(ExpressionToEvaluate);
//command to evaluate the value of the **************string expression
var result = z.Evaluate();
Double results = Convert.ToDouble(result.ToString());
return results;
}
Try to use NCalc:
Expression e = new Expression("(450*5)+((3.14*7)/50)*100");
double result = e.Evaluate();
http://ncalc.codeplex.com/
You can use Mathos Parser. It is a simple .NET Mathematical Expression parser.

Call function in dynamic linq

I'm trying to call a function in a dynamic linq select statement, but im getting error:
No property or field 'A' exists in type 'Tuple2'
Example code:
void Main()
{
var a = new Tuple<int, int>(1,1);
var b = new[]{ a };
var q = b.AsQueryable().Select("A.Test(it.Item1)");
q.Dump();
}
public static class A
{
public static int Test(int i)
{
return i++;
}
}
How should I change my code to get this working?
If I call built in function Convert.ToInt32 for example it works fine.
var q = b.AsQueryable().Select("Convert.ToInt32(it.Item1)");
Also how do I cast a property using dynamic linq?
var q = b.AsQueryable().Select("((float)it.Item1)");
I'll say that the dynamic-linq isn't "strong enough" to do these things. It looks for methods only in the given objects and some special classes: Math, Convert, the various base types (int, float, string, ...), Guid, Timespan, DateTime
The list of these types is clearly visible if you use ilspy/reflector on the file. They are in System.Linq.Dynamic.ExpressionParser.predefinedTypes .
Now, clearly I could be wrong, but this works: .Select("Guid.NewGuid().ToString()").Cast<string>().ToArray()
showing that it's quite probable that that is the "correct" list.
There is an article here on how to modify Dynamic LINQ if you are interested http://www.krizzcode.com/2012/01/extending-dynamiclinq-language.html
Now, an intelligent man would take the source of dynamic linq and simply expand that array... But here there aren't intelligent men... There are only programmers that want blood! Blood but especially innards!
var type = typeof(DynamicQueryable).Assembly.GetType("System.Linq.Dynamic.ExpressionParser");
FieldInfo field = type.GetField("predefinedTypes", BindingFlags.Static | BindingFlags.NonPublic);
Type[] predefinedTypes = (Type[])field.GetValue(null);
Array.Resize(ref predefinedTypes, predefinedTypes.Length + 1);
predefinedTypes[predefinedTypes.Length - 1] = typeof(A); // Your type
field.SetValue(null, predefinedTypes);
Do this (with the types you want) BEFORE the first call to Dynamic Linq (because after the first call the methods/properties of these types are cached)
Explanation: we use reflection to add our object(s) to this "special list".
I know there is already an accepted answer on this but it did not work for me. I am using Dynamic Linq 1.1.4. I wanted to do a query like this
$.GetNewestRisk() == null
Where GetNewestRisk() is a public method on the object represented by $. I kept getting this error "Error running query, Methods on type 'Patient' are not accessible (at index 2)".
I found in the source code there is a GlobalConfig object that allows a custom provider to be assigned which will hold all of the types you may want to work with. Here is the source code for the custom provider:
public class CustomTypeProvider: IDynamicLinkCustomTypeProvider
{
public HashSet<Type> GetCustomTypes()
{
HashSet<Type> types = new HashSet<Type>();
types.Add(typeof(Patient));
types.Add(typeof(RiskFactorResult));
types.Add(typeof(PatientLabResult));
types.Add(typeof(PatientVital));
return types;
}
}
Here is how I am using it:
System.Linq.Dynamic.GlobalConfig.CustomTypeProvider = new CustomType();
After making this call I am able to call methods on the objects inside of the expression.
#xanatos answer doesn't work for .Net Core version. So I've found something similar related by #Kent on the System.Dynamic.Linq.Core tests DynamicExpressionParserTests written by the library's author himself.
The given TestCustomTypeProviderClass allows you to use the DynamicLinqType class annotation which is pretty usefull for this problem.
To answer to question, you then just needed to defined the class (ensure to annotate with DynamicLinqType) :
[DynamicLinqType]
public static class A
{
public static int Test(int i)
{
return i++;
}
}
Add a customTypeProvider as mentioned above :
