Deep Copy a complex object in C#

Hi,

I am trying to deep copy a complex object. Below is code for same.

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;
using System.Text;
using System.Reflection;
namespace DDKOnline.Common
{
///
/// Utility
///
public static class DeepCopyUtility
{
///
/// Copies the data of one object to another. The target object gets properties of the first.
/// Any matching properties (by name) are written to the target.
///
///
The source object to copy from///
The target object to copy topublic static void CopyObjectData(object source, object target)
{
CopyObjectData(source, target, String.Empty, BindingFlags.Public | BindingFlags.Instance);
}
///
/// Copies the data of one object to another. The target object gets properties of the first.
/// Any matching properties (by name) are written to the target.
///
///
The source object to copy from///
The target object to copy to///
A comma delimited list of properties that should not be copied///
Reflection binding accesspublic static void CopyObjectData(object source, object target, string excludedProperties, BindingFlags memberAccess)
{
string[] excluded = null;
if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(excludedProperties))
{
excluded = excludedProperties.Split(new char[1] { ',' }, StringSplitOptions.RemoveEmptyEntries);
}
MemberInfo[] miT = target.GetType().GetMembers(memberAccess);
foreach (MemberInfo Field in miT)
{
string name = Field.Name;
// Skip over excluded properties
if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(excludedProperties) == false
&& excluded.Contains(name))
{
continue;
}
if (Field.MemberType == MemberTypes.Field)
{
FieldInfo sourcefield = source.GetType().GetField(name);
if (sourcefield == null) { continue; }
object SourceValue = sourcefield.GetValue(source);
((FieldInfo)Field).SetValue(target, SourceValue);
}
else if (Field.MemberType == MemberTypes.Property)
{
PropertyInfo piTarget = Field as PropertyInfo;
PropertyInfo sourceField = source.GetType().GetProperty(name, memberAccess);
if (sourceField == null) { continue; }
if (piTarget.CanWrite && sourceField.CanRead)
{
object targetValue = piTarget.GetValue(target, null);
object sourceValue = sourceField.GetValue(source, null);
if (sourceValue == null) { continue; }
if (sourceField.PropertyType.IsArray
&& piTarget.PropertyType.IsArray
&& sourceValue != null)
{
CopyArray(source, target, memberAccess, piTarget, sourceField, sourceValue);
}
else
{
CopySingleData(source, target, memberAccess, piTarget, sourceField, targetValue, sourceValue);
}
}
}
}
}
private static void CopySingleData(object source, object target, BindingFlags memberAccess, PropertyInfo piTarget, PropertyInfo sourceField, object targetValue, object sourceValue)
{
//instantiate target if needed
if (targetValue == null
&& piTarget.PropertyType.IsValueType == false
&& piTarget.PropertyType != typeof(string))
{
if (piTarget.PropertyType.IsArray)
{
targetValue = Activator.CreateInstance(piTarget.PropertyType.GetElementType());
}
else
{
targetValue = Activator.CreateInstance(piTarget.PropertyType);
}
}
if (piTarget.PropertyType.IsValueType == false
&& piTarget.PropertyType != typeof(string))
{
CopyObjectData(sourceValue, targetValue, "", memberAccess);
piTarget.SetValue(target, targetValue, null);
}
else
{
if (piTarget.PropertyType.FullName == sourceField.PropertyType.FullName)
{
object tempSourceValue = sourceField.GetValue(source, null);
piTarget.SetValue(target, tempSourceValue, null);
}
else
{
CopyObjectData(piTarget, target, "", memberAccess);
}
}
}
private static void CopyArray(object source, object target, BindingFlags memberAccess, PropertyInfo piTarget, PropertyInfo sourceField, object sourceValue)
{
int sourceLength = (int)sourceValue.GetType().InvokeMember("Length", BindingFlags.GetProperty, null, sourceValue, null);
Array targetArray = Array.CreateInstance(piTarget.PropertyType.GetElementType(), sourceLength);
Array array = (Array)sourceField.GetValue(source, null);
for (int i = 0; i < array.Length; i++)
{
object o = array.GetValue(i);
object tempTarget = Activator.CreateInstance(piTarget.PropertyType.GetElementType());
CopyObjectData(o, tempTarget, "", memberAccess);
targetArray.SetValue(tempTarget, i);
}
piTarget.SetValue(target, targetArray, null);
}
}
}
I want to add list copy also to this code something on below lines.
if (type.IsGenericType && type.GetGenericTypeDefinition() == typeof(List<>))
{
if (typeof(IList).IsAssignableFrom(type))
{
var collection = (IList)Activator.CreateInstance(type);
cloned[source] = collection;
foreach (var element in source as IEnumerable)
{
collection.Add(CloneProcedure(element, cloned));
}
return collection;
}
else if (type.IsGenericType)
{
var objectType = type.GetGenericArguments().Single();
if (typeof(IList<>).MakeGenericType(objectType).IsAssignableFrom(type) ||
typeof(ISet<>).MakeGenericType(objectType).IsAssignableFrom(type))
{
var collection = Activator.CreateInstance(type);
cloned[source] = collection;
var addMethod = collection.GetType().GetMethod("Add");
foreach (var element in source as IEnumerable)
{
addMethod.Invoke(collection, new[] { CloneProcedure(element, cloned) });
}
return collection;
}
}
return source;
}

But each time I get "Parameter out of bounds" can someone help me with this.

Reference:

https://ddkonline.blogspot.com/2010/04/net-deep-copy-between-2-different.html?_sm_au_=iVV8TZZ5L71MRvZf

https://stackoverflow.com/a/2266441/4583547

1 Reply

Know the answer? Post it — somebody with the same question will find it here.

Mukesh Nayak8y ago
Hi Kavya,

There are other ways also performing deep copy of a complex object. My personal preference for the same operation is to serialize and deserialize back the complex object.In your case its a list of object.
You can refer the link below for the same :

https://stackoverflow.com/questions/78536/deep-cloning-objects

Only consideration over here is the object for which you are doing deep copy should be serializable which can be done by simply putting serializable attribute.