NetFabric.Reflection 5.0.0

NetFabric.Reflection

This package extends the reflection API.

Enumerable type checking

To find if a type is enumerable, it's not enough to check if it implements IEnumerable, IEnumerable<> or IAsyncEnumerable<>. The foreach and await foreach statements support several other cases.

NOTE: Check the article "Efficient Data Processing: Leveraging C#'s foreach Loop" to understand all the possible cases supported by the foreach statement.

This package provides extension methods for the type Type that can correctly validate if the type it represents can be used as the source in foreach or await foreach statements.

IsEnumerable

public static bool IsEnumerable(this Type type,
    [NotNullWhen(true)] out EnumerableInfo? enumerableInfo,
    out IsEnumerableError error);

The method returns true if the type represented by Type can be used in a foreach statement; otherwise false.

NOTE: It does not support the case when GetEnumerator() is defined as an extension method. It's not possible to find extension methods using reflection.

If it returns true, the enumerableInfo output parameter contains all the MethodInfo and PropertySymbol for the methods and properties that are going to be actually used by the foreach statement. The GetEnumerator() of the enumerable, the property Current and the method MoveNext() of the enumerator. It may also contain info for methods Reset() and Dispose() of the enumerator, if defined.

If it returns false, the error output parameter indicates why the type is not considered an enumerable. It can be MissingGetEnumerator, MissingCurrent or MissingMoveNext.

The output parameter also includes a ForEachUsesIndexer boolean property that indicates that, although the collection provides an enumerator, foreach will use the indexer instead. That's the case for arrays and spans.

You can use these info values to further validate the enumerable and its respective enumerator. For example, use the following to find if the Current property of the enumerator returns by reference:

enumerableInfo.EnumeratorSymbols.Current.ReturnsByRef;

IsAsyncEnumerable

public static bool IsAsyncEnumerable(this Type type,
    [NotNullWhen(true)] out AsyncEnumerableInfo? enumerableInfo,
    out IsAsyncEnumerableError error);

The methods returs true if the type represented by Type can be used in an await foreach statement; otherwise false.

NOTE: It does not support the case when GetAsyncEnumerator() is defined as an extension method. It's not possible to find extension methods using reflection.

If it returns true, the enumerableInfo output parameter contains all the MethodInfo and PropertySymbol for the methods and properties that are going to be actually used by the await foreach statement. The GetAsyncEnumerator() of the enumerable, the property Current and the method MoveNextAsync() of the enumerator. It may also contain info for method DisposeAsync() of the enumerator, if defined.

If it returns false, the error output parameter indicates why the type is not considered an enumerable. It can be MissingAsyncGetEnumerator, MissingCurrent or MissingMoveNextAsync.

You can use these info values to further validate the async enumerable or its respective enumerator.

Expression trees

NetFabric.Reflection contains high level Expression generators that makes it easier to handle enumerables in Expression Trees. The code generated is as similar as possible to the one generated by Roslyn for the equivalent keywords.

To use these, add the NetFabric.Reflection package to your project.

ExpressionEx.ForEach

public static Expression ForEach(Expression enumerable, Func<Expression, Expression> body)

• enumerable - Defines an enumerable.
• body - Defines the body containing the code performed for each item. Pass a lambda expression that, given an Expression that defines an item, returns an Expression that uses it.

WARNING: Async enumerables are not supported.

The Expression generated depends on:

• Whether the enumerator is an interface, class, struct, or ref struct.
• Whether the enumerator is disposable or not.
• Whether the enumerable is an array. In this case, it uses the array indexer instead of IEnumerable<> to enumerate.

Throws an exception if the Expression in the first parameter does not define an enumerable. In case you don't want the exception to be thrown, use the other overload that takes an EnumerableInfo or EnumerableSymbols for the first parameter. Use IsEnumerable to get the required values.

Here's an example, using ExpressionEx.ForEach, that calculates the sum of the items in an enumerable:

using static NetFabric.Expressions.ExpressionEx;
using static System.Linq.Expressions.Expression;

int Sum<TEnumerable>(TEnumerable enumerable)
{
    var enumerableParameter = Parameter(typeof(TEnumerable), "enumerable");
    var sumVariable = Variable(typeof(int), "sum");
    var expression = Block(
        new[] {sumVariable},
        Assign(sumVariable, Constant(0)),
        ForEach(
            enumerableParameter,
            item => AddAssign(sumVariable, item)),
        sumVariable);
    var sum = Lambda<Func<TEnumerable, int>>(expression, enumerableParameter).Compile();

    return sum(enumerable);
}

ExpressionEx.For

public static Expression For(Expression initialization, Expression condition, Expression iterator, Expression body)

• initialization - Defines the initialization. Performed before starting the loop iteration.
• condition - Defines the condition. Performed before each loop iteration.
• iterator - Defines the iterator. Performed after each loop iteration.
• body - Defines the body. Performed in each loop iteration.

