Update: As of 8/11/2010, I have released the following update of the source code for my CloneObject class. This update adds the ability to clone any attached properties found in the loaded assemblies, and also removes an unnecessary dependency property loop which will speed up some operations…
Update: As of 7/19/2010, I have updated the source code for my CloneObject class. The update improves on the ability to clone arrays and other IEnumerable objects, and simplifies some other operations…
A few months ago, I had the need for a generic CloneObject class that would take any object as input, and create a deep copy of that object and all of it's properties. I needed to clone objects for 2 purposes. One purpose was to implement a drag and drop interface in a Silverlight application, where source objects would be cloned/copied on "DragStart" and added to the visual tree when "Dropped". The second purpose was to implement an undo capability, where I would clone an object before editing it, and if edits were canceled, restore the original object.
When looking for a generic clone solution, I wanted a class that would work with both generic CLR objects, as well as objects deriving from FrameElement, and included DependencyObject's and DependencyProperty's. I considered the option to use serialization, but I wanted something that would work for all types, not just objects that were flagged as serializable. So my solution uses reflection to accomplish the task.
The hardest part of developing this CloneObject class, was testing all of the potential use cases. The solution I offer here works well for the common use cases that I was able to test, but I am sure that others may find ways to make it more robust. Readers are encouraged to comment with modifications. Thanks to Justin Angel and Tamir Khason for their inspirational articles. My solution took a slightly different direction over time, but they were the ones that got me started.
The code below has been tested and used with Silverlight 3 and Silverlight 4.
//#define DEBUG_TRACE
using System;
using System.Collections;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Diagnostics;
using System.Reflection;
using System.Windows;
using System.Windows.Controls;
using System.Windows.Resources;
namespace ClassLibrary
{
//[Obfuscation(Exclude = true)]
internal static class CloneObject
{
private static List<FieldInfo> _attachedProperties = null;
// Extension for any class object
internal static TT DeepClone<TT>(this TT source, bool? cloneAttachedProperties = null)
{ // Jim McCurdy's DeepClone
if (cloneAttachedProperties == null)
cloneAttachedProperties = (source is DependencyObject);
// The first time this method is called, compute a list of all
// attached properties that exist in this XAP's assemblies
if (cloneAttachedProperties == true && _attachedProperties == null)
{
_attachedProperties = new List<FieldInfo>();
List<Assembly> assemblies = GetLoadedAssemblies();
foreach (Assembly assembly in assemblies)
GetAttachedProperties(_attachedProperties, assembly);
}
TT clone = CloneRecursive(source);
if (clone is FrameworkElement)
{
FrameworkElement cloneElement = (clone as FrameworkElement);
cloneElement.Arrange(new Rect(0, 0, cloneElement.ActualWidth, cloneElement.ActualHeight));
}
return clone;
}
private static TT CloneRecursive<TT>(TT source)
{
if (source == null || source.GetType().IsValueType)
return source;
// Common types that do not have parameterless constructors
if (source is string || source is Type || source is Uri || source is DependencyProperty)
return source;
TT clone = CloneCreate(source);
if (clone == null)
return source;
if (source is IList)
CloneList(source as IList, clone as IList);
CloneProperties(source, clone);
return clone;
}
private static TT CloneCreate<TT>(TT source)
{
try
{
#if DEBUG_TRACE
string.Format("Clone create object Type={0}", SimpleType(source.GetType())).Trace();
#endif
Array sourceArray = (source as Array);
if (sourceArray == null)
return (TT)Activator.CreateInstance(source.GetType());
if (sourceArray.Rank == 1)
return (TT)(object)Array.CreateInstance(source.GetType().GetElementType(),
sourceArray.GetLength(0));
if (sourceArray.Rank == 2)
return (TT)(object)Array.CreateInstance(source.GetType().GetElementType(),
sourceArray.GetLength(0), sourceArray.GetLength(1));
}
catch (Exception ex)
{
if (ex.Message.Contains("No parameterless constructor"))
return default(TT);
string.Format("Can't create object Type={0}", SimpleType(source.GetType())).Trace();
ex.DebugOutput();
}
return default(TT);
}
private static void CloneProperties(object source, object clone)
