Question

This is my code where I create a “copy” of one object (Entity) into a custom object.
It copies just properties with the same name in both source and target.

My problem is when an Entity has a navgiaton to another Entity, for this case I added a custom attribute that I add above the property in the custom class.

For example the custom class looks like:

public class CourseModel:BaseDataItemModel
{
    public int CourseNumber { get; set; }

    public string Name { get; set; }

    LecturerModel lecturer;

    [PropertySubEntity]
    public LecturerModel Lecturer
    {
        get { return lecturer; }
        set { lecturer = value; }
    }

    public CourseModel()
    {
         lecturer = new LecturerModel();
    }

 }

The problem is in targetProp.CopyPropertiesFrom(sourceProp); line, when I try to call extension method again (to copy the nested object) ,because the type is determined on run time, extension method couldn’t resolved on compile time.

Maybe I am missing something…

public static void CopyPropertiesFrom(this BaseDataItemModel targetObject, object source)
{
   PropertyInfo[] allProporties = source.GetType().GetProperties();
   PropertyInfo targetProperty;

   foreach (PropertyInfo fromProp in allProporties)
   {
      targetProperty = targetObject.GetType().GetProperty(fromProp.Name);
      if (targetProperty == null) continue;
      if (!targetProperty.CanWrite) continue;

     //check if property in target class marked with SkipProperty Attribute
     if (targetProperty.GetCustomAttributes(typeof(SkipPropertyAttribute), true).Length != 0) continue;

     if (targetProperty.GetCustomAttributes(typeof(PropertySubEntity), true).Length != 0)
     {
        //Type pType = targetProperty.PropertyType;
        var targetProp = targetProperty.GetValue(targetObject, null);
        var sourceProp = fromProp.GetValue(source, null);

        targetProp.CopyPropertiesFrom(sourceProp); // <== PROBLEM HERE
        //targetProperty.SetValue(targetObject, sourceEntity, null);

     }
       else
           targetProperty.SetValue(targetObject, fromProp.GetValue(source, null), null);
   }
}

Answer 1

You’ll have to cast first.

((BaseDataItemModel)targetProp).CopyPropertiesFrom(sourceProp);