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This repository was archived by the owner on Jul 11, 2025. It is now read-only.
Make serializer work nicely with autoproperties #864
Description
Summary
Currently we try to avoid using auto properties because when serializing a instance the serializer will use the name of the backing fields which have a ugly name like <Foo>k__BackingField.
Consider changing the serializers to understand the relationship between the backing fields and the properties to allow them to handle these in a nicer way
Analysis
- Allows the use of auto properties without downsides in both our code and end users code. Which can clean up some files alot.
- 3th party types that use autoproperties will end up with the ugly backingfield name in serialized form.
- In the future features like records might be added to C# which might also make use of properties?
- We have to find a reliable way to find the relationship between backingfields and properties.
Simple example of getting the backingfield or the autoproperty. No idea if this is stable enough, needs more research.
const string prefix = "<";
const string suffix = ">k__BackingField";
public static FieldInfo GetBackingField(PropertyInfo propertyInfo)
{
var backingFieldName = $"{prefix}{propertyInfo.Name}{suffix}";
return propertyInfo.DeclaringType.GetFields(BindingFlags.NonPublic | BindingFlags.Instance | BindingFlags.Static).FirstOrDefault(x => x.Name == backingFieldName && x.IsDefined(typeof(CompilerGeneratedAttribute)));
}
public static PropertyInfo GetAutoProperty(FieldInfo field)
{
if (field.Name.StartsWith(prefix) && field.Name.EndsWith(suffix) && field.IsDefined(typeof(CompilerGeneratedAttribute), true))
{
var propertyName = field.Name[prefix.Length..^suffix.Length];
if (propertyName != null)
{
return field.DeclaringType.GetProperties(BindingFlags.NonPublic | BindingFlags.Public | BindingFlags.Instance | BindingFlags.Static)
.Where(x => x.SetMethod != null && x.SetMethod.IsDefined(typeof(CompilerGeneratedAttribute)))
.Where(x => x.GetMethod != null && x.GetMethod.IsDefined(typeof(CompilerGeneratedAttribute)))
.FirstOrDefault(x => x.Name == propertyName);
}
}
return null;
}
Activity
ilexp commentedon Jul 10, 2020
Some notes:
AssignFieldErrorwill be invoked and user-handled. Usually they'll just check for a hardcoded name, but there may be cases where reflection will be involved and name translation required.CompilerGeneratedattribute on both the properties and fields, which we could potentially use to filter out candidates for any matching.XmlSerializerand potentially others that might write a human-readable format in the future. I'm currently leaning towards the former though, since it reduces the mental load for implementers of specific serialization formats.SerializeType, replacingFieldInfowith a struct that has a field info, but also a "serialized name". I'd not make this specific for auto-properties, or even mention them.FormerlySerializedAsuser attributes without having to rely on implementing aSerializeErrorHandlerthere.Rick-van-Dam commentedon Jul 10, 2020
Oh also on the property? Thats nice. Can make it quite robust then by just checking if theres a attribute on both sides.
EDIT: updated the example on this.
ilexp commentedon Jul 11, 2020
Not the property itself, but its internal getter and setter methods get one. Still, could be useful enough for some sort of verification.