Auto generate properties when creating object

Question

I have classes that have lots of properties, I was wondering that is there any way for Visual Studio, Resharper or other tool to create the syntax for calling the properties, when I create the object. So I dont have to go through all of properties the myself, just set the value and that's it. Something like this.

Object foo = new Object{
    prop1 = ,
    prop2 = ,
    prop3 = };

I don't know if people understood the question. I want Visual Studio to create the setter for the property when I create the object. Not the property itself.

Answer 1

Edit Misunderstood the question

I have a macro which from this line

MyClass x = new MyClass();

generates

x.StrProp = "string";
x.IntProp = 0;

I use it to generate test code but you can just change the PrintMemberAssignment function to present the result as you like:

The macro looks like this (assign it to a keyboard shortcut)

Private mUsings As New HashSet(Of String)

Sub InitializeAllMembers()
    Try
        Dim assignmentPattern As New Regex("(?<Indent>\s*)(?:(?<DeclaredType>\S+)\s+)?(?<VariableName>[\S=]+)\s*=\s*(?<new>new)?\s*(?<CreatedType>[^\s\(]+)")
        Dim selection As EnvDTE.TextSelection = CType(DTE.ActiveDocument.Selection(), EnvDTE.TextSelection)
        Dim editPoint As EditPoint = selection.BottomPoint.CreateEditPoint

        ' Get info from current line in editor
        editPoint.StartOfLine()
        Dim match As Match = assignmentPattern.Match(editPoint.GetText(editPoint.LineLength))
        If Not match.Success Then
            MessageBox.Show("No assignment on row")
            Exit Sub
        End If
        Dim foundDeclaredType As Boolean = match.Groups("DeclaredType").Success AndAlso match.Groups("DeclaredType").Value <> "var"
        Dim foundCreatedType As Boolean = match.Groups("new").Success

        If Not (foundDeclaredType OrElse foundCreatedType) Then
            MessageBox.Show("Can't find type on row")
            Exit Sub
        End If

        Dim typeToExpand As String = If(foundDeclaredType, match.Groups("DeclaredType"), match.Groups("CreatedType")).Value

        ' Traverse upwards in current file and record all using statements
        Dim currentFunction As CodeElement = FindCodeElement(selection.ActivePoint, DTE.ActiveDocument.ProjectItem.FileCodeModel.CodeElements)
        If currentFunction Is Nothing Then
            MessageBox.Show("Can't find current function")
            Exit Sub
        End If
        mUsings.Clear()
        FindAllUsings(currentFunction)

        ' Loop all projects in solution to find requested type
        Dim classType As CodeElement = DTE.Solution.Projects.Cast(Of Project) _
                                                            .Select(Function(x) FindClassInProjectItems(x.ProjectItems, typeToExpand)) _
                                                            .FirstOrDefault(Function(x) x IsNot Nothing)
        If classType Is Nothing Then
            MessageBox.Show("Can't find type in solution: " & typeToExpand)
            Exit Sub
        End If

        PrintMemberAssignments(editPoint, match.Groups("Indent").Value & match.Groups("VariableName").Value, GetMembers(classType))

    Catch objException As System.Exception
        MessageBox.Show(objException.Message)
    End Try
End Sub

' Records all using statements active for a codeelement
Sub FindAllUsings(ByVal elem As Object)
    If TypeOf elem Is CodeFunction Then
        FindAllUsings(CType(elem, CodeFunction).Parent)
    ElseIf TypeOf elem Is CodeClass Then
        mUsings.Add(CType(elem, CodeClass).FullName)
        FindAllUsings(CType(elem, CodeClass).Parent)
    ElseIf TypeOf elem Is CodeStruct Then
        mUsings.Add(CType(elem, CodeStruct).FullName)
        FindAllUsings(CType(elem, CodeStruct).Parent)
    ElseIf TypeOf elem Is CodeNamespace Then
        mUsings.Add(CType(elem, CodeNamespace).FullName)
        For Each ns As String In CType(elem, CodeNamespace).Members.OfType(Of CodeImport) _
                                                                   .Select(Function(x) x.Namespace)
            mUsings.Add(ns)
        Next
        FindAllUsings(CType(elem, CodeNamespace).Parent)
    ElseIf TypeOf elem Is FileCodeModel Then
        For Each ns As String In CType(elem, FileCodeModel).CodeElements.OfType(Of CodeImport) _
                                                                        .Select(Function(x) x.Namespace)
            mUsings.Add(ns)
        Next
    End If
End Sub

