Simple Question: Reference vs. Value

Ok; just noticed in my Framework guidelines that microsoft recommend creating a Clone method without implementing the Iclonable interface to avoid the confusion between deep and shallow clones. (doh Bill)

You could implement the IClonable interface and generate some generic reflective code similar to below:

    public class MyClonableClass:ICloneable
    {
        private string _test;
        public string Test
        {
            get { return _test; }
            set { _test = value; }
        }

        #region ICloneable Members

        public object Clone()
        {
            MyClonableClass clone = new MyClonableClass();
            PropertyInfo[] props = this.GetType().GetProperties();

            if (props != null)
            {
                PropertyInfo copyProp;
                foreach (PropertyInfo prop in props)
                {
                    if (prop.CanRead && prop.CanWrite)
                    {
                        copyProp = clone.GetType().GetProperty(prop.Name);
                        copyProp.SetValue(clone, prop.GetValue(this, null), null);
                    }
                }
            }

            return clone;
        }

        #endregion
    }

this can then be used like this:

            MyClonableClass original = new MyClonableClass();
            original.Test = "Test";

            MyClonableClass copy = new MyClonableClass();
            copy = original.Clone() as MyClonableClass;

            original.Test = "Not Clone";
            Debug.WriteLine(copy.Test);

The debug print out should still read "Test"; hope this helps?