How to combine multiple c# Lambda Expressions (Expression<Func<T, T>>)

Question

I have the following function which is actually a wrapper around Z.EntityFramework.Plus bulk update:

    public static int UpdateBulk<T>(this IQueryable<T> query, Expression<Func<T, T>> updateFactory) where T : IBaseEntity, new()
    {
        Expression<Func<T, T>> modifiedExpression = x => new T() { ModifiedBy = "Test", ModifiedDate = DateTime.Now };
        var combine = Expression.Lambda<Func<T, T>>(
            Expression.AndAlso(
                Expression.Invoke(updateFactory, updateFactory.Parameters),
                Expression.Invoke(modifiedExpression, modifiedExpression.Parameters)
            ),
            updateFactory.Parameters.Concat(modifiedExpression.Parameters)
        );  //This returns an error

        return query.Update(combine);
    }

Called like this:

        decimal probId = ProbId.ParseDecimal();

        db.Problems
            .Where(e => e.ProbId == probId)
            .UpdateBulk(e => new Problem() {
                CatId = Category.ParseNullableInt(),
                SubCatId = SubCategory.ParseNullableInt(),
                ListId = Problem.ParseNullableInt()
            });

Where IBaseEntity is defined as follows:

public abstract class IBaseEntity
{
    public System.DateTime CreatedDate { get; set; }
    public string CreatedBy { get; set; }

    public System.DateTime ModifiedDate { get; set; }
    public string ModifiedBy { get; set; }

    public string DeletedBy { get; set; }
}

The 'Problem' class by the way implements IBaseEntity.

What I want to do is automatically append ModifiedBy and ModifiedDate to updateFactory in the UpdateBulk function so that this doesn't have to be done in every call to UpdateBulk.

I tried in the above UpdateBulk function to combine the parsed 'updateFactory' expression with the 'modifiedExpression' but it returns the error:

the binary operator AndAlso is not defined for the types 'Problem'

Is it possible to merge Expression like this and if so, what am I doing wrong? If not, how can I merge ModifiedBy = "Test", ModifiedDate = DateTime.Now into the updateFactory expression?

Thanks, Rod

Answer 1

You cannot use AndAlso, since that's meant for the BinaryExpression - Expression<Func<T,bool>>, In this case you need Expression Visitor, as defined here by Marc Gravell (so he deserves all the credit)

I am using the same to provide a solution in your case, with an assumption of Problem class schema, pasting the Linqpad code:

void Main()
{
  var final = UpdateBulk((Problem p) => new Problem{CatId = 1,SubCatId = 2, ListId=3});

 // final is of type Expression<Func<T,T>>, which can be used for further processing

  final.Dump();
}

public static Expression<Func<T, T>> UpdateBulk<T>(Expression<Func<T, T>> updateFactory) where T : IBaseEntity, new()
{
    Expression<Func<T, T>> modifiedExpression = x => new T() { ModifiedBy = "Test", ModifiedDate = DateTime.Now };

    var result = Combine(updateFactory, modifiedExpression);

    return result;
}


static Expression<Func<TSource, TDestination>> Combine<TSource, TDestination>(
    params Expression<Func<TSource, TDestination>>[] selectors)
{
    var param = Expression.Parameter(typeof(TSource), "x");
    return Expression.Lambda<Func<TSource, TDestination>>(
        Expression.MemberInit(
            Expression.New(typeof(TDestination).GetConstructor(Type.EmptyTypes)),
            from selector in selectors
            let replace = new ParameterReplaceVisitor(
                  selector.Parameters[0], param)
            from binding in ((MemberInitExpression)selector.Body).Bindings
                  .OfType<MemberAssignment>()
            select Expression.Bind(binding.Member,
                  replace.VisitAndConvert(binding.Expression, "Combine")))
        , param);
}

class ParameterReplaceVisitor : ExpressionVisitor
{
    private readonly ParameterExpression from, to;
    public ParameterReplaceVisitor(ParameterExpression from, ParameterExpression to)
    {
        this.from = from;
        this.to = to;
    }
    protected override Expression VisitParameter(ParameterExpression node)
    {
        return node == from ? to : base.VisitParameter(node);
    }
}

public abstract class IBaseEntity
{
    public System.DateTime CreatedDate { get; set; }
    public string CreatedBy { get; set; }

    public System.DateTime ModifiedDate { get; set; }
    public string ModifiedBy { get; set; }

    public string DeletedBy { get; set; }
}

public class Problem : IBaseEntity
{
    public int CatId { get; set; }

    public int SubCatId { get; set; }

    public int ListId { get; set; }
}