Develop Reference

IEnumerable.Select() when attribute is known only at runtime

Say I have a data class like this and a list of its objects:
public class DataSet
{
public int A { get; set; }
public string B { get; set; }
public double C { get; set; }
}
var data = new List<DataSet>
{
new DataSet() { A = 1, B = "One", C = 1.1 },
new DataSet() { A = 2, B = "Two", C = 2.2 },
new DataSet() { A = 3, B = "Three", C = 3.3 }
};
I would like to do a Select() on the list, based on different properties. For example, if I need a list of property A, I could do this easily:
var listA = data.Select(x => x.A).ToList();
All good so far.
But in my program, I need to do the above, only, I wouldn't know whether I need a list of A or B or C until runtime. This 'knowledge' of what to select is stored in a list of strings, and I need to iterate it and extract only the appropriate lists. Something like this:
// GetKeys() will return the keys that I need to extract.
// So at one time keyList could have "A" and "B", another time "B" and "C" etc.
List<string> keyList = GetKeys();
foreach (var key in keyList)
{
// What do I do here?
data.Select(x =>???).ToList();
}
Is this possible at all? I'm fine with even a non-LINQ solution, if it achieves my goal.
EDIT:
Clarifying the requirement.
The end result I want is a separate list based on each 'key' mentioned above. So, something like
List<List<object>>
The count in outer list would be the count of keyList.
The inner list would have as many items as in DataSet.

This would probably not be the most efficient solution, but you could use Reflection for a fully dynamic solution:
private static List<List<object>> SelectDynamicData<T>(IEnumerable<T> data, List<string> properties)
{
// get the properties only once per call
// this isn't fast
var wantedProperties = typeof(T)
.GetProperties()
.Where(x => properties.Contains(x.Name))
.ToArray();
var result = new Dictionary<string, List<object>>();
foreach (var item in data)
{
foreach (var wantedProperty in wantedProperties)
{
if (!result.ContainsKey(wantedProperty.Name))
{
result.Add(wantedProperty.Name, new List<object>());
}
result[wantedProperty.Name].Add(wantedProperty.GetValue(item));
}
}
return result.Select(x => x.Value).ToList();
}
And, of course, you'd need to do a double foreach or a LINQ query to print that. For example:
var data = new List<DataSet>
{
new DataSet() { A = 1, B = "One", C = 1.1 },
new DataSet() { A = 2, B = "Two", C = 2.2 },
new DataSet() { A = 3, B = "Three", C = 3.3 }
};
var selectedData = SelectDynamicData(data, new List<string> { "A", "C" });
foreach (var list in selectedData)
{
foreach (object item in list)
{
Console.Write(item + ", ");
}
Console.WriteLine();
}

Using Creating Expression Trees by Using the API you can build an expression tree to represent the linq query you were hard coding in order to make it more dynamic.
Expression<Func<TModel, object>> GetPropertyExpression<TModel>(string propertyName) {
// Manually build the expression tree for
// the lambda expression v => v.PropertyName.
// (TModel v) =>
var parameter = Expression.Parameter(typeof(TModel), "v");
// (TModel v) => v.PropertyName
var property = Expression.Property(parameter, propertyName);
// (TModel v) => (object) v.PropertyName
var cast = Expression.Convert(property, typeof(object));
var expression = Expression.Lambda<Func<TModel, object>>(cast, parameter);
return expression;
}
Review the comments to understand the building of the expression tree.
This now can be used with the data to extract the desired result.
Following similar to what was provided in another answer it would be simplified to
List<List<object>> SelectDynamicData<T>(IEnumerable<T> data, List<string> properties) {
return properties
.Select(_ => data.Select(GetPropertyExpression<T>(_).Compile()).ToList())
.ToList();
}
Both methods are displayed in the following example
[TestMethod]
public void TestMethod1() {
var data = new List<DataSet>
{
new DataSet() { A = 1, B = "One", C = 1.1 },
new DataSet() { A = 2, B = "Two", C = 2.2 },
new DataSet() { A = 3, B = "Three", C = 3.3 }
};
var propertyKnownAtRuntime = "A";
var expression = GetPropertyExpression<DataSet>(propertyKnownAtRuntime);
var listA = data.Select(expression.Compile()).ToList();
//Produces
// { 1, 2, 3}
var listAC = SelectDynamicData(data, new List<string> { "A", "C" });
//Produces
//{
// { 1, 2, 3},
// { 1.1, 2.2, 3.3 }
//}
}

You can use reflection, for example
string key = "A";
var query = data.Select(x =>
{
var prop = x.GetType().GetProperty(key); //NOTE: if key does not exist this will return null
return prop.GetValue(x);
});
foreach (var value in query)
{
Console.WriteLine(value); //will print 1, 2, 3
}

