Date: 2024-11-02
In this discussion, I will cover five types of AutoMapper that are regularly used in our code. First, I will write all of them in a single controller (though it is considered bad practice to keep all code in a controller action).
Must add builder.Services.AddAutoMapper(AppDomain.CurrentDomain.GetAssemblies()); line into program.cs and install package <PackageReference Include="AutoMapper" Version="13.0.1" />
Controller:
public class HomeController : Controller
{
private readonly IMapper _mapper;
private readonly ILogger<HomeController> _logger;
public HomeController(IMapper mapper, ILogger<HomeController> logger)
{
_logger = logger;
_mapper = mapper;
}
## Type 1: Simple Automapper
// All properties in the DTO are equal to all properties in the Model.
public IActionResult Index()
{
var employeeModelValue = new EmployeeModel
{
Code = "A123",
Name = "Mr X",
Gender = "Male",
JoinningDate = DateTime.Parse("2024-01-01")
};
var employeeDTOValue = new EmployeeDTO
{
Code = "B123",
Name = "Mrs Y",
Gender = "Female",
JoinningDate = DateTime.Parse("2024-12-25")
};
// 1. Mapping EmployeeModel to EmployeeDTO
var employeeDTO = _mapper.Map<EmployeeDTO>(employeeModelValue);
// 2. Mapping EmployeeDTO to EmployeeModel
var employeeModel = _mapper.Map<EmployeeModel>(employeeDTOValue);
var employeeViewModel = new EmployeeViewModel
{
EmployeeDTO = employeeDTO,
EmployeeModel = employeeModel
};
return View(employeeViewModel);
}
## Type 2: Semi Advanced Automapper
// One or two properties of the DTO are not equal to one or two properties of the Model.
public IActionResult Index2()
{
var personValue = new PersonModel
{
FirstName = "John",
LastName = "Doe",
Age = 30
};
var personDTOValue = new PersonDTO
{
FullName = "John Doe",
Age = 30
};
// 1. Mapping PersonModel to PersonDTO
var personDTO = _mapper.Map<PersonDTO>(personValue);
// 2. Mapping PersonDTO to PersonModel
var personModel = _mapper.Map<PersonModel>(personDTOValue);
var personViewModel = new PersonViewModel
{
PersonDTO = personDTO,
PersonModel = personModel
};
return View(personViewModel);
}
## Type 3: Advanced Automapper
// One or two properties of the DTO are not equal to one or two properties of the Model.
// Additionally, properties can be modified or added from outside.
public IActionResult Index3()
{
var employeeModelValue = new EmployeeModel
{
Code = "A123",
Name = "Mr X",
Gender = "Male",
JoinningDate = DateTime.Parse("2024-01-01")
};
var employeeDTOValue = new EmployeeDTO
{
Code = "B123",
Name = "Mrs Y",
Gender = "Female",
JoinningDate = DateTime.Parse("2024-12-25")
};
employeeDTOValue.Code = "C123";
employeeDTOValue.Name = "Mrs Z";
employeeDTOValue.Gender = employeeModelValue.Gender;
// 1. Mapping EmployeeModel to EmployeeDTO
var employeeDTO = _mapper.Map<EmployeeDTO>(employeeModelValue);
// 2. Mapping EmployeeDTO to EmployeeModel
var employeeModel = _mapper.Map<EmployeeModel>(employeeDTOValue);
var employeeViewModel = new EmployeeViewModel
{
EmployeeDTO = employeeDTO,
EmployeeModel = employeeModel
};
return View(employeeViewModel);
}
## Type 4: List of Model Automap
// Mapping a list of EmployeeModel to a list of EmployeeDTO.
