How Can Reflection Be Used to Dynamically Set Property Values in C#?

Utilizing Reflection to Modify Property Values

Reflection, a powerful .NET framework feature, grants the ability to inspect and modify objects and their members dynamically. In this context, we'll explore how reflection can be leveraged to set the value of a specific property within a C# class.

Consider a scenario where you know the name of a property, such as "first_name," and wish to modify its value using this string. Reflection provides a solution to this problem.

To achieve the desired outcome, the following steps can be taken:

1. Fetch the Property Using Type.GetProperty: Utilize Type.GetProperty to obtain the property's metadata. Binding flags may be required if the property is not public.
2. Set the Value Via SetValue: Call the SetValue method on the retrieved property to assign the desired value. An object instance is required to call SetValue.

The provided code sample exemplifies this approach:

class Person
{
    public string Name { get; set; }
}

class Test
{
    static void Main(string[] arg)
    {
        Person p = new Person();
        var property = typeof(Person).GetProperty("Name");
        property.SetValue(p, "Jon", null);
        Console.WriteLine(p.Name); // Jon
    }
}

If the property's accessibility is non-public, specify BindingFlags as shown:

var property = typeof(Person).GetProperty("Name", BindingFlags.NonPublic | BindingFlags.Instance);

With the aid of reflection, setting property values dynamically becomes a feasible endeavor, offering flexibility in code manipulation and runtime behavior.

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