How to use reflection to look for property that implements IList (or any other) iterface

In this sample I have created a function that gets a class of type T and inspects properties to find IList implementation.

Public Function GetResponse(Of T)(ByVal instance As T) As IList
    Dim props As PropertyInfo() = instance.GetType.GetProperties(BindingFlags.Public Or BindingFlags.Instance)
    For Each p In props
      If GetType(IList).IsAssignableFrom(p.PropertyType) AndAlso p.PropertyType.IsGenericType Then
        Dim listItems As IList = DirectCast(p.GetValue(instance, Nothing), IList)
        If listItems IsNot Nothing Then
          Return listItems
        End If
      End If
    Next

    Return Nothing
  End Function

How to convert dataset or dbreader to List(of T) or BindingList(Of T) using mapping

When we want to make our applications more open to other platforms than we cannot use datasets as Therefor we need a way to convert datasets to simple objects and back. In this implementation I used a custom attribute to provide mapping between database language and business language, because that was a requirement.

Here is the custom attribute class:

Imports System.Reflection

<AttributeUsage(AttributeTargets.Field Or AttributeTargets.[Property], AllowMultiple:=False, Inherited:=True)> _
Public NotInheritable Class DataColumnAttribute
  Inherits Attribute

  Private Const Flags As BindingFlags = BindingFlags.[Public] Or BindingFlags.NonPublic Or BindingFlags.Instance Or BindingFlags.FlattenHierarchy

  Private _name As String = Nothing

  Public ReadOnly Property Name() As String

    Get
      Return _name
    End Get
  End Property

  Public Sub New()

  End Sub

  Public Sub New(ByVal name As String)
    _name = name
  End Sub

  Private Function GetName(ByVal member As MemberInfo) As String
    Return If(_name, member.Name)
  End Function



  Public Shared Sub Bind(ByVal row As DataRow, ByVal target As Object)

    Dim type As Type = target.[GetType]()

    For Each column As DataColumn In row.Table.Columns

      For Each field As FieldInfo In type.GetFields(Flags)
        For Each att As DataColumnAttribute In field.GetCustomAttributes(GetType(DataColumnAttribute), True)
          att.Bind(column.ColumnName, target, field, row(column))
        Next
      Next

      For Each [property] As PropertyInfo In type.GetProperties(Flags)
        For Each att As DataColumnAttribute In [property].GetCustomAttributes(GetType(DataColumnAttribute), True)
          att.Bind(column.ColumnName, target, [property], row(column))
        Next
      Next
    Next
  End Sub

  Public Shared Sub Bind(ByRef rd As DbDataReader, ByVal target As Object)

    Dim type As Type = target.[GetType]()

    For i = 0 To rd.FieldCount - 1

      For Each field As FieldInfo In type.GetFields(Flags)
        For Each att As DataColumnAttribute In field.GetCustomAttributes(GetType(DataColumnAttribute), True)
          att.Bind(rd.GetName(i), target, field, rd.Item(i))
        Next
      Next

      For Each [property] As PropertyInfo In type.GetProperties(Flags)
        For Each att As DataColumnAttribute In [property].GetCustomAttributes(GetType(DataColumnAttribute), True)
          att.Bind(rd.GetName(i), target, [property], rd.Item(i))
        Next
      Next

    Next

  End Sub

  Private Sub Bind(ByVal columnName As String, ByVal target As Object, ByVal field As FieldInfo, ByVal value As Object)
    If GetName(field).ToUpper() = columnName.ToUpper() Then
      field.SetValue(target, value)
    End If
  End Sub

  Private Sub Bind(ByVal columnName As String, ByVal target As Object, ByVal [property] As PropertyInfo, ByVal value As Object)

    If value.GetType() IsNot GetType(System.DBNull) Then
      If GetName([property]).ToUpper = columnName.ToUpper() Then
        [property].SetValue(target, value, Nothing)
      End If
    End If
  End Sub

End Class

Here is the converter class

Imports System.ComponentModel

Public Class DataTableConverter(Of T)

  Public Function GetObjectsAsList(ByRef rd As DbDataReader) As List(Of T)
    Dim list As New List(Of T)()

    While rd.Read
      Dim target As T = Activator.CreateInstance(Of T)()
      DataColumnAttribute.Bind(rd, target)
      list.Add(target)
    End While


    Return list
  End Function

  Public Function GetObjectsAsBindingList(ByRef rd As DbDataReader) As BindingList(Of T)
    Dim list As New BindingList(Of T)()

    While rd.Read
      Dim target As T = Activator.CreateInstance(Of T)()
      DataColumnAttribute.Bind(rd, target)
      list.Add(target)
    End While


    Return list
  End Function
  Public Function GetObjectsAsBindingList(ByRef dt As DataTable) As BindingList(Of T)
    Dim list As New BindingList(Of T)()

    For Each row As DataRow In dt.Rows

      Dim target As T = Activator.CreateInstance(Of T)()
      DataColumnAttribute.Bind(row, target)
      list.Add(target)
    Next

    Return list
  End Function

  Public Function GetObjectsAsList(ByRef dt As DataTable) As List(Of T)
    Dim list As New List(Of T)()

    For Each row As DataRow In dt.Rows

      Dim target As T = Activator.CreateInstance(Of T)()
      DataColumnAttribute.Bind(row, target)
      list.Add(target)
    Next

