Library tutorials & articles
Attributed Programming in .NET Using C#
- Introduction
- Intrinsic and Custom Attributes
- Attribute Targets and Specifications
- Implementing a Custom Attribute
- Implementing a Custom Attribute contd
- Under the hood
Intrinsic and Custom Attributes
.NET framework is littered with attributes and CLR (common language runtime) provides a set of intrinsic attributes that are integrated into the framework. Serializable is an example of intrinsic attribute. Besides the framework supplied attributes, you can also define your own custom attributes to accomplish your goal.
When do you define your custom attributes? Attributes are suitable when you have crosscutting concerns. Object Oriented (OO) methodology lacks a modular approach to address crosscutting concerns in objects. Serialization is an example of crosscutting concern. Any object can be either serializable or non-serializable. If, for example, halfway in the development phase you realize that you need to make a few classes serializable, how do you do that? In .NET, you only need to mark them as serializable and provide methods to implement a serialization format. Other crosscutting concerns can be security, program monitoring and recording during debugging, data validation, etc. If you have a concern that affects a number of unrelated classes, you have a crosscutting concern and attributes are excellent candidates to address crosscutting concerns.
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Hi
Good article.I have a qus here. I have used a ot of attributes and have tried writing mine as well. Now the basic qus of when to write one of our own is still a little difficult for me. I understand simple using [SERIALIZABLE] makes life easier, but to really appreciate this perhaps I would want to understand whats the tought way of doing the same.
Could anybody explain with an example how attribute is giving ab advantage.
Thanks
sourabh
The example shown used public modifier for the class attributes, is there any way to get it to work with private/protected attributes? I tried the example code using private and was unable to get it to work.
I have absolutely no knowledge of C# and attributes, but I could understand the article very easily. Good Write-up!
The advantages provided with attributed programming is amazing and simultaneously it has a drawback.
The growth of attributes in each model like MIDL,MTS/COM+ and .NET is quite alarming.It increases the learning curve for a developer to use that Runtime.
And it seems whatever the runtime Environment is not able to do is kept as attributes and Developer has to provide it.
For example
void GetData(CMyObject obj1,CMyObject &obj2);
In the above method all C++ compiler recognizes that obj1 is passed by value and obj2 is passed by reference.If the Runtime environment can have the equivalent inteligence then no requirement of marking [SERIALIAZABLE] attribute to the class if we want to pass the object by value.
And what ever feature is not provided by any of the existing Object Oriented Language can be used as attributes.
Ghanshyam.
The article is nice
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