Get a generic method without using GetMethods

Question

I want to get the method System.Linq.Queryable.OrderyBy<T, TKey>(the IQueryable<T> source, Expression<Func<T,TKey>> keySelector) method, but I keep coming up with nulls.

var type = typeof(T);
var propertyInfo = type.GetProperty(group.PropertyName);
var propertyType = propertyInfo.PropertyType;

var sorterType = typeof(Func<,>).MakeGenericType(type, propertyType);
var expressionType = typeof(Expression<>).MakeGenericType(sorterType);

var queryType = typeof(IQueryable<T>);

var orderBy = typeof(System.Linq.Queryable).GetMethod("OrderBy", new[] { queryType, expressionType }); /// is always null.

Does anyone have any insight? I would prefer to not loop through the GetMethods result.

Answer 1

Solved (by hacking LINQ)!

I saw your question while researching the same problem. After finding no good solution, I had the idea to look at the LINQ expression tree. Here's what I came up with:

public static MethodInfo GetOrderByMethod<TElement, TSortKey>()
{
    Func<TElement, TSortKey> fakeKeySelector = element => default(TSortKey);

    Expression<Func<IEnumerable<TElement>, IOrderedEnumerable<TElement>>> lamda
        = list => list.OrderBy(fakeKeySelector);

    return (lamda.Body as MethodCallExpression).Method;
}

static void Main(string[] args)
{
    List<int> ints = new List<int>() { 9, 10, 3 };
    MethodInfo mi = GetOrderByMethod<int, string>();           
    Func<int,string> keySelector = i => i.ToString();
    IEnumerable<int> sortedList = mi.Invoke(null, new object[] { ints, 
                                                                 keySelector }
                                           ) as IEnumerable<int>;

    foreach (int i in sortedList)
    {
        Console.WriteLine(i);
    }
}

output: 10 3 9

EDIT: Here is how to get the method if you don't know the type at compile-time:

public static MethodInfo GetOrderByMethod(Type elementType, Type sortKeyType)
{
    MethodInfo mi = typeof(Program).GetMethod("GetOrderByMethod", Type.EmptyTypes);

    var getOrderByMethod = mi.MakeGenericMethod(new Type[] { elementType,
                                                             sortKeyType });
    return getOrderByMethod.Invoke(null, new object[] { }) as MethodInfo;
}

Be sure to replace typeof(Program) with typeof(WhateverClassYouDeclareTheseMethodsIn).

Answer 2

A variant of your solution, as an extension method:

public static class TypeExtensions
{
    private static readonly Func<MethodInfo, IEnumerable<Type>> ParameterTypeProjection = 
        method => method.GetParameters()
                        .Select(p => p.ParameterType.GetGenericTypeDefinition());

    public static MethodInfo GetGenericMethod(this Type type, string name, params Type[] parameterTypes)
    {
        return (from method in type.GetMethods()
                where method.Name == name
                where parameterTypes.SequenceEqual(ParameterTypeProjection(method))
                select method).SingleOrDefault();
    }
}

Answer 3

I don't believe there's an easy way of doing this - it's basically a missing feature from reflection, IIRC. You have to loop through the methods to find the one you want :(

Answer 4

I think the following extension method would be a solution to the problem:

public static MethodInfo GetGenericMethod(
  this Type type, string name, Type[] generic_type_args, Type[] param_types, bool complain = true)
{
  foreach (MethodInfo m in type.GetMethods())
    if (m.Name == name)
    {
      ParameterInfo[] pa = m.GetParameters();
      if (pa.Length == param_types.Length)
      {
        MethodInfo c = m.MakeGenericMethod(generic_type_args);
        if (c.GetParameters().Select(p => p.ParameterType).SequenceEqual(param_types))
          return c;
      }
    }
  if (complain)
    throw new Exception("Could not find a method matching the signature " + type + "." + name +
      "<" + String.Join(", ", generic_type_args.AsEnumerable()) + ">" +
      "(" + String.Join(", ", param_types.AsEnumerable()) + ").");
  return null;
}

The call would be something like (just changing the last line of your original code):

var type = typeof(T);  
var propertyInfo = type.GetProperty(group.PropertyName);  
var propertyType = propertyInfo.PropertyType;  

var sorterType = typeof(Func<,>).MakeGenericType(type, propertyType);  
var expressionType = typeof(Expression<>).MakeGenericType(sorterType);  

var queryType = typeof(IQueryable<T>);  

var orderBy = typeof(Queryable).GetGenericMethod("OrderBy",
                                                 new Type[] { type, propertyType },
                                                 new[] { queryType, expressionType });

What is different to the other solutions: the resulting method matches the parameter types exactly, not only their generic base types.