private class TestCustomTypeProvider : AbstractDynamicLinqCustomTypeProvider, IDynamicLinkCustomTypeProvider
{
private HashSet<Type> _customTypes;
public virtual HashSet<Type> GetCustomTypes()
{
if (_customTypes != null)
{
return _customTypes;
}
_customTypes = new HashSet<Type>(FindTypesMarkedWithDynamicLinqTypeAttribute(new[] { GetType().GetTypeInfo().Assembly }));
return _customTypes;
}
}
and use a ParsingConfig with the configurable Select to call it :
var config = new ParsingConfig
{
CustomTypeProvider = new TestCustomTypeProvider()
};
var q = b.AsQueryable().Select(config, "A.Test(it.Item1)");
#Armand has put together a brilliant solution for this issue, and being the only solution I was able to find regarding this I want to add to it for anyone who tries the same approach.
The class that is marked with...
[DynamicLinqType]
... must be taken into consideration when you run the following line:
FindTypesMarkedWithDynamicLinqTypeAttribute(new[] { GetType().GetTypeInfo().Assembly })
In the solution provided above, this assumes the class that contains the function to be evaluated is on the same class the code currently resides in. If the methods are to be used outside of said class, the assembly will need to change.
FindTypesMarkedWithDynamicLinqTypeAttribute(new[] { typeof(AnotherClassName).Assembly })
Nothing changes from the solution above, this is just for clarification for anyone attempting to use it.
As regards the current version (1.2.19) of Dynamic LINQ, you will probably get another exception:
System.Linq.Dynamic.Core.Exceptions.ParseException : Enum value 'Test' is not defined in enum type 'A'
To make DLINQ know your type 'A', you have two options:
Set up parsing config with your own custom types provider where you directly specify the type 'A'.
Mark your type with the attribute [DynamicLinqType]. If that type is loaded into the current domain (that's the usual case), you don't have to do anything more since the default custom type provider already scans the current AppDomain for types marked with [DynamicLinqType]. And only if that's not the case, i.e. your type is not loaded into the current domain, you have to do something like in that answer.
What if you would like to use both approaches - the first for type 'A' and the second for type 'B'? In that case, you just have to "merge" your type 'A' with the default provider types:
public class DynamicLinqTests
{
[Test]
public void Test()
{
var a = new Tuple<int, int>(1, 1);
var b = new[] { a };
var parsingConfig = new ParsingConfig
{
ResolveTypesBySimpleName = true,
CustomTypeProvider = new TestCustomTypesProvider()
};
var queryWithA = b.AsQueryable().Select(parsingConfig, "A.Test(it.Item1)");
queryWithA.ToDynamicList();
var queryWithB = b.AsQueryable().Select(parsingConfig, "B.Test(it.Item1)");
queryWithB.ToDynamicList();
}
public static class A
{
public static int Test(int i)
{
return i++;
}
}
[DynamicLinqType]
public static class B
{
public static int Test(int i)
{
return i++;
}
}
public class TestCustomTypesProvider : DefaultDynamicLinqCustomTypeProvider
{
public override HashSet<Type> GetCustomTypes()
{
var customTypes = base.GetCustomTypes();
customTypes.Add(typeof(A));
return customTypes;
}
}
}
I may be confused but your syntax whereby you are using a string in your Selects doesn't compile for me. The following syntax works:
var q = b.AsQueryable().Select(it => A.Test(it.Item1));
var b = new[]{ a };
The above array is don't know what type of array , and it's not type safe ?
Your values are assigned in variant data type so it's not integer value (I think string value) ,when you get this values in your query must need to convert.toint32() because your class parameter data type is integer
Please try it
var b = new **int**[]{ a };
instead of var b = new[]{ a };
The important hint is here (in bold):
No property or field 'xxx' exists in **type** 'xxx'
And Please look this for previous discussion :
Dynamic Linq - no property or field exists in type 'datarow'
The following works for me:
var a = new Tuple<int, int>(1, 1);
var b = new[] { a };
var q = b.AsQueryable().Select(it=>A.Test(it.Item1));
var q1 = b.AsQueryable().Select(it => Convert.ToInt32(it.Item1));
var q2 = b.AsQueryable().Select(it => (float) it.Item1);