ExpressionEx.For does not declare the iteration variable. You may have to declare it using an Expression.Block.

Here's an example, using ExpressionEx.For, that calculates the sum of the items in an array:

using static NetFabric.Expressions.ExpressionEx;
using static System.Linq.Expressions.Expression;

int Sum(int[] array, int start, int end)
{
    var arrayParameter = Parameter(typeof(int[]), "array");
    var startParameter = Parameter(typeof(int), "start");
    var endParameter = Parameter(typeof(int), "end");
    var indexVariable = Variable(typeof(int), "index");
    var sumVariable = Variable(typeof(int), "sum");
    var expression = Block(
        new[] { indexVariable, sumVariable },
        Assign(sumVariable, Constant(0)),
        For(
            Assign(indexVariable, startParameter),
            LessThan(indexVariable, endParameter),
            PostIncrementAssign(indexVariable),
            AddAssign(sumVariable, ArrayIndex(arrayParameter, indexVariable))),
        sumVariable);
    var sum = Lambda<Func<int[], int, int, int>>(expression, arrayParameter, startParameter, endParameter).Compile();

    return sum(array, start, end);
}

ExpressionEx.While

public static LoopExpression While(Expression condition, Expression body)

• condition - Defines the condition. Performed before each loop iteration.
• body - Defines the body. Performed in each loop iteration.

Here's an example, using ExpressionEx.While, that calculates the sum of the items in an array:

using static NetFabric.Expressions.ExpressionEx;
using static System.Linq.Expressions.Expression;

int Sum(int[] array, int start, int end)
{
    var valueParameter = Parameter(typeof(int[]), "value");
    var startParameter = Parameter(typeof(int), "start");
    var endParameter = Parameter(typeof(int), "end");
    var sumVariable = Variable(typeof(int), "sum");
    var indexVariable = Variable(typeof(int), "index");
    var expression = Block(
        new[] { indexVariable, sumVariable },
        Assign(sumVariable, Constant(0)),
        Assign(indexVariable, startParameter),
        While(
            LessThan(indexVariable, endParameter),
            Block(
                AddAssign(sumVariable, ArrayIndex(valueParameter, indexVariable)),
                PostIncrementAssign(indexVariable)
            )
        ),
        sumVariable);
    var sum = Lambda<Func<int[], int, int, int>>(expression, valueParameter, startParameter, endParameter).Compile();

    return sum(array, start, end);
}

ExpressionEx.Using

public static TryExpression Using(ParameterExpression instance, Expression body)

• instance - Defines the variable to be disposed.
• body - Defines the body after which the variable is disposed.

Throws and exception if the variable is not disposable. To be considered disposable, if it's is a class or a struct, it has to implement the IDisposable interface. If it's a ref struct, it only needs to have a public parameterless Dispose.

ExpressionEx.Using does not declare the iteration variable. You may have to declare it using an Expression.Block.

WARNING: IAsyncDisposable is not supported.

Here's an example, using ExpressionEx.Using, that calculates the sum of the items in an enumerable:

using static NetFabric.Expressions.ExpressionEx;
using static System.Linq.Expressions.Expression;

int Sum<TEnumerable>(TEnumerable enumerable)
{
    if (!typeof(TEnumerable).IsEnumerable(out var enumerableInfo))
        throw new Exception("Not an enumerable!");

    var enumerableParameter = Parameter(typeof(TEnumerable), "enumerable");
    var enumeratorVariable = Variable(enumerableInfo.GetEnumerator.ReturnType, "enumerator");
    var sumVariable = Variable(typeof(int), "sum");
    var expression = Block(
        new[] {enumeratorVariable, sumVariable},
        Assign(enumeratorVariable, Call(enumerableParameter, enumerableInfo.GetEnumerator)),
        Assign(sumVariable, Constant(0)),
        Using(
            enumeratorVariable,
            While(
                Call(enumeratorVariable, enumerableInfo.EnumeratorInfo.MoveNext),
                AddAssign(sumVariable, Call(enumeratorVariable, enumerableInfo.EnumeratorInfo.GetCurrent))
            )
        ),
        sumVariable);
    var sum = Lambda<Func<TEnumerable, int>>(expression, enumerableParameter).Compile();

    return sum(enumerable);
}