I'm trying to create an inheritable class(OF t) in vb.net that I will pass it a class of objects. Inside the class of objects I want to use the class properties to create a corresponding database table. Like below
Public Class SampleClass
#Region "Properties"
Private newPropertyValue As String
Public Property NewProperty() As String
Get
Return newPropertyValue
End Get
Set(ByVal value As String)
newPropertyValue = value
End Set
End Property
#End Region
Public Sub New()
End Sub
End Class
I'm new to vb.net so I don't know my way around exactly.
I was looking into class attributes for this action but they do not fully make sense to me yet. Thanks in advance.
You will want to get well versed on something called Code First. This should get you started.
Related
I am currently writing an API which is taking objects from a web service handling it in VB.net using the Newsoft JSON .NET library.
I'm deserializing a JSON array called Vehicles into a list of vehicles.
Here is the important code snippets:
Public Class VehicleList
Public Vehicles() As Vehicle
End Class
Public Class Vehicle
Public Property licence_plate_number As String
End Class
Here we have a web client that grabs the json and put it into the objects.
Public Class dcVehicles
Private Property _Vehicles As VehicleList
Public ReadOnly Property Vehicle As Vehicle()
Get
Return _Vehicles.Vehicles
End Get
End Property
Public Sub Refresh()
_Vehicles = JsonConvert.DeserializeObject(Of VehicleList)(wcReply, jsSettings)
End Sub
End Class
There's slightly more to it (cut it down).
So everything is working as intended, json net is creating an array of vehicles.
I'm trying to achieve this with the properties in the vehicle class as private and read only, the applications using the api should not be able to set these.
The problem is I've tried changing the public property in the vehicle class to keep the property private and allow readonly as below:
Public Class Vehicle
Friend Property licence_plate_number As String
Public ReadOnly Property RegistrationNumber As String
Get
Return licence_plate_number
End Get
End Property
End Class
The problem I then get is that JSON.net is unable to populate the vehicles. All 3 classes are in the same namespace.
So I tried licence_plate_number with the Friend/private access level modifier but still Json net is unable to populate the object.
The only way is keeping it as Public.
Does anyone have an idea for a work-around? Or is am I missing something simple?
Thanks
If you just want to serialize a Private or Friend property with Json.NET, mark it with <JsonProperty> and mark the public readonly property you don't want to serialize with <JsonIgnore>:
Public Class Vehicle
<JsonProperty> _
Friend Property licence_plate_number As String
<JsonIgnore> _
Public ReadOnly Property RegistrationNumber As String
Get
Return licence_plate_number
End Get
End Property
End Class
Demo fiddle.
But if you really want read-only value semantics for the licence_plate_number property so that it cannot be set after construction, you can do this by replacing the default constructor with a single parameterized constructor and matching the constructor argument names to the JSON property names, like so:
Public Class Vehicle
Private Readonly licence_plate_number As String
Public Sub New(ByVal licence_plate_number as String)
Me.licence_plate_number = licence_plate_number
End Sub
<JsonProperty("licence_plate_number")> _
Public ReadOnly Property RegistrationNumber As String
Get
Return licence_plate_number
End Get
End Property
End Class
When there is a single public constructor that is parameterized, Json.NET will call it, matching the constructor arguments to the JSON properties by name using reflection and using default values for missing properties. Matching by name is case-insensitive, unless there are multiple matches that differ only in case, in which case the match becomes case sensitive.
Demo fiddle.
If your class has multiple public constructors, mark the one to use with <JsonConstructor>.
It's rather a simple question and both will work. But I'm just wondering what the best practice is. When a child class changes a variable in the baseclass. Should it call the property or just change the underlying variable.
I'm not using the property to do something with the data. The code in the child class is the same. But what is considered the best practice OOP wise?
Sample code:
Public Class TestDirect
Protected temp As Integer
End Class
Public Class TestChldDirect
Inherits TestDirect
Public Sub New()
MyBase.temp = 1
End Sub
End Class
versus
Public Class TestProperty
Private _temp As Integer
'
Public Property temp() As Integer
Get
Return Me._temp
End Get
Set(ByVal value As Integer)
Me._temp = value
End Set
End Property
End Class
Public Class TestChldProperty
Inherits TestProperty
Public Sub New()
MyBase.temp = 1
End Sub
End Class
The second approach gives you more flexibility later on and better protects/hides your underlying implementation. For instance, in your example you might want to modify the type of temp, add some validation etc. Those changes would be more difficult in your first example as you would be affecting the classes that derive from your base class. In the second example you can make the change without affecting any derived classes.
