Retrieving Property name from lambda expression

Question

Is there a better way to get the Property name when passed in via a lambda expression? Here is what i currently have.

eg.

GetSortingInfo         


        

Answer 1

This is a general implementation to get the string name of fields/properties/indexers/methods/extension methods/delegates of struct/class/interface/delegate/array. I have tested with combinations of static/instance and non-generic/generic variants.

//involves recursion
public static string GetMemberName(this LambdaExpression memberSelector)
{
    Func nameSelector = null;  //recursive func
    nameSelector = e => //or move the entire thing to a separate recursive method
    {
        switch (e.NodeType)
        {
            case ExpressionType.Parameter:
                return ((ParameterExpression)e).Name;
            case ExpressionType.MemberAccess:
                return ((MemberExpression)e).Member.Name;
            case ExpressionType.Call:
                return ((MethodCallExpression)e).Method.Name;
            case ExpressionType.Convert:
            case ExpressionType.ConvertChecked:
                return nameSelector(((UnaryExpression)e).Operand);
            case ExpressionType.Invoke:
                return nameSelector(((InvocationExpression)e).Expression);
            case ExpressionType.ArrayLength:
                return "Length";
            default:
                throw new Exception("not a proper member selector");
        }
    };

    return nameSelector(memberSelector.Body);
}

This thing can be written in a simple while loop too:

//iteration based
public static string GetMemberName(this LambdaExpression memberSelector)
{
    var currentExpression = memberSelector.Body;

    while (true)
    {
        switch (currentExpression.NodeType)
        {
            case ExpressionType.Parameter:
                return ((ParameterExpression)currentExpression).Name;
            case ExpressionType.MemberAccess:
                return ((MemberExpression)currentExpression).Member.Name;
            case ExpressionType.Call:
                return ((MethodCallExpression)currentExpression).Method.Name;
            case ExpressionType.Convert:
            case ExpressionType.ConvertChecked:
                currentExpression = ((UnaryExpression)currentExpression).Operand;
                break;
            case ExpressionType.Invoke:
                currentExpression = ((InvocationExpression)currentExpression).Expression;
                break;
            case ExpressionType.ArrayLength:
                return "Length";
            default:
                throw new Exception("not a proper member selector");
        }
    }
}

I like the recursive approach, though the second one might be easier to read. One can call it like:

someExpr = x => x.Property.ExtensionMethod()[0]; //or
someExpr = x => Static.Method().Field; //or
someExpr = x => VoidMethod(); //or
someExpr = () => localVariable; //or
someExpr = x => x; //or
someExpr = x => (Type)x; //or
someExpr = () => Array[0].Delegate(null); //etc

string name = someExpr.GetMemberName();

to print the last member.

Note:

1. In case of chained expressions like A.B.C, "C" is returned.

2. This doesn't work with consts, array indexers or enums (impossible to cover all cases).