Develop Reference

Replace method's Body with Body of another method using Mono.Cecil?

With Mono.Cecil it looks quite simple when we can just set the Body of the target MethodDefinition to the Body of the source MethodDefinition. For simple methods, that works OK. But for some methods whereas a custom type is used (such as to init a new object), it won't work (with an exception thrown at the time writing the assembly back).
Here is my code:
//in current app
public class Form1 {
public string Test(){
return "Modified Test";
}
}
//in another assembly
public class Target {
public string Test(){
return "Test";
}
}
//the copying code, this works for the above pair of methods
//the context here is of course in the current app
var targetAsm = AssemblyDefinition.ReadAssembly("target_path");
var mr1 = targetAsm.MainModule.Import(typeof(Form1).GetMethod("Test"));
var targetType = targetAsm.MainModule.Types.FirstOrDefault(e => e.Name == "Target");
var m2 = targetType.Methods.FirstOrDefault(e => e.Name == "Test");
var m1 = mr1.Resolve();
var m1IL = m1.Body.GetILProcessor();
foreach(var i in m1.Body.Instructions.ToList()){
var ci = i;
if(i.Operand is MethodReference){
var mref = i.Operand as MethodReference;
ci = m1IL.Create(i.OpCode, targetType.Module.Import(mref));
}
else if(i.Operand is TypeReference){
var tref = i.Operand as TypeReference;
ci = m1IL.Create(i.OpCode, targetType.Module.Import(tref));
}
if(ci != i){
m1IL.Replace(i, ci);
}
}
//here the source Body should have its Instructions set imported fine
//so we just need to set its Body to the target's Body
m2.Body = m1.Body;
//finally write to another output assembly
targetAsm.Write("modified_target_path");
The code above was not referenced from anywhere, I just tried it myself and found out it works for simple cases (such as for the 2 methods Test I posted above). But if the source method (defined in the current app) contains some Type reference (such as some constructor init ...), like this:
public class Form1 {
public string Test(){
var u = new Uri("SomeUri");
return u.AbsolutePath;
}
}
Then it will fail at the time writing the assembly back. The exception thrown is ArgumentException with the following message:
"Member 'System.Uri' is declared in another module and needs to be imported"
In fact I've encountered a similar message before but it's for method calls like (string.Concat). And that's why I've tried importing the MethodReference (you can see the if inside the foreach loop in the code I posted). And really that worked for that case.
But this case is different, I don't know how to import the used/referenced types (in this case it is System.Uri) correctly. As I know the result of Import should be used, for MethodReference you can see that the result is used to replace the Operand for each Instruction. But for Type reference in this case I totally have no idea on how.

All my code posted in my question is fine BUT not enough. Actually the exception message:
"Member 'System.Uri' is declared in another module and needs to be imported"
complains about the VariableDefinition's VariableType. I just import the instructions but not the Variables (which are just referenced exactly from the source MethodBody). So the solution is we need to import the variables in the same way as well (and maybe import the ExceptionHandlers as well because an ExceptionHandler has CatchType which should be imported).
Here is just the similar code to import VariableDefinition:
var vars = m1.Body.Variables.ToList();
m1.Body.Variables.Clear();
foreach(var v in vars){
var nv = new VariableDefinition(v.Name, targetType.Module.Import(v.VariableType));
m1.Body.Variables.Add(nv);
}

Add class to compiled assembly (in memory)

