Demonstration of using generic structures to better organize mappings and the copying of data from a keyed datasource to an object.

gistfile1.cs

//
// datasource
private static Dictionary<string,object> sourceData = new Dictionary<string,object>{
  {"test1", "Joe"},
	{"test2", DateTime.Now},
	{"test3", 5}
};
//
// target object
class Foo
{
	public string Name { get; set; }
	public DateTime Dob { get; set; }
	public int Age { get; set; }
}
//
// the mappings for Foo
private static Mappings<Foo> fooMaps =  Mappings<Foo>.Create()
	.Add("test1", i=>i.Name)
	.Add("test2", i=>i.Dob)
	.Add("test3", i=>i.Age)		
;	
//
// testing it
void Main()
{
	var target = new Foo();
	
	CopyStuff(fooMaps, s=>sourceData[s] ,target);
	
	Console.WriteLine (target.Age);
	Console.WriteLine (target.Dob);
	Console.WriteLine (target.Name);	
}
//
// used to copy from source to target
private static object CopyStuff<T>( Mappings<T> mappings, Func<string,object> source, object target){
	foreach (var map in mappings)
	{
		var prop = GetProperty(map.PropertySelector);		
		prop.SetValue(target, source(map.Key));
	}	
	return target;
}
//
// helper to retrieve PropertyInfo
// from an expression
private static PropertyInfo GetProperty<T>(Expression<Func<T, object>> property) {
   PropertyInfo propertyInfo = null;
   if (property.Body is MemberExpression) {   	
       propertyInfo = (property.Body as MemberExpression).Member as PropertyInfo;
   } else {
       propertyInfo =
           (((UnaryExpression)property.Body).Operand as MemberExpression)
           .Member as PropertyInfo;
   }
   return propertyInfo;
}
//
// A property mapping for a keyed
// datasource
public class Mapping<T>
{
	public string Key { get; set; }
	public Expression<Func<T,object>> PropertySelector { get; set; }
}
//
// collection of mappings
public class Mappings<T>:List<Mapping<T>>
{
	public static Mappings<T> Create(){
		return new Mappings<T>();
	}
	
	public Mappings<T> Add( string name, Expression<Func<T,object>> prop){
		this.Add(new Mapping<T>{
			Key = name,
			PropertySelector = prop
		});
		return this;
	}
}