How to fill multiple types of Business Objects from a single method?

Question

I have four different Business objects and each calls its corresponding FillBusinessObject method to fill all the individual object properties one by one. Now I wish to create a common method which should be able to fill each type of business object. I've created a base class from which all business objects inherit but I am not able to figure out how to fill individual object properties from a common method.

Is this possible (if yes, then how) or am I in dreamworld?

P.S. I don't wish to take a different route like LINQ.

Answer 1

Looks like you're over-complicating things.

You could write a method that fills the part that belongs to a common base-class and then calls a specialize method for each type.

Answer 2

How about something like this:

namespace ConsoleApplication1
{
    class Program
    {
        static void Main( string[] args )
        {
            // Create some business objects and ask them to initialize
            // themselves.
            //

            var bo1 = new BusinessObject1();
            var bo2 = new BusinessObject2();

            bo1.Fill();
            bo2.Fill();
        }

        public abstract class BusinessObjectBase
        {
            public int x { get; private set; }

            public virtual void Fill()
            {
                x = 123;
            }
        }

        public class BusinessObject1 : BusinessObjectBase
        {
            public int y { get; private set; }

            public override void Fill()
            {
                // Let base class fill itself.
                base.Fill();

                // Now we fill our own properties.
                this.y = 456;
            }
        }

        public class BusinessObject2 : BusinessObjectBase
        {
            public int z { get; private set; }

            public override void Fill()
            {
                // Let base class fill itself.
                base.Fill();

                // Now we fill our own properties.
                this.z = 456;
            }
        }
    }
}