Since CompileAssemblyFromSource add custom functions in a smart way was ignored im going to ask this question differently so people will bother to read it.
cutting at the chase,i am making a language by "translating" the new syntax into c# and compiling it in memory in this fashion.
using (Microsoft.CSharp.CSharpCodeProvider CodeProv =
new Microsoft.CSharp.CSharpCodeProvider())
{
CompilerResults results = CodeProv.CompileAssemblyFromSource(
new System.CodeDom.Compiler.CompilerParameters()
{
GenerateInMemory = true
},
code);
var type = results.CompiledAssembly.GetType("MainClass");
var obj = Activator.CreateInstance(type);
var output = type.GetMethod("Execute").Invoke(obj, new object[] { });
Console.WriteLine(output);
}
basically i am executing a "main" function written inside the code variable.
and i am using some functions in the code variable i would like to include without adding it as a string at the bottom like this:
code += #"public void Write(string path, object thevar)
{
if (thevar.GetType() == typeof(string))
{
System.IO.File.WriteAllText(path,(string)thevar);
}
if (thevar.GetType() == typeof(string[]))
{
System.IO.File.WriteAllLines(path,(string[])thevar);
}
}";
Can i somehow add a class from my Actual main project in VS and let the compiled in memory code access it? without adding it as a string.

You can embed your source code file(s) as resources. With this technique you can edit the file in Visual Studio and access the contents of the files as if it was a string during run-time.
This link shows how to do it:
https://stackoverflow.com/a/433182/540832

How to get the value of a property of a class in a non executing assembly through reflection

I'm having trouble while getting the value of the text property in a non-executing assembly; I read an assembly from disk via reflection, then i get all classes in the assembly to search for the Text property in a windows form class which is initialized by win forms designer. So far i have the following code:
static void Main(string[] args)
{
Assembly asm = Assembly.LoadFrom(Path.Combine(path, "Assembly.exe"));
PropertyInfo[] props;
foreach (Type t in asm.GetTypes())
{
var value = t.GetProperty("Text").GetValue(/*Not sure what to put here*/)
}
}
And this is how the designer generated the form
Me.AutoScaleMode = System.Windows.Forms.AutoScaleMode.None
Me.BackColor = System.Drawing.Color.FromArgb(CType(CType(0, Byte), Integer), CType(CType(128, Byte), Integer), CType(CType(128, Byte), Integer))
Me.ClientSize = New System.Drawing.Size(234, 181)
Me.Cursor = System.Windows.Forms.Cursors.Default
Me.Font = New System.Drawing.Font("Arial", 8.25!, System.Drawing.FontStyle.Bold, System.Drawing.GraphicsUnit.Point, CType(0, Byte))
Me.ForeColor = System.Drawing.SystemColors.WindowText
Me.FormBorderStyle = System.Windows.Forms.FormBorderStyle.FixedDialog
Me.Location = New System.Drawing.Point(581, 222)
Me.MaximizeBox = False
Me.MinimizeBox = False
Me.Name = "winform"
Me.RightToLeft = System.Windows.Forms.RightToLeft.No
Me.StartPosition = System.Windows.Forms.FormStartPosition.Manual
Me.Text = "Title"
Me.fraDías.ResumeLayout(False)
Me.ResumeLayout(False)
Keep in mind that the assembly is on disk and non-executing and that I want to retrieve the value of the Text property of every winform (I guess it should be somewhere hardcoded in the assembly since it was generated by the winforms designer)
Please tell me if this is possible, thanks!

Your requirements are contradictory, when you load an aseembly via reflection, and instantiate an object or try to get a property value, what happens is that some code begins to run, there is no way around that.
Remember that properties are just "syntax sugar" for a pair of methods, the getter and setter. Their current value is nothing but the value returned by the getter method, and when you change its value, you're in fact calling its setter method. So, to retrieve property values, you must make some code to run, even if it's a trivial get method.
I think maybe your confusion comes from the fact that you're using a designer to create the form. Particularly with the WinForms designer (WPF for instance is substantially different), all it does is to autogenerate some code for you. Setting properties, placing and moving controls around, what's happening under the hood is that it writes code that replicate your actions at runtime, specifically, it codes the InitializeComponent method. The real property value is set when the constructor is called (that in turn calls InitializeComponent), and then you may read/change using many properties.
What you would need to read those designer attributes is that those were hardcoded in some form of metadata, so that it's simply read as data and not as the result of code execution. That's not the case with WinForms, as it "saves" the form as code.

