What are your favorite extension methods for C#? (

Question

Let's make a list of answers where you post your excellent and favorite extension methods.

The requirement is that the full code must be posted and a example and an explanation on how to use it.

Based on the high interest in this topic I have setup an Open Source Project called extensionoverflow on Codeplex.

Please mark your answers with an acceptance to put the code in the Codeplex project.

Please post the full sourcecode and not a link.

Codeplex News:

24.08.2010 The Codeplex page is now here: http://extensionoverflow.codeplex.com/

11.11.2008 XmlSerialize / XmlDeserialize is now Implemented and Unit Tested.

11.11.2008 There is still room for more developers. ;-) Join NOW!

11.11.2008 Third contributer joined ExtensionOverflow, welcome to BKristensen

11.11.2008 FormatWith is now Implemented and Unit Tested.

09.11.2008 Second contributer joined ExtensionOverflow. welcome to chakrit.

09.11.2008 We need more developers. ;-)

09.11.2008 ThrowIfArgumentIsNull in now Implemented and Unit Tested on Codeplex.

Answer 1

public static class StringExtensions {

    /// <summary>
    /// Parses a string into an Enum
    /// </summary>
    /// <typeparam name="T">The type of the Enum</typeparam>
    /// <param name="value">String value to parse</param>
    /// <returns>The Enum corresponding to the stringExtensions</returns>
    public static T EnumParse<T>(this string value) {
        return StringExtensions.EnumParse<T>(value, false);
    }

    public static T EnumParse<T>(this string value, bool ignorecase) {

        if (value == null) {
            throw new ArgumentNullException("value");
        }

        value = value.Trim();

        if (value.Length == 0) {
            throw new ArgumentException("Must specify valid information for parsing in the string.", "value");
        }

        Type t = typeof(T);

        if (!t.IsEnum) {
            throw new ArgumentException("Type provided must be an Enum.", "T");
        }

        return (T)Enum.Parse(t, value, ignorecase);
    }
}

Useful to parse a string into an Enum.

public enum TestEnum
{
    Bar,
    Test
}

public class Test
{
    public void Test()
    {
        TestEnum foo = "Test".EnumParse<TestEnum>();
    }
 }

Credit goes to Scott Dorman

--- Edit for Codeplex project ---

I have asked Scott Dorman if he would mind us publishing his code in the Codeplex project. This is the reply I got from him:

Thanks for the heads-up on both the SO post and the CodePlex project. I have upvoted your answer on the question. Yes, the code is effectively in the public domain currently under the CodeProject Open License (http://www.codeproject.com/info/cpol10.aspx).

I have no problems with this being included in the CodePlex project, and if you want to add me to the project (username is sdorman) I will add that method plus some additional enum helper methods.

Answer 2

"Please mark your answers with an acceptance to put the code in the Codeplex project."

Why? All the Stuff on this site under CC-by-sa-2.5, so just put your Extension overflow Project under the same license and you can freely use it.

Anyway, here is a String.Reverse function, based on this question.

/// <summary>
/// Reverse a String
/// </summary>
/// <param name="input">The string to Reverse</param>
/// <returns>The reversed String</returns>
public static string Reverse(this string input)
{
    char[] array = input.ToCharArray();
    Array.Reverse(array);
    return new string(array);
}

Answer 3

Here's one I just created today.

// requires .NET 4

public static TReturn NullOr<TIn, TReturn>(this TIn obj, Func<TIn, TReturn> func,
        TReturn elseValue = default(TReturn)) where TIn : class
    { return obj != null ? func(obj) : elseValue; }

// versions for CLR 2, which doesn't support optional params

public static TReturn NullOr<TIn, TReturn>(this TIn obj, Func<TIn, TReturn> func,
        TReturn elseValue) where TIn : class
    { return obj != null ? func(obj) : elseValue; }
public static TReturn NullOr<TIn, TReturn>(this TIn obj, Func<TIn, TReturn> func)
        where TIn : class
    { return obj != null ? func(obj) : default(TReturn); }

It lets you do this:

var lname = thingy.NullOr(t => t.Name).NullOr(n => n.ToLower());

which is more fluent and (IMO) easier to read than this:

var lname = (thingy != null ? thingy.Name : null) != null
    ? thingy.Name.ToLower() : null;