{
// The binding flags indicate what properties we will clone
// Unfortunately, we cannot clone "internal" or "protected" properties
BindingFlags flags =
BindingFlags.Instance | BindingFlags.FlattenHierarchy | BindingFlags.Public;
if (source is DependencyObject)
{
DependencyObject sourcedp = source as DependencyObject;
DependencyObject clonedp = clone as DependencyObject;
// Clone attached properties
if (_attachedProperties != null && _attachedProperties.Count > 0)
foreach (FieldInfo field in _attachedProperties)
CloneDependencyProperty(sourcedp, clonedp, field, true);
// Clone dependency properties
FieldInfo[] fields = source.GetType().GetFields(flags | BindingFlags.Static);
foreach (FieldInfo field in fields)
CloneDependencyProperty(sourcedp, clonedp, field, false);
}
// Clone CLR properties
PropertyInfo[] properties = source.GetType().GetProperties(flags);
foreach (PropertyInfo property in properties)
CloneProperty(source, clone, property);
}
private static void CloneDependencyProperty(DependencyObject sourceObject,
DependencyObject cloneObject, FieldInfo field, bool isAttached)
{
try
{
// Blacklisted properties that can't (or shouldn't) be set
if (field.Name == "NameProperty" && sourceObject is FrameworkElement) return;
DependencyProperty dp = field.GetValue(sourceObject) as DependencyProperty;
if (dp == null) // Event DependencyProperties will be null
return;
object sourceValue = null;
try
{
sourceValue = sourceObject.GetValue(dp);
}
catch (Exception)
{
}
if (sourceValue == null)
return;
// Don't set attached properties if we don't have to
if (isAttached)
{
Type sourceType = sourceValue.GetType();
if (sourceType.IsValueType && sourceValue.Equals(Activator.CreateInstance(sourceType)))
return;
}
#if DEBUG_TRACE
string.Format("Clone dependency property Name={0}, Value={2} for source Type={1}",
field.Name, SimpleType(sourceObject.GetType()), sourceValue).Trace();
#endif
// Blacklisted properties that can't (or don't need to be) cloned
bool doClone = true;
if (field.Name == "DataContextProperty") doClone = false;
//if (field.Name == "TargetPropertyProperty") doClone = false;
object cloneValue = (doClone ? CloneRecursive(sourceValue) : sourceValue);
cloneObject.SetValue(dp, cloneValue);
}
catch (Exception ex)
{
if (ex.Message.Contains("read-only"))
return;
if (ex.Message.Contains("read only"))
return;
if (ex.Message.Contains("does not fall within the expected range"))
return;
string.Format("Can't clone dependency property Name={0}, for source Type={1}",
field.Name, SimpleType(sourceObject.GetType())).Trace();
ex.DebugOutput();
}
}
private static void CloneProperty(object source, object clone, PropertyInfo property)
{
try
{
if (!property.CanRead || !property.CanWrite || property.GetIndexParameters().Length != 0)
return;
// Blacklisted properties that can't (or shouldn't) be set
if (property.Name == "Name" && source is FrameworkElement) return;
if (property.Name == "InputScope" && source is TextBox) return; // Can't get
if (property.Name == "Watermark" && source is TextBox) return; // Can't get
if (property.Name == "Source" && source is ResourceDictionary) return; // Can't set
if (property.Name == "TargetType" && source is ControlTemplate) return; // Can't set
bool publicSetter = (source.GetType().GetMethod("set_" + property.Name) != null);
bool isList = (property.PropertyType.GetInterface("IList", true) != null);
if (!publicSetter && !isList)
return;
object sourceValue = property.GetValue(source, null);
if (sourceValue == null)
return;
if (!publicSetter && isList)
{
IList cloneList = property.GetValue(clone, null) as IList;
if (cloneList != null)
CloneList(sourceValue as IList, cloneList);
return;
}
#if DEBUG_TRACE
string.Format("Clone property Type={0}, Name={1}, Value={3} for source Type={2}",
SimpleType(property.PropertyType), property.Name, SimpleType(source.GetType()),
sourceValue).Trace();
#endif
// Blacklisted properties that can't (or don't need to be) cloned
bool doClone = true;
if (source is FrameworkElement && property.Name == "DataContext") doClone = false;
//if (property.Name == "TargetProperty") doClone = false;
object cloneValue = (doClone ? CloneRecursive(sourceValue) : sourceValue);
property.SetValue(clone, cloneValue, null); // possible MethodAccessException
}
catch (Exception ex)
{
string.Format("Can't clone property Type={0}, Name={1}, for source Type={2}",
SimpleType(property.PropertyType), property.Name, SimpleType(source.GetType())).Trace();
ex.DebugOutput();
}
}
private static void CloneList(IList sourceList, IList cloneList)
{
try
{
IEnumerator sourceEnumerator = sourceList.GetEnumerator();