You cannot read a property of a class that has not been instantiated! The parameter you are missing is an instance of your type.
You must create an instance of the type with object o = Activator.CreateInstance(type); before accessing its members (unless they are static).
Your problem is related to how add-ins (plug-ins) can be loaded at runtime.
Here is how I made an Add-In Loader. Below, I will explain how you can adapt it to your problem. Add-Ins have to implement the IAddIn interface in my example. You are totally free in the definition of IAddIn. You could define it like this:
public interface IAddIn
{
bool OnLoad();
string Version { get; set; }
string Text { get; set; }
}
This allows you to access members without reflection.
public class AddInLoader
{
// Loads all non abstract types implementing IAddIn in all DLLs found in a folder.
public IList<IAddIn> Load(string folder)
{
var addIns = new List<IAddIn>();
string[] files = Directory.GetFiles(folder, "*.dll");
foreach (string file in files) {
addIns.AddRange(LoadFromAssembly(file));
}
return addIns;
}
// Loads all non abstract types implementing IAddIn found in a file.
private static IEnumerable<IAddIn> LoadFromAssembly(string fileName)
{
Assembly asm = Assembly.LoadFrom(fileName);
string addInInterfaceName = typeof(IAddIn).FullName;
foreach (Type type in asm.GetExportedTypes()) {
Type interfaceType = type.GetInterface(addInInterfaceName);
if (interfaceType != null &&
(type.Attributes & TypeAttributes.Abstract) != TypeAttributes.Abstract){
IAddIn addIn = (IAddIn)Activator.CreateInstance(type);
addIn.Version = asm.GetName().Version.ToString();
yield return addIn;
}
}
}
}
Now you can load and access the add-ins like this:
var loader = new AddInLoader();
IList<IAddIn> addIns = loader.Load(folderPath);
foreach (IAddIn addIn in addIns) {
if (addIn.OnLoad()) {
Console.WriteLine("Version = {0}, Text = {1}", addIn.Version, addIn.Text);
}
}
Reading the titles of Forms at runtime:
You can easily adapt this example. Instead of searching for types implementing an interface, search for types deriving from System.Windows.Forms.Form.
private static IEnumerable<Form> LoadFormsFromAssembly(string fileName)
{
Assembly asm = Assembly.LoadFrom(fileName);
foreach (Type type in asm.GetExportedTypes()) {
if (typeof(Form).IsAssignableFrom(type) &&
(type.Attributes & TypeAttributes.Abstract) != TypeAttributes.Abstract) {
Form form = (Form)Activator.CreateInstance(type);
yield return form;
}
}
}
Now you can get the texts of the forms like this:
var forms = LoadFormsFromAssembly(path);
foreach (Form frm in forms) {
Console.WriteLine(frm.Text);
}
Note: You must instantiate the forms, however you do not need to open (show) them. The code works only if the forms have a default constructor, i.e. a constructor without parameters.

You need an instance object for that type to get the value of a property.
It looks like you just want to check if a type has a "Text" property or not. You can to it by checking
bool hasTextProperty = t.GetProperty("Text") !=null;

Is it possible to execute C# code represented as string?

On my form I have a button click
private void button1_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
do something
}
How on the click would I load my do something from a text file, for example my text file looks like this:
MessageBox.Show("hello");
label1.Text = "Hello";
on click it does everything in my text file, if possible.