Answer 4

ForEach for IEnumerables

public static class FrameworkExtensions
{
    // a map function
    public static void ForEach<T>(this IEnumerable<T> @enum, Action<T> mapFunction)
    {
        foreach (var item in @enum) mapFunction(item);
    }
}

Naive example:

var buttons = GetListOfButtons() as IEnumerable<Button>;

// click all buttons
buttons.ForEach(b => b.Click());

Cool example:

// no need to type the same assignment 3 times, just
// new[] up an array and use foreach + lambda
// everything is properly inferred by csc :-)
new { itemA, itemB, itemC }
    .ForEach(item => {
        item.Number = 1;
        item.Str = "Hello World!";
    });

Note:

This is not like Select because Select expects your function to return something as for transforming into another list.

ForEach simply allows you to execute something for each of the items without any transformations/data manipulation.

I made this so I can program in a more functional style and I was surprised that List has a ForEach while IEnumerable does not.

Put this in the codeplex project

Answer 5

My conversion extensions which allow you to do:

int i = myString.To<int>();

Here it is, as posted on TheSoftwareJedi.com

public static T To<T>(this IConvertible obj)
{
  return (T)Convert.ChangeType(obj, typeof(T));
}

public static T ToOrDefault<T>
             (this IConvertible obj)
{
    try
    {
        return To<T>(obj);
    }
    catch
    {
        return default(T);
    }
}

public static bool ToOrDefault<T>
                    (this IConvertible obj,
                     out T newObj)
{
    try
    {
        newObj = To<T>(obj); 
        return true;
    }
    catch
    {
        newObj = default(T); 
        return false;
    }
}

public static T ToOrOther<T>
                       (this IConvertible obj,
                       T other)
{
  try
  {
      return To<T>obj);
  }
  catch
  {
      return other;
  }
}

public static bool ToOrOther<T>
                         (this IConvertible obj,
                         out T newObj,
                         T other)
{
    try
    {
        newObj = To<T>(obj);
        return true;
    }
    catch
    {
        newObj = other;
        return false;
    }
}

public static T ToOrNull<T>
                      (this IConvertible obj)
                      where T : class
{
    try
    {
        return To<T>(obj);
    }
    catch
    {
        return null;
    }
}

public static bool ToOrNull<T>
                  (this IConvertible obj,
                  out T newObj)
                  where T : class
{
    try
    {
        newObj = To<T>(obj);
        return true;
    }
    catch
    {
        newObj = null;
        return false;
    }
}

You can ask for default (calls blank constructor or "0" for numerics) on failure, specify a "default" value (I call it "other"), or ask for null (where T : class). I've also provided both silent exception models, and a typical TryParse model that returns a bool indicating the action taken, and an out param holds the new value. So our code can do things like this

int i = myString.To<int>();
string a = myInt.ToOrDefault<string>();
//note type inference
DateTime d = myString.ToOrOther(DateTime.MAX_VALUE);
double d;
//note type inference
bool didItGiveDefault = myString.ToOrDefault(out d);
string s = myDateTime.ToOrNull<string>();

I couldn't get Nullable types to roll into the whole thing very cleanly. I tried for about 20 minutes before I threw in the towel.

Answer 6

Takes a camelCaseWord or PascalCaseWord and "wordifies" it, ie camelCaseWord => camel Case Word

public static string Wordify( this string camelCaseWord )
{
    // if the word is all upper, just return it
    if( !Regex.IsMatch( camelCaseWord, "[a-z]" ) )
        return camelCaseWord;

    return string.Join( " ", Regex.Split( camelCaseWord, @"(?<!^)(?=[A-Z])" ) );
}

I often use it in conjuction with Capitalize

public static string Capitalize( this string word )
{
    return word[0].ToString( ).ToUpper( ) + word.Substring( 1 );
}

Example usage

SomeEntityObject entity = DataAccessObject.GetSomeEntityObject( id );
List<PropertyInfo> properties = entity.GetType().GetPublicNonCollectionProperties( );

// wordify the property names to act as column headers for an html table or something
List<string> columns = properties.Select( p => p.Name.Capitalize( ).Wordify( ) ).ToList( );

Free to use in codeplex project