CustomAttributeBuilder Class

Definition

Namespace:

System.Reflection.Emit

Assemblies:

netstandard.dll, System.Reflection.Emit.ILGeneration.dll

Source:

CustomAttributeBuilder.cs

Helps build custom attributes.

C#

public class CustomAttributeBuilder

Inheritance

Object

CustomAttributeBuilder

Examples

The following code sample illustrates the use of CustomAttributeBuilder.

C#

using System;
using System.Threading;
using System.Reflection;
using System.Reflection.Emit;

// We will apply this custom attribute to our dynamic type.
public class ClassCreator: Attribute

{
   private string creator;
   public string Creator
   {
    get
    {
       return creator;
    }
   }	

   public ClassCreator(string name)
   {
      this.creator = name;
   }
}

// We will apply this dynamic attribute to our dynamic method.
public class DateLastUpdated: Attribute

{
   private string dateUpdated;
   public string DateUpdated
   {
    get
    {
       return dateUpdated;
    }
   }

   public DateLastUpdated(string theDate)
   {
    this.dateUpdated = theDate;
   }
}

class MethodBuilderCustomAttributesDemo

{

   public static Type BuildTypeWithCustomAttributesOnMethod()
   {
    
    AppDomain currentDomain = Thread.GetDomain();
    
    AssemblyName myAsmName = new AssemblyName();
    myAsmName.Name = "MyAssembly";

    AssemblyBuilder myAsmBuilder = currentDomain.DefineDynamicAssembly(
                       myAsmName, AssemblyBuilderAccess.Run);

    ModuleBuilder myModBuilder = myAsmBuilder.DefineDynamicModule("MyModule");

    // First, we'll build a type with a custom attribute attached.

    TypeBuilder myTypeBuilder = myModBuilder.DefineType("MyType",
                        TypeAttributes.Public);
    
    Type[] ctorParams = new Type[] { typeof(string) };
    ConstructorInfo classCtorInfo = typeof(ClassCreator).GetConstructor(ctorParams);

    CustomAttributeBuilder myCABuilder = new CustomAttributeBuilder(
                        classCtorInfo,
                        new object[] { "Joe Programmer" });

    myTypeBuilder.SetCustomAttribute(myCABuilder);

    // Now, let's build a method and add a custom attribute to it.

    MethodBuilder myMethodBuilder = myTypeBuilder.DefineMethod("HelloWorld",
                    MethodAttributes.Public,
                    null,
                    new Type[] { });

    ctorParams = new Type[] { typeof(string) };
    classCtorInfo = typeof(DateLastUpdated).GetConstructor(ctorParams);

    CustomAttributeBuilder myCABuilder2 = new CustomAttributeBuilder(
                        classCtorInfo,
                        new object[] { DateTime.Now.ToString() });

    myMethodBuilder.SetCustomAttribute(myCABuilder2);

    ILGenerator myIL = myMethodBuilder.GetILGenerator();

    myIL.EmitWriteLine("Hello, world!");
    myIL.Emit(OpCodes.Ret);

    return myTypeBuilder.CreateType();
   }

   public static void Main()
   {

    Type myType = BuildTypeWithCustomAttributesOnMethod();

    object myInstance = Activator.CreateInstance(myType);

    object[] customAttrs = myType.GetCustomAttributes(true);

    Console.WriteLine("Custom Attributes for Type 'MyType':");

    object attrVal = null;

    foreach (object customAttr in customAttrs)
    {
       attrVal = typeof(ClassCreator).InvokeMember("Creator",
                      BindingFlags.GetProperty,
                      null, customAttr, new object[] { });
       Console.WriteLine("-- Attribute: [{0} = \"{1}\"]", customAttr, attrVal);
        }

    Console.WriteLine("Custom Attributes for Method 'HelloWorld()' in 'MyType':");

    customAttrs = myType.GetMember("HelloWorld")[0].GetCustomAttributes(true);	

    foreach (object customAttr in customAttrs)
    {
       attrVal = typeof(DateLastUpdated).InvokeMember("DateUpdated",
                      BindingFlags.GetProperty,
                      null, customAttr, new object[] { });
       Console.WriteLine("-- Attribute: [{0} = \"{1}\"]", customAttr, attrVal);
        }

    Console.WriteLine("---");

    Console.WriteLine(myType.InvokeMember("HelloWorld",
              BindingFlags.InvokeMethod,
              null, myInstance, new object[] { }));
   }
}

Remarks

Use the CustomAttributeBuilder object returned by the constructor to describe the custom attribute. Associate the CustomAttribute with a builder instance by calling the SetCustomAttribute method on that builder instance. For example, create a CustomAttributeBuilder to describe an instance of AssemblyCultureAttribute by supplying the constructor of AssemblyCultureAttribute and its argument. Then call SetCustomAttribute on an AssemblyBuilder to establish the association.

Constructors

CustomAttributeBuilder(ConstructorInfo, Object[], FieldInfo[], Object[])	Initializes an instance of the CustomAttributeBuilder class given the constructor for the custom attribute, the arguments to the constructor, and a set of named field/value pairs.
CustomAttributeBuilder(ConstructorInfo, Object[], PropertyInfo[], Object[], FieldInfo[], Object[])	Initializes an instance of the CustomAttributeBuilder class given the constructor for the custom attribute, the arguments to the constructor, a set of named property or value pairs, and a set of named field or value pairs.
CustomAttributeBuilder(ConstructorInfo, Object[], PropertyInfo[], Object[])	Initializes an instance of the CustomAttributeBuilder class given the constructor for the custom attribute, the arguments to the constructor, and a set of named property or value pairs.
CustomAttributeBuilder(ConstructorInfo, Object[])	Initializes an instance of the CustomAttributeBuilder class given the constructor for the custom attribute and the arguments to the constructor.

Methods

Equals(Object)	Determines whether the specified object is equal to the current object. (Inherited from Object)
GetHashCode()	Serves as the default hash function. (Inherited from Object)
GetType()	Gets the Type of the current instance. (Inherited from Object)
MemberwiseClone()	Creates a shallow copy of the current Object. (Inherited from Object)
ToString()	Returns a string that represents the current object. (Inherited from Object)

Applies to