Here is a very simple example, just to prove this is possible. Basically, you use CodeDomProvider to compile source at runtime, then execute using reflection.
var provider = CodeDomProvider.CreateProvider("C#");
string src=#"
namespace x
{
using System;
public class y
{
public void z()
{
Console.WriteLine(""hello world"");
}
}
}
";
var result = provider.CompileAssemblyFromSource(new CompilerParameters(), src);
if (result.Errors.Count == 0)
{
var type = result.CompiledAssembly.GetType("x.y");
var instance = Activator.CreateInstance(type);
type.GetMethod("z").Invoke(instance, null);
}
Edit
As #Agat points out, the OP seems to require a sort of scripting framework (it makes use of label1, a property of the current object), whereas my answer above obviously does not provide that. The best I can think of is a limited solution, which would be to require dependencies to be specified explicitly as parameters in the "script". Eg, write the scripted code like this:
string src = #"
namespace x
{
using System.Windows;
public class y
{
public void z(Label label1)
{
MessageBox.Show(""hello"");
label1.Text = ""Hello"";
}
}
}
";
Now you can have the caller examine the parameters, and pass them in from the current context, again using reflection:
var result = provider.CompileAssemblyFromSource(new CompilerParameters(), src);
if (result.Errors.Count == 0)
{
var type = result.CompiledAssembly.GetType("x.y");
var instance = Activator.CreateInstance(type);
var method = type.GetMethod("z");
var args = new List<object>();
// assume any parameters are properties/fields of the current object
foreach (var p in method.GetParameters())
{
var prop = this.GetType().GetProperty(p.Name);
var field = this.GetType().GetField(p.Name);
if (prop != null)
args.Add(prop.GetValue(this, null));
else if (field != null);
args.Add(field.GetValue(this));
else
throw new InvalidOperationException("Parameter " + p.Name + " is not found");
}
method.Invoke(instance, args.ToArray());
}

Like the other answers have stated, it isn't an easy thing to implement and can possibly be done through reflection depending on how advanced your scripts are.
But no one #BrankoDimitrijevic mentioned Roslyn and it is a great tool. http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/vstudio/roslyn.aspx
It hasn't been updated in quite awhile (Sept.2012) and doesn't have all of the features of C# implemented, however, it did have a lot of it implemented when I played around with this release.
By adding your assembly as a reference to the scripting session, you're able to gain access to all of your assembly's types and script against them. It also supports return values so you can return any data that a scripted method generates.
You can find what isn't implemented here.
Below is a quick and dirty example of Roslyn that I just wrote and tested. Should work right out of box after installing Roslyn from NuGet. The small bloat at the initialization of the script engine can easily be wrapped up in a helper class or method.
The key is passing in a HostObject. It can be anything. Once you do, your script will have full access to the properties. Notice that you just call the properties and not the host object in the script.
Basically, your host object will contain properties of the data you need for your script. Don't necessarily think of your host object as just a single data object, but rather a configuration.
public class MyHostObject
{
public string Value1 { get; set; }
public string Value2 { get; set; }
}
public class RoslynTest
{
public void Test()
{
var myHostObject = new MyHostObject
{
Value1 = "Testing Value 1",
Value2 = "This is Value 2"
};
var engine = new ScriptEngine();
var session = engine.CreateSession(myHostObject);
session.AddReference(myHostObject.GetType().Assembly.Location);
session.AddReference("System");
session.AddReference("System.Core");
session.ImportNamespace("System");
// "Execute" our method so we can call it.
session.Execute("public string UpdateHostObject() { Value1 = \"V1\"; Value2 = \"V2\"; return Value1 + Value2;}");
var s = session.Execute<string>("UpdateHostObject()");
//s will return "V1V2" and your instance of myHostObject was also changed.
}
}

No. You can not.
At least in any simple way.
The thing you want is something like eval('do something') from javascript.
That's not possible to do with C#. C# is a language which needs compilation before execution unlike javascript (for instance).
The only way to implement that is to build your own (pretty complicated as for beginner) parser and execute it in such way.
UPDATED:
Actually, as JDB fairly noticed, that's really not the only way. I love programming! There are so many ways to make a freakky (or even sometimes that really can be necessary for some custom interesting tasks (or even learning)!) code. he he
Another approach I've got in my mind is building some .cs file, then compiling it on-the-fly and working with it as some assembly or some other module. Right.

