According to this: Adding properties and methods to an ExpandoObject, dynamically!,
... you can use an expando object as your value holder, and cast it to an IDictionary<string, object> when you want to add dynamically named properties.
Example
dynamic myobject = new ExpandoObject();
IDictionary<string, object> myUnderlyingObject = myobject;
myUnderlyingObject.Add("IsDynamic", true); // Adding dynamically named property
Console.WriteLine(myobject.IsDynamic); // Accessing the property the usual way
This is tested and will print out "true" on the console screen.
Of course, in your case, where your underlying object has to inherit from another class, this example is given just to give you an idea for a potential custom implementation.
Maybe including an expando object in your class implementation and redirecting calls to tryget and tryset to the instance of the expando object in your class?
UPDATE
IF your base class derives from DynamicObject (meaning you can override all TrySet/Get/Invoke methods) then, you could also use a dictionary internally. In the try get/set overrides you would do any event firing you want, and delegate the setting getting to the internal dictionary.
To add a new property (or remove an existing one) you could override TryInvoke. When the mothod name is, for example, "AddProperty" and there is one argument of type string then you would add a new item in your dictionary with the name of the argument. Similarly you would dynamically define a "RemoveProperty" etc. You don't even need an expando object.
class MyBaseClass: DynamicObject
{
// usefull functionality
}
class MyClass: MyBaseClass
{
Dictionary<string, object> dynamicProperties = new Dictionary<string, object>();
override bool TryGetMember(...)
{
// read the value of the requested property from the dictionary
// fire any events and return
}
override bool TrySetMember(...)
{
// set the value of the requested property to the dictionary
// if the property does not exist,
// add it to the dictionary (compile time dynamic property naming)
// fire any events
}
override bool TryInvoke(...)
{
// check what method is requested to be invoked
// is it "AddProperty"??
// if yes, check if the first argument is a string
// if yes, add a new property to the dictionary
// with the name given in the first argument (runtime dynamic property naming)
// if there is also a second argument of type object,
// set the new property's value to that object.
// if the method to be invoked is "RemoveProperty"
// and the first argument is a string,
// remove from the Dictionary the property
// with the name given in the first argument.
// fire any events
}
}
// USAGE
static class Program
{
public static void Main()
{
dynamic myObject = new MyClass();
myObject.FirstName = "John"; // compile time naming - TrySetMember
Console.WriteLine(myObject.FirstName); // TryGetMember
myObject.AddProperty("Salary"); // runtime naming (try invoke "AddProperty" with argument "Salary")
myObject.Salary = 35000m;
Console.WriteLine(myObject.Salary); // TryGetMember
myObject.AddProperty("DateOfBirth", new DateTime(1980,23,11)); // runtime naming (try invoke "AddProperty" with fisrt argument "DateOfBirth" and second argument the desired value)
Console.WriteLine(myObject.DateOfBirth); // TryGetMember
myObject.RemoveProperty("FirstName"); // runtime naming (try invoke "RemoveProperty" with argument "FirstName")
Console.WriteLine(myObject.FirstName); // Should print out empty string (or throw, depending on the desired bahavior) because the "FirstName" property has been removed from the internal dictionary.
}
}
Of course, as I said, that would work only if your base class Derives from DynamicObject.