Array sourceArray = sourceList as Array;
Array cloneArray = cloneList as Array;
int dim0 = (sourceArray != null && sourceArray.Rank > 0 ? sourceArray.GetLowerBound(0) : 0);
int dim1 = (sourceArray != null && sourceArray.Rank > 1 ? sourceArray.GetLowerBound(1) : 0);
while (sourceEnumerator.MoveNext())
{
object sourceValue = sourceEnumerator.Current;
#if DEBUG_TRACE
string.Format("Clone IList item {0}", sourceValue).Trace();
#endif
object cloneValue = CloneRecursive(sourceValue);
if (sourceArray == null)
cloneList.Add(cloneValue);
else
if (sourceArray.Rank == 1)
cloneArray.SetValue(cloneValue, dim0++);
else
if (sourceArray.Rank == 2)
{
cloneArray.SetValue(cloneValue, dim0, dim1);
if (++dim1 > sourceArray.GetUpperBound(1))
{
dim1 = sourceArray.GetLowerBound(1);
if (++dim0 > sourceArray.GetUpperBound(0))
dim0 = sourceArray.GetLowerBound(0);
}
}
}
}
catch (Exception ex)
{
string.Format("Can't clone IList item Type={0}", SimpleType(sourceList.GetType())).Trace();
ex.DebugOutput();
}
}
private static string SimpleType(Type type)
{
string typeName = type.ToString();
int index = typeName.LastIndexOf('[');
if (index < 0)
return typeName.Substring(typeName.LastIndexOf('.') + 1);
string collectionName = typeName.Substring(index);
collectionName = collectionName.Substring(collectionName.LastIndexOf('.') + 1);
typeName = typeName.Substring(0, index);
typeName = typeName.Substring(typeName.LastIndexOf('.') + 1);
return typeName + '[' + collectionName;
}
private static List<Assembly> GetLoadedAssemblies()
{
List<Assembly> assemblies = new List<Assembly>();
foreach (AssemblyPart part in Deployment.Current.Parts)
{
StreamResourceInfo sri =
Application.GetResourceStream(new Uri(part.Source, UriKind.Relative));
if (sri == null)
continue;
Assembly assembly = new AssemblyPart().Load(sri.Stream);
if (assembly != null && !assemblies.Contains(assembly))
assemblies.Add(assembly);
}
// Additional assemblies that are not found when examining of Deployment.Current.Parts above
Type[] types =
{
typeof(System.Windows.Application), // System.Windows.dll,
#if INCLUDE_ASSEMBLIES_WITHOUT_ATTACHED_PROPERTIES
typeof(System.Action), // mscorlib.dll,
typeof(System.Uri), // System.dll,
typeof(System.Lazy<int>), // System.Core.dll,
typeof(System.Net.Cookie), // System.Net.dll,
typeof(System.Runtime.Serialization.StreamingContext), // System.Runtime.Serialization.dll,
typeof(System.ServiceModel.XmlSerializerFormatAttribute), // System.ServiceModel.dll,
typeof(System.Windows.Browser.BrowserInformation), // System.Windows.Browser.dll,
typeof(System.Xml.ConformanceLevel), // System.Xml.dll,
#endif
};
foreach (Type type in types)
{
Assembly assembly = type.Assembly;
if (assembly != null && !assemblies.Contains(assembly))
assemblies.Add(assembly);
}
return assemblies;
}
private static bool GetAttachedProperties(List<FieldInfo> attachedProperties, Assembly assembly)
{
BindingFlags flags = BindingFlags.DeclaredOnly | BindingFlags.Public | BindingFlags.Static;
foreach (Type type in assembly.GetTypes())
{
FieldInfo[] fields = type.GetFields(flags);
MethodInfo[] methods = null;
foreach (FieldInfo field in fields)
{
if (!field.FieldType.Is(typeof(DependencyProperty)))
continue;
if (!field.Name.EndsWith("Property"))
continue;
string fieldName = field.Name.Replace("Property", "");
string getName = "Get" + fieldName;
string setName = "Set" + fieldName;
bool foundGet = false;
bool foundSet = false;
if (methods == null)
methods = type.GetMethods(flags);
foreach (MethodInfo method in methods)
{
if (method.Name == getName && method.GetParameters().Length == 1 &&
method.GetParameters()[0].ParameterType.Is(typeof(DependencyObject)))
foundGet = true;
else
if (method.Name == setName && method.GetParameters().Length == 2 &&
method.GetParameters()[0].ParameterType.Is(typeof(DependencyObject)))
foundSet = true;
if (foundGet && foundSet)
break;
}
if (!(foundGet && foundSet))
continue;
try
{
DependencyProperty dp = field.GetValue(null) as DependencyProperty;
}
catch (Exception)
{
continue;
}
// Found an attached Dependency Property
attachedProperties.Add(field);
}
}
return true;
}
}
internal static class Extensions
{
// Extension for Type
internal static bool Is(this Type type, Type baseType)
{
return (type.Equals(baseType) || type.IsSubclassOf(baseType));
}
// Extension for Exception
internal static void DebugOutput(this Exception ex)
{
#if DEBUG
Debug.WriteLine(ex.GetType().ToString() + ": " + ex.Message + Environment.NewLine);
#endif
}
// Extension for string
internal static void Trace(this string message)
{
Debug.WriteLine(message);
}
}
}
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