dynamic method and the MethodAccessException

given the following classes:
class SomeBuilder<T>
{
public static object Build(int index)
{
...
}
}
class SomeHelper
{
public object GetBuildObj(object value)
{
var valuetype = value.GetType();
var methodinfo = typeof(SomeBuilder<>).MakeGenericType(valuetype).GetMethod("Build");
var handler = SomeDynamicHelper.GetMethodInvoker(methodinfo);
var result = hander(null, new object[]{1});
}
}
SomeBuilder was a generic type so i need a call to MakeGenericType() to make things right.
when i pass a normal type like 'class person' for the value, everything just works, that`s fine.
but when i pass a anonymous type like: new { id=1 }, the handler was successfully created. but invoke this dynamic handler i got a MethodAccessException with these messages:
"method "SomeDynamicHelper.(System.Object, System.Objec[])" try to access method "SomeBuilder'1<<>f__AnonymousType0'1<System.Int32>>.Build(int)" failed.
any help would be appreciated, thx.
btw, if you are interested in SomeDynamicHelper, plz see:
http://www.codeproject.com/Articles/14593/A-General-Fast-Method-Invoker
edit1:
i did the call in main like this:
static void Main(string[] args)
{
// pass a normal class, this will be fine
var value = new Person { id = 1};
new SomeHelper().GetBuildObj(value);
// pass a anonymous type
var value = new { id = 1};
new SomeHelper().GetBuildObj(value); // oops, got a exception here!
}
edit2:
based on the comment i changed my code:
class SomeHelper
{
public object GetBuildObj(object value)
{
//this time i do not use the value, but create a new inner value:
var valuenew = new { id = 1 };
var valuetype = valuenew.GetType();
var methodinfo = typeof(SomeBuilder<>).MakeGenericType(valuetype).GetMethod("Build");
var handler = SomeDynamicHelper.GetMethodInvoker(methodinfo);
var result = hander(null, new object[]{1});
}
}
well, this time there is no exception, but...unfortunately a new problem occured...may be i should open a new thread for the new problem.
thank you guys, for your attentions.
edit3:
hi, after some digging, i also found some useful information. say, the SomeDynamicHelper.GetMethodInvoker() code as below:
DynamicMethod dynamicMethod = new DynamicMethod(string.Empty, typeof(object), new Type[] { typeof(object), typeof(object[]) }, methodInfo.DeclaringType.Module);
this is the core we used here to dynamic create a method. for our context, we need to declare the anonymous type in same assembly with the SomeHelper and SomeBuilder. but, if we can`t do the declaration, what should we do?
ok, you can call DynamicMethod() with last parameter(the skipVisibility), set to true!
hope this will help others with the same problem :)

"method "SomeDynamicHelper.(System.Object, System.Objec[])" try to access method "SomeBuilder'1<<>f__AnonymousType0'1>.Build(int)"
From this you can see that dynamic method try to run an internal\private method called Build, for that you got MethodAccessException.
(The anonymous type is kept in a new generated class)
Adding InternalVisibleTo not always helping because it's helping only if you can rewrite the anonymous type assembly (manually or with interception) and only if the type and method are internals and not private.
In dynamic method you can bind the method to type\module, and to skip visibility check, but this help to access private members of the specified module, so again if the type you trying to access is in a different assembly and the type\method are private you can't do anything.
Well almost. There is a "secret" attribute that you inject to your assembly, called IgnoreAccessChecksTo and then in addition to bounded module and skip visibility maybe it will work.

You can try using [assembly: InternalsVisibleTo("Anonymously Hosted DynamicMethods Assembly")] in the same project where you define the anonymous type.

I had a similar error with a C# class I tried to inject using IKVM-converted Guice. The fix was simply making the affected class (in this case probably SomeBuilder) public and everything worked fine.