' Find code element (i.e. function) for current line
Public Function FindCodeElement(ByVal caretPosition As TextPoint, ByVal elems As CodeElements) As CodeElement
    If elems Is Nothing Then Return Nothing
    Return elems.Cast(Of CodeElement) _
                .Where(Function(x) x.StartPoint.LessThan(caretPosition) AndAlso _
                                   x.EndPoint.GreaterThan(caretPosition)) _
                .Select(Function(x) If(FindCodeElement(caretPosition, GetMembers(x)), x)) _
                .FirstOrDefault()
End Function


Public Sub PrintMemberAssignments(ByVal editPoint As EditPoint, ByVal prefix As String, ByVal members As CodeElements)
    For Each member As CodeElement In members
        Dim text As String
        If TypeOf member Is CodeProperty Then
            If CType(member, CodeProperty).Setter Is Nothing Then Continue For
            If CType(member, CodeProperty).Setter.Access <> vsCMAccess.vsCMAccessPublic Then Continue For
            If CType(member, CodeProperty).Setter.IsShared Then Continue For
            text = MemberAssignment(prefix, member.Name, CType(member, CodeProperty).Type)
        ElseIf TypeOf member Is CodeVariable Then
            If CType(member, CodeVariable).Access <> vsCMAccess.vsCMAccessPublic Then Continue For
            If CType(member, CodeVariable).IsConstant Then Continue For
            If CType(member, CodeVariable).IsShared Then Continue For
            text = MemberAssignment(prefix, member.Name, CType(member, CodeVariable).Type)
        Else
            Continue For
        End If
        editPoint.EndOfLine()
        editPoint.Insert(ControlChars.NewLine)
        editPoint.Insert(text)
    Next
End Sub

Private Function MemberAssignment(ByVal prefix As String, ByVal membername As String, ByVal typeref As EnvDTE.CodeTypeRef) As String
    Dim typekind As EnvDTE.vsCMTypeRef = typeref.TypeKind
    Dim value As String
    If typekind = vsCMTypeRef.vsCMTypeRefArray Then
        value = "{0}.{1} = new {2}[1];"
        If typeref.ElementType.TypeKind = vsCMTypeRef.vsCMTypeRefCodeType Then
            value = value & ControlChars.NewLine & "{0}.{1}[0] = new {2}();"
        End If
        Return String.Format(value, prefix, membername, TrimKnownNamespace(typeref.ElementType.AsString))
    ElseIf typekind = vsCMTypeRef.vsCMTypeRefBool Then
        value = "false"
    ElseIf typekind = vsCMTypeRef.vsCMTypeRefChar Then
        value = "'x'"
    ElseIf typekind = vsCMTypeRef.vsCMTypeRefDecimal Then
        value = "0.00m"
    ElseIf typekind = vsCMTypeRef.vsCMTypeRefDouble Then
        value = "0.00"
    ElseIf typekind = vsCMTypeRef.vsCMTypeRefInt Then
        value = "0"
    ElseIf typekind = vsCMTypeRef.vsCMTypeRefLong Then
        value = "0"
    ElseIf typekind = vsCMTypeRef.vsCMTypeRefShort Then
        value = "0"
    ElseIf typekind = vsCMTypeRef.vsCMTypeRefByte Then
        value = "0"
    ElseIf typekind = vsCMTypeRef.vsCMTypeRefString Then
        value = """" & membername & """"
    ElseIf typekind = vsCMTypeRef.vsCMTypeRefArray Then
        value = "new " & TrimKnownNamespace(typeref.ElementType.AsString) & "[1]"
    ElseIf typekind = vsCMTypeRef.vsCMTypeRefCodeType AndAlso _
            typeref.AsString = "System.DateTime" Then
        value = String.Format("new DateTime({0:yyyy},{0:%M},{0:%d})", DateTime.Today)
    Else
        value = "new " & TrimKnownNamespace(typeref.AsString) & "()"
    End If
    Return String.Format("{0}.{1} = {2};", prefix, membername, value)
End Function