Multiply two lambda with Expression

Basically I am trying to multiply two lambdas with the class Expression but I don't even manage to build and can't find documentation on this. Here is my code:
var f = x=>x+2;
var g = x=>x+3;
var argX = Expression.Parameter(typeof(double), "x");
var fg = Expression.Multiply(Expression.Constant(g, typeof(Func<double, double>)), Expression.Constant(f, typeof(Func<double, double>)));
//var fg = Expression.Multiply(Expression.Constant(g),Expression.Constant(f));
var lambda = Expression.Lambda<Func<double, double>>(f3, argX);
return lambda.Compile();

Do you want something like this:
Expression<Func<double,double>> f = x => x + 2;
Expression<Func<double,double>> g = x => x + 3;
var param = Expression.Parameter(typeof(double));
var invokeF = Expression.Invoke(f, param);
var invokeG = Expression.Invoke(g, param);
var mult = Expression.Multiply(invokeF,invokeG);
var lambda = ((Expression<Func<double, double>>)Expression.Lambda(mult, param)).Compile();
If i call it this way:
lambda(3);
I get 30 as valid answer.

For this simply define f and g as Expression as well:
var argX = Expression.Parameter(typeof(double), "x");
var f = Expression.Add(argX, Expression.Constant(3.0)); // applies to x => x + 3
var g = Expression.Add(argX, Expression.Constant(2.0)); // applies to x => x + 2
var fg = Expression.Multiply(f, g); // applies to f(x) * g(x)
var lambda = Expression.Lambda<Func<double, double>>(fg, argX);
Now call it like this:
var r = lambda.Compile()(1);
Which returns 12.

How to call a method with instance using Expression

For example I have some class with some property:
public class SomeClass
{
public Version Version { get; set; }
}
And I have a list of this type with sample data:
var list = new List<SomeClass>();
for (var i = 0; i < 1000; i++)
{
list.Add(new SomeClass
{
Version = new Version(i, i / 2, i / 3, i / 4),
});
}
I want to write method that filters by version using Version.Equals method:
var filterValue = new Version(12, 6, 4, 3);
var modelType = typeof(SomeClass);
var propertyType = typeof(Version);
var arg = Expression.Parameter(modelType, "x");
var property = Expression.Property(arg, "Version");
var value = Expression.Convert(Expression.Constant(filterValue), propertyType);
var versionEqualsMethod = typeof(Version).GetMethod("Equals", new[] { typeof(Version) });
/////////
Expression inst = null; // <-- ???
/////////
var expr = Expression.Call(inst, versionEqualsMethod, property, value);
var delegateType = typeof(Func<,>).MakeGenericType(modelType, typeof(bool));
var delegateValue = Expression.Lambda(delegateType, expr, arg).Compile();
var genericMethod =
typeof(Enumerable).GetMethods()
.First(
method =>
method.Name == "Where" && method.IsGenericMethodDefinition
&& method.GetGenericArguments().Length == 1 && method.GetParameters().Length == 2)
.MakeGenericMethod(modelType);
var result = genericMethod.Invoke(null, new object[] { list, delegateValue });
What do I use as instance in Expression.Call?
UPDATE
Solution is:
var expr = Expression.Call(property, versionEqualsMethod, value);

You normally would do:
var filterValue = new Version(12, 6, 4, 3);
var modelType = typeof(SomeClass);
var propertyType = typeof(Version);
var arg = Expression.Parameter(modelType, "x");
var property = Expression.Property(arg, "Version");
// Changes from here onward
var value = Expression.Constant(filterValue);
var versionEqualsMethod = typeof(Version).GetMethod("Equals", new[] { typeof(Version) });
var expr = Expression.Call(property, versionEqualsMethod, value);
Because the Equals would be used like:
model.Version.Equals(filterValue);
I'm not handling the model.Version == null case!
Note that you don't need the Expression.Convert.
And what you are doing is ok if the "containing method" (the method where you'll put this code) is non-generic, but normally it would be a generic method, that has as the generic parameter the modelType, so the last part of the code would be different (starting from var delegateType =), because you could use the TModelType generic type directly.