    Return list
  End Function

End Class

Here is the reverse converter class:

Imports System.Reflection
Imports System.ComponentModel

Public Class ListConverter

  Public Function GetDataSetFromList(Of T)(ByVal list As List(Of T)) As DataSet

    Dim _resultDataSet As New DataSet()
    Dim _resultDataTable As New DataTable("results")
    Dim _resultDataRow As DataRow = Nothing
    Dim _itemProperties() As PropertyInfo = Nothing
    '    
    ' Meta Data. 
    '
    _itemProperties = list.Item(0).GetType().GetProperties()
    For Each p As PropertyInfo In _itemProperties
      _resultDataTable.Columns.Add(p.Name, _
                p.GetGetMethod.ReturnType())
    Next
    '
    ' Data
    '
    For Each item As T In list
      '
      ' Get the data from this item into a DataRow
      ' then add the DataRow to the DataTable.
      ' Eeach items property becomes a colunm.
      '
      _itemProperties = item.GetType().GetProperties()
      _resultDataRow = _resultDataTable.NewRow()
      For Each p As PropertyInfo In _itemProperties
        _resultDataRow(p.Name) = p.GetValue(item, Nothing)
      Next
      _resultDataTable.Rows.Add(_resultDataRow)
    Next
    '
    ' Add the DataTable to the DataSet, We are DONE!
    '
    _resultDataSet.Tables.Add(_resultDataTable)
    Return _resultDataSet
  End Function

  Public Function GetDataSetFromBindingList(Of T)(ByVal list As Bindinglist(Of T)) As DataSet

    Dim _resultDataSet As New DataSet()
    Dim _resultDataTable As New DataTable("results")
    Dim _resultDataRow As DataRow = Nothing
    Dim _itemProperties() As PropertyInfo = Nothing
    '    
    ' Meta Data. 
    '
    _itemProperties = list.Item(0).GetType().GetProperties()
    For Each p As PropertyInfo In _itemProperties
      For Each att As DataColumnAttribute In p.GetCustomAttributes(GetType(DataColumnAttribute), True)
        _resultDataTable.Columns.Add(p.Name, p.GetGetMethod.ReturnType())
      Next
    Next
    '
    ' Data
    '
    For Each item As T In list
      '
      ' Get the data from this item into a DataRow
      ' then add the DataRow to the DataTable.
      ' Eeach items property becomes a colunm.
      '
      _itemProperties = item.GetType().GetProperties()
      _resultDataRow = _resultDataTable.NewRow()
      For Each p As PropertyInfo In _itemProperties
        For Each att As DataColumnAttribute In p.GetCustomAttributes(GetType(DataColumnAttribute), True)
          _resultDataRow(p.Name) = p.GetValue(item, Nothing)
        Next
      Next
      _resultDataTable.Rows.Add(_resultDataRow)
    Next
    '
    ' Add the DataTable to the DataSet, We are DONE!
    '
    _resultDataSet.Tables.Add(_resultDataTable)
    Return _resultDataSet
  End Function


End Class

How to validate XML string using XSD file

I have spended quite some time looking for a .net 3.5 compatible implementation of XML validation with XSD. Since i could not find one I wrote my own, bases on 2.0 implementation that I did find. Here it is:

Imports System.Text
Imports System.Xml.Schema
Imports System.Xml

Public Class XMLValidator2
  ' Validation Error Count
  Shared ErrorsCount As Integer = 0
  ' Validation Error Message
  Shared ErrorMessage As String = ""

  ' Validation Error Count
  Shared XSDErrorsCount As Integer = 0
  ' Validation Error Message
  Shared XSDErrorMessage As String = ""

  Public Sub Validate(ByVal strXMLDoc As String, ByVal xsdFilePath As String)

  
    Dim strXMLReader As New IO.StringReader(strXMLDoc)
    Dim schemaTextReader As IO.TextReader = New IO.StreamReader(xsdFilePath)

    Dim readerSettings As XmlReaderSettings = New XmlReaderSettings()
    'NOTE: če bomo kdaj javno objavili shemo lahko za path damo url
    readerSettings.Schemas.Add(XmlSchema.Read(schemaTextReader, AddressOf XSDSchemaValidationHandler))
    readerSettings.ValidationType = ValidationType.Schema
    AddHandler readerSettings.ValidationEventHandler, New ValidationEventHandler(AddressOf ValidationHandler)

    Dim books As XmlReader = XmlReader.Create(strXMLReader, readerSettings)

    While books.Read()

    End While

    ' Raise exception, if XML validation fails
    If ErrorsCount > 0 Then
      Throw New ApplicationException(ErrorMessage)
    End If

    ' XML Validation succeeded
    Console.WriteLine("XML validation succeeded." & vbCr & vbLf)

  End Sub

  Private Sub ValidationHandler(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal args As ValidationEventArgs)
    ErrorMessage = ErrorMessage + args.Message & vbCr & vbLf
    ErrorsCount += 1
  End Sub

  Private Sub XSDSchemaValidationHandler(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal args As ValidationEventArgs)
    XSDErrorMessage = XSDErrorMessage + args.Message & vbCr & vbLf
    XSDErrorsCount += 1
  End Sub


End Class