Private Function TrimKnownNamespace(ByVal fullName As String) As String
    Return fullName.Substring(mUsings.Where(Function(x) fullName.StartsWith(x) AndAlso _
                                                        fullName.Length > x.Length AndAlso _
                                                        fullName(x.Length) = "."c) _
                                     .Select(Function(x) x.Length + 1) _
                                     .DefaultIfEmpty(0) _
                                     .Max())
End Function

Private Function FindClassInProjectItems(ByVal nprojectItems As ProjectItems, ByVal classname As String) As CodeElement
    If nprojectItems Is Nothing Then Return Nothing
    For Each nprojectitem As ProjectItem In nprojectItems
        Dim found As CodeElement
        If nprojectitem.Kind = EnvDTE.Constants.vsProjectItemKindPhysicalFile Then
            If nprojectitem.FileCodeModel Is Nothing Then Continue For
            found = FindClassInCodeElements(nprojectitem.FileCodeModel.CodeElements, classname)
            If found IsNot Nothing Then Return found
        End If
        If nprojectitem.SubProject IsNot Nothing Then
            found = FindClassInProjectItems(nprojectitem.SubProject.ProjectItems, classname)
            If found IsNot Nothing Then Return found
        End If
        found = FindClassInProjectItems(nprojectitem.ProjectItems, classname)
        If found IsNot Nothing Then Return found
    Next
End Function

Private Function FindClassInCodeElements(ByVal elems As CodeElements, ByVal classname As String) As CodeElement
    If elems Is Nothing Then Return Nothing
    For Each elem As CodeElement In elems
        If IsClassType(elem) Then
            If classname = elem.Name Then Return elem
        ElseIf Not TypeOf elem Is CodeNamespace Then
            Continue For
        End If
        If mUsings.Contains(elem.FullName) Then
            Dim found As CodeElement = FindClassInCodeElements(GetMembers(elem), classname)
            If found IsNot Nothing Then Return found
        End If
    Next
    Return Nothing
End Function

Private Function GetMembers(ByVal elem As CodeElement) As CodeElements
    If TypeOf elem Is CodeClass Then
        Return CType(elem, CodeClass).Members
    ElseIf TypeOf elem Is CodeNamespace Then
        Return CType(elem, CodeNamespace).Members
    ElseIf TypeOf elem Is CodeStruct Then
        Return CType(elem, CodeStruct).Members
    ElseIf TypeOf elem Is CodeInterface Then
        Return CType(elem, CodeInterface).Members
    End If
    Return Nothing
End Function

Private Function IsClassType(ByVal elem As CodeElement) As Boolean
    Return TypeOf elem Is CodeClass OrElse TypeOf elem Is CodeStruct OrElse TypeOf elem Is CodeInterface
End Function

Answer 2

You could use named parameters in your constructor:

http://geekswithblogs.net/michelotti/archive/2009/01/22/c-4.0-named-parameters-for-better-code-quality.aspx

For example:

Person person = new Person(firstName: "John", lastName: "Smith", dateOfBirth: new DateTime(1970, 1, 1));

Answer 3

Doesn't Intellisense do the most work for you anyway? Normaly it should present you a list of all properties as soon as you open the { an press space.

Answer 4

You can use anonimous objects:

var foo = new { one = 1, two = 2, three = 3};

In this case would be created new object with properties one, two and three