How to Retrieve a Property Name as a String in C#?

Accessing Property Names as Strings in C#

In C# programming, particularly when using reflection, it's frequently necessary to obtain a property's name as a string. This proves invaluable for tasks such as dynamic method invocation or safeguarding against accidental property renaming.

Leveraging the nameof Operator (C# 6.0 and later)

Since C# 6.0, the nameof operator offers a simple and efficient solution. The expression nameof(SomeProperty) directly yields the string "SomeProperty" at compile time.

A Generic Property Name Retrieval Method

For versions of C# prior to 6.0, a generic method provides a workaround:

public static string GetPropertyName<T>(Expression<Func<T>> propertyLambda)
{
    var me = propertyLambda.Body as MemberExpression;
    if (me == null)
    {
        throw new ArgumentException("Invalid lambda expression");
    }
    return me.Member.Name;
}

This method accepts a lambda expression referencing a property and returns its name.

Practical Application

Here's how to utilize the GetPropertyName method:

// For a static property:
string propertyName = GetPropertyName(() => SomeClass.SomeProperty);

// For an instance property:
string propertyName = GetPropertyName(() => someObject.SomeProperty);

Summary

Whether using the modern nameof operator or the GetPropertyName method, retrieving property names as strings is simplified, enhancing code maintainability and robustness when dealing with reflection and refactoring.

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