Expression Tree with string assignment and getting value

I have built my own SQL Query builder that breaks apart an Expression, however, I'm having an issue trying to get the value of string defined in the same function as the lambda expression.
Here is what I am trying to do in console app:
private static void MyBuilderTest()
{
var sqlBuilder = new SqlBuilder();
// Doesn't work -- NEED GUIDANCE HERE
var testValue = "Test"; // Defined in the same function as the lambda below
sqlBuilder.Select<FooObject>(o => o.FooValue == testValue);
// Works
var someObject = new SomeObject { SomeValue = "classTest };
sqlBuilder.Select<FooObject>(o => o.FooValue == someObject.SomeValue);
}
In my builder it subclasses from ExpressionVisitor, and I override the VisitMember. I found that a string defined in at the base Console level will come back as:
Node.Expression.NodeType == ExpressionType.Constant
The Node.Expression passes back properties of:
CanReduce = false
DebugView = ".Constant<ConsoleApplication1.Program+<>c__DisplayClass1>(ConsoleApplication1.Program+<>c__DisplayClass1)"
NodeType = Constant
Type = System.Type {System.RunetimeType}
Value = {ConsoleApplication1.Program}
The Node.Expression.Value contains:
testValue = "Test" (Type: string)
How do I get this value? I've tried several things, like:
var memberType = node.Expression.Type.DeclaringType;
This passes back a ConsoleApplication1.Program type.
However, when I do:
memberType.GetProperty("testValue"); // Declaring Type from Expression
It passes back null.
The above methods work fine if I place the lambda "strings" in a class, but doesn't work if they string is defined in the console function.
Can anyone tell me how to get the string value if it's defined at the function level of the lambda?
EDITED: Added VisitMember
protected override Expression VisitMember(MemberExpression node)
{
if (node.NodeType == ExpressionType.Constant)
{
// Node.Expression is a ConstantExpression type.
// node.Expression contains properties above
// And Has Value of: {ConsoleApplication1.Program}
// Expanding Value in Watch window shows: testValue = "Test"
// How do I get this value, if the ConsoleApplication1.Program type doesn't
// even know about it? Looks like maybe a dynamic property?
}
}
EDITED
Added code to the console app example to show what works and what doesn't.
The lambda in your example has "closed over" the testValue variable, meaning the compiler has captured it as a field of the same name in an automatically generated class called ConsoleApplication1.Program+<>c__DisplayClass1>. You can use normal reflection to get the current value of that field by casting the right hand-side of the binary expression into a MemberExpression.
var testValue = "hello";
var expr = (Expression<Func<string, bool>>) (x => x == testValue);
var rhs = (MemberExpression) ((BinaryExpression) expr.Body).Right;
var obj = ((ConstantExpression) rhs.Expression).Value;
var field = (FieldInfo) rhs.Member;
var value = field.GetValue(obj);
Debug.Assert(Equals(value, "hello"));
testValue = "changed";
value = field.GetValue(obj);
Debug.Assert(Equals(value, "changed"));
Alternatively you can change your variable into a constant.
const string testValue = "hello";
var expr = (Expression<Func<string, bool>>) (x => x == testValue);
var value = ((ConstantExpression) ((BinaryExpression) expr.Body).Right).Value;
Debug.Assert(Equals(value, "hello"));
Instead of doing this by yourself, have a look at PartialEvaluator from Matt Warren. It replaces all references to constants with the constants themselves.

Retrieving an Expression from a property and adding it to an expression tree

I've tried to simplify this example, as the actual code I'm playing with is more complex. So while this example may seem silly, bear with me. Let's say I'm working with the AdventureWorks database and I decide I want to add a property called Blarg to the Product table that returns an expression that contains code I would like to use in several places:
public partial class Product
{
public Expression<Func<Product, string>> Blarg
{
get { return product => product.ProductModelID.HasValue ? "Blarg?" : "Blarg!"; }
}
}
What I want to do is create an expression expression tree, have it get the Expression from Product.Blarg, and group by the result. Something like this:
var productParameter = Expression.Parameter(typeof(Product), "product");
// The Problem
var groupExpression = Expression.Lambda<Func<Product, string>>(
Expression.Invoke(
Expression.Property(productParameter, "Blarg"),
productParameter),
productParameter);
using (AdventureWorksDataContext db = new AdventureWorksDataContext())
{
var result = db.Products.GroupBy(groupExpression).ToList();
// Throws ArgumentException: "The argument 'value' was the wrong type.
// Expected 'System.Delegate'.
// Actual 'System.Linq.Expressions.Expression`1[System.Func`2[LINQ_Test.Product,System.String]]'."
}
Obviously groupExpression is incorrect (see the code comment for the exception), but I'm not sure how I should be doing it. What I thought I was saying is "get the Expression from the product.Blarg, execute it, and return the string result." I guess that's not what I'm actually saying there, though. I'm still trying to figure out expression trees. Any idea how I could pull this off?
When you call Expression.Invoke, the first argument must be an existing LambdaExpression - it can't be an Expression to a LambdaExpression. Or in other words: it isn't going to evaluate Product.Blarg per row and use a different sub-expression each time.
Instead, you would retrieve this lambda first, perhaps making it static and accessing it via reflection if you only know it by name:
var lambda = (LambdaExpression) typeof(Product)
.GetProperty("Blarg").GetValue(null,null);
And pass lambda in as the argument to Expression.Invoke; here's a fully working LINQ-to-Objects example showing this (via AsQueryable()):
using System;
using System.Linq;
using System.Linq.Expressions;
public partial class Product
{
public static Expression<Func<Product, string>> Blarg
{
get { return product => product.ProductModelID.HasValue ? "Blarg?" : "Blarg!"; }
}
public int? ProductModelID { get; set; }
static void Main()
{
var lambda = (LambdaExpression)typeof(Product)
.GetProperty("Blarg").GetValue(null, null);
var productParameter = Expression.Parameter(typeof(Product), "product");
// The Problem
var groupExpression = Expression.Lambda<Func<Product, string>>(
Expression.Invoke(
lambda,
productParameter),
productParameter);
var data = new[] {
new Product { ProductModelID = 123},
new Product { ProductModelID = null},
new Product { ProductModelID = 456},
};
var qry = data.AsQueryable().GroupBy(groupExpression).ToList();
}
}
var qry = data.AsQueryable().GroupBy(Blarg).ToList();
That works, same as Marc's code.
Note: Blarg is already correct, there is no reason to 're-invoke' it.

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