More Native Reflection, Please!

Sometimes you wonder why you keep on producing the same kind bugs again and again...

... and you hope someone will show you how to find a remedy.

This post is left to be found by the programming language designers of today... and whoever finds it interesting.

The Problem - Example #1

PropertyInfo propertyInfo = this.GetType().GetProperty("SomePropertyName");

Above very powerful state of the art reflection fetches a PropertyInfo instance that can be used to set/get property "SomePropertyName". The Type class facilitates a number of reflection services as normal C# members in a very general and loose coupled manner e.g. you enter a string in the GetProperty-method.

The problem comes when someone renames SomePropertyName with a built-in refactoring utility of an IDE. The string argument is a weakness in above code that just waits to break the code.

The Problem - Example #2

[Reference(InitializeFromPropertyId = "EntityId")]

SomeEntity ReferenceEntity

{

get;

set;

}

Imagine that above code is part of an interface or class and it means that the class - when instantiated - will initialize a reference to another entity of type SomeEntity using property EntityId. This time we have the same problem - the string argument in the annotated Reference-attribute won't be changed if the property name is refactored.

Counter Example

Type type = typeof(Org.Foo.Bar.MyClass);

Above works like a charm with refactoring. If MyClass is renamed, the code doesn't break.

The Simple Solution

PropertyInfo propertyInfo = propertyof(Org.Foo.Bar.MyClass.SomePropertyName);

Could you guys* (continue to) make reflection part of the programming language! ... Please ... Soon?

* Anders Hejlsberg and others...