records.dib

#!markdown

Records in C#

#!csharp

public class Course
{
    public string Name {get; set;}
    public string Author {get; set;}
}

var course = new Course();
course.Name = "Duck Hunting";
course.Author = "John Doe";

Console.WriteLine($"Course 1:\n{course.Name}\n{course.Author}");

#!csharp

var course2 = course;
course2.Name = "Cat Hunting";

Console.WriteLine($"Course 1:\n{course.Name}\n{course.Author}");
Console.WriteLine($"\nCourse 2:\n{course2.Name}\n{course2.Author}");

// Both entries have changed, because when initializing second course with first one, we have used the REFERENCE.

#!csharp

static void PrintCourse(Course course)
{
    Console.WriteLine(course.Name);
}
PrintCourse(course);

#!csharp

// Record type with two string properties - Name and Author
public record CourseRecord(string Name, string Author);

// POSITIONAL RECORD
// can't create instance without providing declared properties
var course3 = new CourseRecord("Witch Hunting", "John Doe");

// A RECORD INSTANCE IS IMMUTABLE
// ITS VALUES CANNOT CHANGE ONCE THE OBJECT WAS CONSTRUCTED
// course3.Name = "Another Title";

#!markdown

Record is an immutable reference type
Objects that shouldn't change shouldn't be changeable

Do the properties of a DTO need to change in web application?
No, because it would no longer represent the data that was sent.

#!csharp

public object ConvertToObject(Course course)
{
    // Positional records cannot use paranthesis object creation, because there is no parameterless constructor
    // return CourseRecord()
    // {
    //     Name = "John"
    // }

    // we need to use constructor with parameters
    return new CourseRecord(course.Name, course.Author);
}

#!csharp

// Record descructuring
// order of deconstruction is as it was declard in record
var (name, author) = course3;
Console.WriteLine($"{name}, {author}");

#!csharp

// Deconstructing class object

// this will not work
// var (name, author) = Course;

public class CourseWithDeconstruct : Course
{
    // here's how we can make it work
    public void Deconstruct(out string name, out string author)
    {
        name = Name;
        author = Author;
    }
}

var course4 = new CourseWithDeconstruct()
{
    Name = "Dog Hunting",
    Author = "John Doe"
};
// now it works B)
var (name, author) = course4;

#!csharp

// Record cloning
var clone = course3 with { Author = "John Boe" };

// won't work on regular class
// var clonedClass = course4 with { Name = "John Boe" };

#!csharp

// Custom Record Types
// record body can contain anything class body can
// constructor and deconstructor is only generated for positional properties
public record AdvancedRecord(string Name)
{
    // overriding default constructor
    // public AdvancedRecord(string Name, string Author) : this() {}
    public AdvancedRecord(string name, string author) : this(name) {}

    // alternative of using property as class arguments
    // we use init as setter!
    // public string Name { get; init; }
    // Init keyword can be used in classes as well
    public string Author { get; init; }

    // custom property
    // lets use take control of getter and setter
    public String Title
    {
        get
        {
            return $"{Name} - {Author}";
        }
    }
}

var course1 = new AdvancedRecord("Book X")
{
    Author = "John Doe"
};

var course2 = new AdvancedRecord("Book X", "John Doe");

#!csharp

// Inheritance and polymorphism

// we can derive from record but we need to redeclare all the props and then pass them to class that we are deriving too
// we cannot derive from sealed record
public record UltraAdvancedRecord(string Name, int Duration) : AdvancedRecord(Name);

// when cloning object of derived class we will get object of base class
// behind the scene though it is still of derived class type

#!csharp

// Synthetized methods
public record SynthetizerRecord(string Name, string Author)
{
    // can override only two methods
}

public record SynthetizerRecordExtended(string Name, string Author, int Age) : SynthetizerRecord(Name, Author)
{
    // can override 4 methods and one prop
}

// in IL a record is basically a class :)