An extension to what reshefm did, that simplified the usage of the nameof() operator, and gives the names of methods and class members and methods as well:
/// <summary>
/// Provides the <see cref="nameof"/> extension method that works as a workarounds for a nameof() operator,
/// which should be added to C# sometime in the future.
/// </summary>
public static class NameOfHelper
{
/// <summary>
/// Returns a string represantaion of a property name (or a method name), which is given using a lambda expression.
/// </summary>
/// <typeparam name="T">The type of the <paramref name="obj"/> parameter.</typeparam>
/// <typeparam name="TProp">The type of the property (or the method's return type), which is used in the <paramref name="expression"/> parameter.</typeparam>
/// <param name="obj">An object, that has the property (or method), which its name is returned.</param>
/// <param name="expression">A Lambda expression of this pattern: x => x.Property <BR/>
/// Where the x is the <paramref name="obj"/> and the Property is the property symbol of x.<BR/>
/// (For a method, use: x => x.Method()</param>
/// <returns>A string that has the name of the given property (or method).</returns>
public static string nameof<T, TProp>(this T obj, Expression<Func<T, TProp>> expression)
{
MemberExpression memberExp = expression.Body as MemberExpression;
if (memberExp != null)
return memberExp.Member.Name;
MethodCallExpression methodExp = expression.Body as MethodCallExpression;
if (methodExp != null)
return methodExp.Method.Name;
throw new ArgumentException("'expression' should be a member expression or a method call expression.", "expression");
}
/// <summary>
/// Returns a string represantaion of a property name (or a method name), which is given using a lambda expression.
/// </summary>
/// <typeparam name="TProp">The type of the property (or the method's return type), which is used in the <paramref name="expression"/> parameter.</typeparam>
/// <param name="expression">A Lambda expression of this pattern: () => x.Property <BR/>
/// Where Property is the property symbol of x.<BR/>
/// (For a method, use: () => x.Method()</param>
/// <returns>A string that has the name of the given property (or method).</returns>
public static string nameof<TProp>(Expression<Func<TProp>> expression)
{
MemberExpression memberExp = expression.Body as MemberExpression;
if (memberExp != null)
return memberExp.Member.Name;
MethodCallExpression methodExp = expression.Body as MethodCallExpression;
if (methodExp != null)
return methodExp.Method.Name;
throw new ArgumentException("'expression' should be a member expression or a method call expression.", "expression");
}
}
To use it:
static class Program
{
static void Main()
{
string strObj = null;
Console.WriteLine(strObj.nameof(x => x.Length)); //gets the name of an object's property.
Console.WriteLine(strObj.nameof(x => x.GetType())); //gets the name of an object's method.
Console.WriteLine(NameOfHelper.nameof(() => string.Empty)); //gets the name of a class' property.
Console.WriteLine(NameOfHelper.nameof(() => string.Copy(""))); //gets the name of a class' method.
}
}