Answer 5

Today there is a good alternative with the method Type.MakeGenericMethodParameter. The following snippet retrieve the Queryable.OrderBy method:

var TSource = Type.MakeGenericMethodParameter(0);
var TKey = Type.MakeGenericMethodParameter(1);
var orderBy = typeof(Queryable).GetMethod(nameof(Queryable.OrderBy), 2, BindingFlags.Static | BindingFlags.Public, null, CallingConventions.Standard
    , new[] { typeof(IQueryable<>).MakeGenericType(TSource), typeof(Expression<>).MakeGenericType(typeof(Func<,>).MakeGenericType(TSource, TKey)) }
    , null);
Assert.NotNull(orderBy);

Answer 6

If you do know the types at compile time, you can do this with less code without using the Expression type, or depending on Linq at all, like so:

public static MethodInfo GetOrderByMethod<TElement, TSortKey>() {
    IEnumerable<TElement> col = null;
    return new Func<Func<TElement, TSortKey>, IOrderedEnumerable<TElement>>(col.OrderBy).Method;
}

Answer 7

var orderBy =
        (from methodInfo in typeof(System.Linq.Queryable).GetMethods()
         where methodInfo.Name == "OrderBy"
         let parameterInfo = methodInfo.GetParameters()
         where parameterInfo.Length == 2
         && parameterInfo[0].ParameterType.GetGenericTypeDefinition() == typeof(IQueryable<>)
         && parameterInfo[1].ParameterType.GetGenericTypeDefinition() == typeof(Expression<>)
         select
            methodInfo
        ).Single();

Answer 8

Using lambda expressions you can get the generic method easily

    var method = type.GetGenericMethod
            (c => c.Validate((IValidator<object>)this, o, action));

Read more about it here:

http://www.nerdington.com/2010/08/calling-generic-method-without-magic.html

http://web.archive.org/web/20100911074123/http://www.nerdington.com/2010/08/calling-generic-method-without-magic.html

Answer 9

I think that it mabe be made with class like so:

public static class SortingUtilities<T, TProperty>
{
    public static IOrderedQueryable<T> ApplyOrderBy(IQueryable<T> query, Expression<Func<T, TProperty>> selector)
    {
        return query.OrderBy(selector);
    }


    public static IOrderedQueryable<T> ApplyOrderByDescending(IQueryable<T> query, Expression<Func<T, TProperty>> selector)
    {
        return query.OrderByDescending(selector);
    }

    public static IQueryable<T> Preload(IQueryable<T> query, Expression<Func<T, TProperty>> selector)
    {
        return query.Include(selector);
    }
}

And you can use this even like so:

public class SortingOption<T> where T: class
{
    private MethodInfo ascendingMethod;
    private MethodInfo descendingMethod;
    private LambdaExpression lambda;
    public string Name { get; private set; }

    public SortDirection DefaultDirection { get; private set; }

    public bool ApplyByDefault { get; private set; }

    public SortingOption(PropertyInfo targetProperty, SortableAttribute options)
    {
        Name = targetProperty.Name;
        DefaultDirection = options.Direction;
        ApplyByDefault = options.IsDefault;
        var utilitiesClass = typeof(SortingUtilities<,>).MakeGenericType(typeof(T), targetProperty.PropertyType);
        ascendingMethod = utilitiesClass.GetMethod("ApplyOrderBy", BindingFlags.Static | BindingFlags.Public | BindingFlags.IgnoreCase);
        descendingMethod = utilitiesClass.GetMethod("ApplyOrderByDescending", BindingFlags.Static | BindingFlags.Public | BindingFlags.IgnoreCase);
        var param = Expression.Parameter(typeof(T));
        var getter = Expression.MakeMemberAccess(param, targetProperty);
        lambda = Expression.Lambda(typeof(Func<,>).MakeGenericType(typeof(T), targetProperty.PropertyType), getter, param);
    }

    public IQueryable<T> Apply(IQueryable<T> query, SortDirection? direction = null)
    {
        var dir = direction.HasValue ? direction.Value : DefaultDirection;
        var method = dir == SortDirection.Ascending ? ascendingMethod : descendingMethod;
        return (IQueryable<T>)method.Invoke(null, new object[] { query, lambda });
    }
}

with attribute like this:

public class SortableAttribute : Attribute 
{
    public SortDirection Direction { get; set; }
    public bool IsDefault { get; set; }
}

and this enum:

public enum SortDirection
{
    Ascending,
    Descending
}

Answer 10

Just another comment (it should be, but since its too long, i have to post it as an answer) following up @NeilWhitaker -s answer (here using Enumerable.Count), since we are in the middle of clearing the strings out :) why not use the Expression trees in your bytype method too? Something like :

    #region Count
    /// <summary>
    /// gets the 
    /// public static int Count&lt;TSource>(this IEnumerable&lt;TSource> source);
    /// methodinfo
    /// </summary>
    /// <typeparam name="TSource">type of the elements</typeparam>
    /// <returns></returns>
    public static MethodInfo GetCountMethod<TSource>()
    {
        Expression<Func<IEnumerable<TSource>, int>> lamda = list => list.Count();
        return (lamda.Body as MethodCallExpression).Method;
    }

    /// <summary>
    /// gets the 
    /// public static int Count&lt;TSource>(this IEnumerable&lt;TSource> source);
    /// methodinfo
    /// </summary>
    /// <param name="elementType">type of the elements</param>
    /// <returns></returns>
    public static MethodInfo GetCountMethodByType(Type elementType)
    {
        // to get the method name, we use lambdas too
        Expression<Action> methodNamer = () => GetCountMethod<object>();
        var gmi = ((MethodCallExpression)methodNamer.Body).Method.GetGenericMethodDefinition();
        var mi = gmi.MakeGenericMethod(new Type[] { elementType });
        return mi.Invoke(null, new object[] { }) as MethodInfo;
    }
    #endregion Disctinct