I am trying to iterate through objects (fields) in a class and invoke a method on each object. Each object is of a different type. Here is the parent class:
Public Class MySettings
Public IdentifyByFacType As RadioButtonSetting
Public WtrFacTypes As ListSetting
Public OilFacTypes As ListSetting
Public GroupByRef As CheckboxSetting
Public GroupRefAttr As TxtboxSetting
End Class
Here is part of one of the sub-object classes:
<Serializable>
Public Class TxtboxSetting
<XmlIgnore()>
Public MyControl As Windows.Forms.TextBox
<XmlIgnore()>
Public DefaultSetting As String
Private _SavedSetting As String
Public Property SavedSetting As String
Get
Return _SavedSetting
End Get
Set(value As String)
_SavedSetting = value
CurrentValue = value
End Set
End Property
Public Sub New()
End Sub
Public Sub New(DefaultSetting As String, MyControl As Windows.Forms.TextBox)
Me.DefaultSetting = DefaultSetting
Me.MyControl = MyControl
End Sub
Public Sub RestoreDefault()
CurrentValue = DefaultSetting
End Sub
End Class
All of the sub-objects of the MySettings class, like GroupRefAttr for example, have the same methods and properties, but the internal code is different.
So I will have several classes like the MySettings class, and each one will have different sub-objects. Given an instance of such a class, I want to automatically iterate through the fields and call a method RestoreDefault on each one. I don't want to have to know what objects exist in the MySettings class. Rather, knowing that they all have the RestoreDefaultmethod, I want simply call the method on each object.
Despite much searching, I have not found a way to do this. With reflection, I can only get this far:
Dim Opts as New MySettings
For Each var In Opts.GetType.GetFields
Dim RestoreDefault As System.Reflection.MethodInfo = var.FieldType.GetMethod("RestoreDefault")
RestoreDefault.Invoke(Opts, Nothing)
Next
However, in the line RestoreDefault.Invoke(Opts, Nothing), I can't just pass in Opts, as I am dealing with a field in Opts, not Opts itself. A statement like this would work: RestoreDefault.Invoke(Opts.GroupRefAttr, Nothing), but that requires me to know the objects in the MySettings class ahead of time, and that defeats the purpose. Is there a way to grab field instance objects at runtime and pull this off?
When you invoke the RestoreDefault method you need to invoke it on the setting (i.e., the value of the field), not the class containing the setting. Changing your code to this should fix your problem:
Dim Opts as New MySettings
For Each var In Opts.GetType.GetFields
Dim setting As Object = var.GetValue(Opts)
Dim RestoreDefault As System.Reflection.MethodInfo = var.FieldType.GetMethod("RestoreDefault")
RestoreDefault.Invoke(setting, Nothing)
Next
However, if you introduce either a base class or an interface you should be able to get rid of some or all of the reflection. The container setting class can have a collection of settings that each have a shared base class or interface with a RestoreDefault method. The container setting class will then call this method through the base class or interface without having to use reflection.
The base class:
Public MustInherit Class BaseSetting
Public MustOverride Sub RestoreDefault
End Class
A specific settings class:
Public Class TxtboxSetting
Inherits BaseSetting
Public Overrides Sub RestoreDefault()
' Specific implementation
End Sub
End Class
On any class deriving from BaseSetting you can now call the RestoreDefault method without having to use reflection.
However, considering your design you might still want to use reflection to get the settings containd in the MySettings class. You can do it like this:
Dim settings = From fieldInfo in Opts.GetType.GetFields
Where GetType(BaseSetting).IsAssignableFrom(fieldInfo.FieldType)
Select DirectCast(fieldInfo.GetValue(Opts), BaseSetting)
For Each setting In settings
setting.RestoreDefault()
Next
Reflection is used to find all the fields deriving from BaseSetting and then RestoreDefault is called on each field. This method does not suffer from the "magic string" problem where your code depends on the name of the RestoreDefault method represented in a string.
(Also, calling the MySettings class the parent is a bit misleading because there is nothing inheriting from MySettings. Instead this class contains other settings.)
All of the sub-objects of the MySettings class, like GroupRefAttr for example, have the same methods and properties, but the internal code is different.
In that case, the sub-object types should be defined such that they implement a common interface that demands these same methods and properties exist. For now, I'll name that interface IControlSetting. Then, your For loop looks something like this:
Dim Opts as New MySettings
For Each var In Opts.GetType.GetFields
Dim setting As IControlSetting = TryCast(var.GetValue(Opts), IControlSetting)
If setting Is Nothing Then Continue
setting.RestoreDefault()
Next
Additionally, I'd change your MySettings type to encapsulate a dictionary or IControlSetting objects. Then you can just iterate the dictionary to check each of the objects, rather than needing reflection. That might look like this:
Public Class MySettings
Private allSettings As Dictionary(Of String, IControlSetting)
Public Sub New()
allSettings = new Dictionary(Of String, IControlSetting)()
allSettings.Add("IdentifyByFacType", New RadioButtonSetting())
allSettings.Add("WtrFacTypes", New ListSetting())
allSettings.Add("OilFacTypes", New ListSetting())
'...