public IActionResult Index4()
{
var employeeModelValueList = new List<EmployeeModel>
{
new EmployeeModel
{
Code = "D123",
Name = "Mr X",
Gender = "Male",
JoinningDate = DateTime.Parse("2024-01-01")
},
new EmployeeModel
{
Code = "E123",
Name = "Mr X",
Gender = "Male",
JoinningDate = DateTime.Parse("2024-01-01")
},
new EmployeeModel
{
Code = "F123",
Name = "Mr X",
Gender = "Male",
JoinningDate = DateTime.Parse("2024-01-01")
},
new EmployeeModel
{
Code = "G123",
Name = "Mr X",
Gender = "Male",
JoinningDate = DateTime.Parse("2024-01-01")
}
};
employeeModelValueList[0].Name = "Mr D";
employeeModelValueList[1].Name = "Mr E";
employeeModelValueList[2].Name = "Mr F";
employeeModelValueList[3].Name = "Mr G";
var employeeDTOValue = new EmployeeDTO
{
Code = "H123",
Name = "Mrs Y",
Gender = "Female",
JoinningDate = DateTime.Parse("2024-12-25")
};
// 1. Mapping a list of EmployeeModel to a list of EmployeeDTO
var employeeDTO = _mapper.Map<List<EmployeeDTO>>(employeeModelValueList);
// 2. Mapping EmployeeDTO to EmployeeModel
var employeeModel = _mapper.Map<EmployeeModel>(employeeDTOValue);
var employeeViewModel = new EmployeeViewModelList
{
EmployeeDTO = employeeDTO,
EmployeeModel = employeeModel
};
return View(employeeViewModel);
}
## Type 5: Model and View are not identical
// Some properties are missing in the model, and some properties are missing in the DTO.
public IActionResult Index5()
{
var bookValue = new BookModel
{
Title = "1984",
Author = "George Orwell",
YearPublished = 1949,
Genre = "Dystopian",
Edition = "First"
};
var bookDTOValue = new BookDTO
{
Title = "1984",
Author = "George Orwell",
YearPublished = 1949,
Genre = "Dystopian",
Price = 212.12
};
// 1. Mapping BookModel to BookDTO
var bookDTO = _mapper.Map<BookDTO>(bookValue);
// 2. Mapping BookDTO to BookModel
var bookModel = _mapper.Map<BookModel>(bookDTOValue);
var bookViewModel = new BookViewModel
{
BookDTO = bookDTO,
BookModel = bookModel
};
return View(bookViewModel);
}
}DTO:
public class BookDTO
{
public string Title { get; set; }
public string Author { get; set; }
public int YearPublished { get; set; }
public string Genre { get; set; }
// Extra
public double? Price { get; set; }
public int? Quantity { get; set; }
public string Description { get; set; }
}
public class EmployeeDTO
{
public string Code { get; set; }
public string Name { get; set; }
public string Gender { get; set; }
public DateTime? JoinningDate { get; set; }
}
public class PersonDTO
{
public string FullName { get; set; }
public int Age { get; set; }
//public string FirstName { get; set; }
//public string LastName { get; set; }
//public int? Age { get; set; }
}Model:
public class BookModel
{
public string Title { get; set; }
public string Author { get; set; }
public int YearPublished { get; set; }
public string Genre { get; set; }
// Extra
public string Edition { get; set; }
}
public class EmployeeModel
{
public string Code { get; set; }
public string Name { get; set; }
public string Gender { get; set; }
public DateTime? JoinningDate { get; set; }
}
public class PersonModel
{
public string FirstName { get; set; }
public string LastName { get; set; }
public int? Age { get; set; }
}Profiles:
public BookProfile()
{
// Ignore is necessary while property name is same but datatype different (It have other reason also)
CreateMap<BookModel, BookDTO>()
.ForMember(dest => dest.Price, opt => opt.Ignore())
.ForMember(dest => dest.Quantity, opt => opt.Ignore())
.ForMember(dest => dest.Description, opt => opt.Ignore());
CreateMap<BookDTO, BookModel>();
}
public EmployeeProfile()
{
//CreateMap<EmployeeModel, EmployeeDTO>();
//CreateMap<EmployeeDTO, EmployeeModel>();
CreateMap<EmployeeModel, EmployeeDTO>().ReverseMap();
}
public PersonProfile()
{
// 1. Map from Person to PersonDTO (Source: PersonModel, Destination: PersonDTO)
CreateMap<PersonModel, PersonDTO>()
.ForMember(dest => dest.FullName, opt => opt.MapFrom(src => $"{src.FirstName} {src.LastName}"))
.ForMember(dest => dest.Age, opt => opt.MapFrom(src => src.Age ?? 0));
// 2. Map from PersonDTO to Person (Source: PersonDTO, Destination: PersonModel)
CreateMap<PersonDTO, PersonModel>()
.ForMember(dest => dest.FirstName, opt => opt.MapFrom(src => src.FullName.Split()[0]))
.ForMember(dest => dest.LastName, opt => opt.MapFrom(src => src.FullName.Split().Length > 1 ? src.FullName.Split()[1] : ""))
.ForMember(dest => dest.Age, opt => opt.MapFrom(src => src.Age));
}To view the razor page and the shared model (where I store data to send it to the view), visit my GitHub repository: https://github.com/msashoyeb/Project-Collection.