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README.md

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Property Manager

A configuration tool, which automatically finds and sets any fields or properties based on provided data. It comes bundled with providers to read and write ini files as well as pair of simple interfaces to let you easily write your own.

Features

  • Can set values of fields and properties using Reflection.
  • Supported types: bool, int, float, string
  • Supports static variables.
  • Option to save changes through editable data provider.

Compatibility

  • C# 7.0 and greater

Installation

With Visual Studio NuGet Package Manager: PM> Install-Package PropertyManager

or download library from https://www.nuget.org/packages/PropertyManager/

Getting started with Property Manager

Most common way of using Property Manager is by invoking static API of PropertyManager class. This is used for batch application of all values.

Applying values through static call

When you get used to it, applying values through static call is quite easy:

PropertyManager.Apply(this, new PropertyProvider.FilePropertyProvider("fileWithValues.ini"));

This one line is a bit deceptive, though, as it does have quite a bit of things happening. Two main topics are Context and providers.

Providers

Providers are classes implementing IPropertyProvider or IEditablePropertyProvider interface. The job of a provider is to supply Property Manager with List of PropertyEntry objects through implementation of GetPropertyEntries() method. Aditionally, IEditablePropertyProvider provides Save() method, which should be used to saving changes done through Property Manager.

Propery Manager by default contains two providers - FilePropertyProvider and FileEditablePropertyProvider which implement simple support *.ini files with line-long comments.

An example of fileWithValues.ini file:

private field id = 42
Name = "Adams"

# Is Adams user of our system?
IsUser = true

You may notice that there are two qualificators before id variable. Each variable is, by default, treated as public property, so if you're trying to set a private property or a field you need to add proper qualifier.

You can create and configure both providers using an initializer. Here's an example based on FilePropertyProvider class:

var provider = new FilePropertyProvider("fileWithValues.ini") {
  CommentSign = "#",
  Encoding = System.Text.Encoding.UTF8,
  Culture = CultureInfo.InvariantCulture,
  AllValuesAsString = false
};

Methods GetPropertyEntries() and Save() in the providers are for internal use for Property Manager and don't need to be called manualy.

Context

Context is a starting point for Property Manager from which the system will look for fields and propertis.

Check out this example that expands on static call line from above:

class User {
  private int id;
  public string Name { get; set; }
  public bool IsUser { get; set; }
    
  public User() { }
}

internal class Program {
  private static void Main(string[] args) {
    User userObject = new User();
    
    PropertyManager.Apply(userObject, new PropertyProvider.FilePropertyProvider("fileWithValues.ini"));
  }
}

The context of the call is userObject object, which means that all lines from the files will be applied to this userObject object. In this example after the calls of Apply() method values stored in userObject object will be 42, "Adams" and true for id, Name and IsUser respectively.

This approach, while quick and convinient, is a read-only approach. To make full use out of editable providers you'll need...

Instance of Property Manager

Creating an editable instance of Property Manager is as strightforward as any other class.

var manager = new PropertyManager(new PropertyProvider.FileEditablePropertyProvider("fileWithValues.ini"));

A Property Manager instance give you access to Apply() method that can be used exactly the same way as the static version. Aside of that, you can also use GetValue() method or indexer to retrive value from particular key.

string name = manager.GetValue<string>("Name");
string sameName = manager["Name"];

Editable values

To change value under key you can use SetValue method.

manager.SetValue<string>("Name", "Duglas");

And to update source file just call Save() method that's provided by the instance.

manager.Save();

Concurrency

Property Manager is thread-safe in non-editable mode. It's no when editable provider is used.