C# Language Recursion Recursively describe an object structure
Example
Recursion is when a method calls itself. Preferably it will do so until a specific condition is met and then it will exit the method normally, returning to the point from which the method was called. If not, a stack overflow exception might occur due to too many recursive calls.
/// <summary>
/// Create an object structure the code can recursively describe
/// </summary>
public class Root
{
public string Name { get; set; }
public ChildOne Child { get; set; }
}
public class ChildOne
{
public string ChildOneName { get; set; }
public ChildTwo Child { get; set; }
}
public class ChildTwo
{
public string ChildTwoName { get; set; }
}
/// <summary>
/// The console application with the recursive function DescribeTypeOfObject
/// </summary>
public class Program
{
static void Main(string[] args)
{
// point A, we call the function with type 'Root'
DescribeTypeOfObject(typeof(Root));
Console.WriteLine("Press a key to exit");
Console.ReadKey();
}
static void DescribeTypeOfObject(Type type)
{
// get all properties of this type
Console.WriteLine($"Describing type {type.Name}");
PropertyInfo[] propertyInfos = type.GetProperties();
foreach (PropertyInfo pi in propertyInfos)
{
Console.WriteLine($"Has property {pi.Name} of type {pi.PropertyType.Name}");
// is a custom class type? describe it too
if (pi.PropertyType.IsClass && !pi.PropertyType.FullName.StartsWith("System."))
{
// point B, we call the function type this property
DescribeTypeOfObject(pi.PropertyType);
}
}
// done with all properties
// we return to the point where we were called
// point A for the first call
// point B for all properties of type custom class
}
}