Maybe I'm missing out on something, but wouldn't this work:
var results = list.Where(sc => sc.Version == filterVersion);

What you are trying to accomplish is much easier to do with reflection. Check this running online example. (If I understand you correctly that is... It would be helpful, if you could provide the signature of the function you are trying to write.)
Implementation
public static class Extensions
{
public static IEnumerable<T> Filter<T>(
this IEnumerable<T> enumerable, string propertyName, object filterValue)
{
var elementType = typeof (T);
var property = elementType.GetProperty(propertyName);
return enumerable.Where(element =>
{
var propertyValue = property.GetMethod.Invoke(element, new object[] {});
return propertyValue.Equals(filterValue);
});
}
}
Usage
var list = new List<SomeClass>();
for (var i = 0; i < 1000; i++)
{
list.Add(new SomeClass {Version = new Version(i, i/2, i/3, i/4)});
}
var filteredList = list.Filter("Version", new Version(12, 6, 4, 3));
Console.WriteLine(filteredList.Single().Version);

Why reflection does not find property

I have the class:
class Person
{
public string Name { get { return "Antonio"; } }
}
and the Code:
IEnumerable<object> uncknownObject;
uncknownObject = new ObservableCollection<Person>( );
var observCol = uncknownObject.GetType( );
var x = ( ( dynamic )observCol ).GenericTypeArguments[ 0 ];
var y = observCol.GetProperty( "GenericTypeArguments" );
var instance = ( Person )Activator.CreateInstance( x );
Console.WriteLine( instance.Name ); // Print Antonio!!!
why does y == null ?
Note the picture:
the debugger shows that the property GenericTypeArguments should exist and the code shows the opossite. It can be proven that the debugger is right and that property exist because then how come x is not null. If that property exists then why y is equal to null!!!???
Edit
Thanks to Ani I now have:
IEnumerable<object> uncknownObject;
uncknownObject = new ObservableCollection<Person>();
var observCol = uncknownObject.GetType();
var genTypeArgsProperty = typeof(Type).GetProperty("UnderlyingSystemType");
var genTypeArgsValue = (genTypeArgsProperty.GetValue(observCol, null));
var f = genTypeArgsValue.GetType().GetMethod("GetGenericArguments");
IEnumerable<object> result = (IEnumerable<object>)f.Invoke(genTypeArgsValue, null);
var x = result.FirstOrDefault();
var instance = Activator.CreateInstance( (Type)x );
In case of curios why I needed that functionality click here

I don't really understand what you're trying to accomplish with all this meta-meta-reflection, but you seem to have misunderstood what Type.GetProperty does. It gets meta-data for a property on the actual type represented by the System.Type instance (in this case, ObservableCollection<Person>). It does not get meta-data for a property declared on System.Type itself, unless of course you call it on a System.Type representing System.Type itself.
In your case, y is null since ObservableCollection<Person> does not have a property named "GenericTypeArguments".
Try this instead:
var genTypeArgsProperty = typeof(Type).GetProperty("GenericTypeArguments");
var genTypeArgsValue = (Type[]) (genTypeArgsProperty.GetValue(observCol, null));
var onlyTypeArgValue = genTypeArgsValue.Single();

This code works with net framework 4:
IEnumerable<object> uncknownObject;
uncknownObject = new ObservableCollection<Person>();
var observCol = uncknownObject.GetType();
var x = ((dynamic) observCol).UnderlyingSystemType.GetGenericArguments()[0];
var y = observCol.GetGenericArguments();
var instance = (Person)Activator.CreateInstance(x);
Console.WriteLine(instance.Name); // Print Antonio!!!

Auto-executed anonymous functions shortcut in c#?

I have this code :
(simple enum which has values for a,b,c ...[0,1,2] , and i want to show for each looped number - its corrosponding enum in a final list).
public enum ENM
{
a,b,c
}
void Main()
{
var e = Enumerable.Range(0,3).Select(myCounter=>new {
final=((Func<int,ENM>)delegate (int i)
{
return (ENM)i;
})(myCounter)
}).ToList();
this is fine and working.
Is there any solution without writing delegate(int i) {...}?
p.s. of course I can just write (ENM)i but the question is for learning
how to write ( in different ways ) the auto-executed methods.

Why not
Enumerable.Range(0,3).Select(c=>(ENM)c).ToList()
or am I missing some reason for the over complexity?
var e = Enumerable.Range(0, 3).Select(myCounter => new
{
final = ((Func<int, ENM>)(
i=>{
return (ENM)i;
/* More code could be here */
}))(myCounter)
}).ToList();
is about as tight as you will get if you want the same mess :)

var e = Enum.GetNames(typeof(ENM)).Select((e, i) => new { final = e, index = i }).ToList();
OR
var EnumNames = Enum.GetNames(typeof(ENM));
var EnumValues = Enum.GetValues(typeof(ENM)).Cast<ENM>().Select(e => (int)e);
var result = EnumNames.Zip(EnumValues, (n, v) => new { final = n, index = v });

There's a specific method in System.Enum for doing exactly this:
var arr = Enum.GetValues(typeof(ENM));
To get it into a List<ENM>:
var lst = arr.Cast<ENM>().ToList();