End Sub
Public Property IdentifyByFacType As RadioButtonSetting
Get
Return DirectCast(allSettings("IdentifyByFacType"), RadioButtonSetting)
End Get
'The setters may be optional, depending on how you expect to use these
Set(ByVal value As RadioButtonSetting)
allSettings("IdentifyByFacType") = value
End Set
End Property
Public Property WtrFacTypes As ListSetting
Get
Return DirectCast(allSettings("WtrFacTypes"), RadioButtonSetting)
End Get
Set(ByVal value As ListSetting)
allSettings("WtrFacTypes") = value
End Set
End Property
Public Property OilFacTypes As ListSetting
Get
Return DirectCast(allSettings("OilFacTypes"), RadioButtonSetting)
End Get
Set(ByVal value As ListSetting)
allSettings("OilFacTypes") = value
End Set
End Property
'...
Public Sub RestoreAllDefaults()
For Each setting As KeyValuePair(Of String, IControlSetting) In allSettings
setting.Value.RestoreDefault()
Next setting
End Sub
End Class
Basically, the readonly keyword doesn't let me modify a field after I first create the class instance. I could use a property but in this case its just extra overhead. Is there a keyword to make a class field readonly from only outside the class?
make the field private, provide getter and setter for it.
Make the setter private.
This way the value can be seen from outside the class by the getter,but, cannot be set/written from outside the class.
this makes the property read-only from outside the class.
As others have stated, use a property. If you don't want to split the property into one Getter and one Setter then make the setter private.
Public Class Foo
Public Property Abc() As Object
Get
Return Me.m_Abc
End Get
Private Set(value As Object)
Me.m_Abc = value
End Set
End Property
Private m_Abc As Object
End Class
However: The common way is to set the access level of the field to Friend making it accessible within the same assembly, but not from outside the assembly.
Public Class Foo
Public ReadOnly Property Abc() As Object
Get
Return Me.m_Abc
End Get
End Property
Friend m_Abc As Object
End Class
No there isn't. This type is scenario is precisely why properties are provided in the first place. You get a whole lot of flexibility.
However, if you insist you want to use a read only field, you can use reflection to change the value:-
Public Class TestClass
Public ReadOnly MyNumber As Integer
Public Sub New()
'Readonly fields can only be changed this way
'in the constructor
Me.MyNumber = 900
End Sub
Public Sub ChangeNumber(ByVal num As Integer)
SetNumber(num)
End Sub
Private Sub SetNumber(ByVal num As Integer)
Dim fi = Me.GetType.GetField("MyNumber")
'Reflection can change the value of
'a read only field after construction
fi.SetValue(Me, num)
End Sub
End Class
Note that this is a very terrible thing. Reflection shouldn't be used for this sort of thing as you're going to take a performance hit. Just use properties and save yourself the trouble.
Let's say I have the following class structure (simplified from my real-world problem):
Public Class PC_People_Container
Private _people_list As New List(Of PL_Person)
Public Sub New()
End Sub
Public Sub Add(ByVal item As PL_Person)
_people_list.Add(item)
End Sub
Public Property PeopleList As List(Of PL_Person)
Get
Return _people_list
End Get
Set(ByVal value As List(Of PL_Person))
_people_list = value
End Set
End Property
End Class
Public Class PL_Person
Private _Name As String
Public Property Name As String
Get
Return _Name
End Get
Set(ByVal value As String)
_Name = value
End Set
End Property
Private _Contacts As ContactObject
Public Property Contacts As ContactObject
Get
Return _Contacts
End Get
Set(ByVal value As ContactObject)
_Contacts = value
End Set
End Property
Public Sub New()
End Sub
End Class
Public Class ContactObject
Public Property PhoneNumber As String
Public Property EmailAddress As String
Public Sub New()
End Sub
End Class
If I were to serialize this, I'd get the default assigned node names in my XML. That means my root is named PC_People_Container and each person in the list is marked up as PL_Person. I know I can change the root node using <XmlRoot(ElementName:="PeopleContainer")>. The trouble is doing that for the subclasses. I can't use the <XmlRoot> tag on PL_Person class because there can't be two root elements, and IntelliSense throws a fit when I try to use the <XmlElement> tag on a class like I would on a property. Is it even possible to control what those subclasses are named when they're serialized as child nodes?
PL_Person and ContactObject are not subclasses as you call them, they are merely property types.
This makes your question confusing because it suggests you may have a problem with inheritance (subclasses are classes that inherit from some base class) when in fact you just want your property elements to be named differently.
You should decorate your properties (not classes) with <XmlElement> to specify custom name:
<XmlElement("Persons", GetType(PL_Person))>
Public Property PeopleList As List(Of PL_Person)
As an afterthought, I would definitely not recommend calling your classes using such an awkward convention. In .NET, you should not use any prefixes or underscores in class names. Just call it Person.