AnonymousToRecord

C# Analyzer that suggests converting anonymous objects to record types for better type safety and reusability.

Features

• Automatic Detection: Identifies anonymous objects in your code that can be converted to record types
• Code Fix Provider: Provides a one-click fix to convert anonymous objects to records
• Batch Processing: Can handle multiple anonymous objects in a single operation
• Nested Anonymous Types: Supports nested anonymous objects and converts them to nested records
• Generic Type Support: Handles generic types containing anonymous objects (e.g., IEnumerable<AnonymousType>)
• Smart Naming: Automatically generates meaningful record names

Installation

Install via NuGet Package Manager:

Install-Package AnonymousToRecord

Or via .NET CLI:

dotnet add package AnonymousToRecord

Or add to your project file:

<PackageReference Include="AnonymousToRecord" Version="0.1.0-alpha" />

Usage

The analyzer automatically detects anonymous objects in your C# code and suggests converting them to records.

Before

var person = new { Name = "John", Age = 30 };
var people = new List<object>
{
    new { Name = "Alice", Age = 25 },
    new { Name = "Bob", Age = 35 }
};

After (with code fix applied)

public record AnonymousRecord001
{
    public required string Name { get; init; }
    public required int Age { get; init; }
}

var person = new AnonymousRecord001 { Name = "John", Age = 30 };
var people = new List<AnonymousRecord001>
{
    new AnonymousRecord001 { Name = "Alice", Age = 25 },
    new AnonymousRecord001 { Name = "Bob", Age = 35 }
};

How to Apply the Fix

1. Place your cursor on the squiggly line under the anonymous object
2. Press Ctrl+. (or Cmd+. on Mac) to open the Quick Actions menu
3. Select "Convert to record"

Benefits of Using Records

• Type Safety: Records provide compile-time type checking
• Immutability: Records are immutable by default with init accessors
• Value Equality: Records have built-in value-based equality
• Deconstruction: Records support pattern matching and deconstruction
• Reusability: Records can be reused across your application
• Performance: Better performance compared to anonymous objects in some scenarios

Configuration

The analyzer follows standard Roslyn analyzer configuration. You can configure it in your .editorconfig:

# Disable the analyzer for specific files
[*.generated.cs]
dotnet_analyzer_rule.ATR001.severity = none

# Change severity level
dotnet_analyzer_rule.ATR001.severity = warning

Diagnostic Information

• Rule ID: ATR001
• Category: Design
• Default Severity: Info
• Title: Anonymous object can be converted to record

Examples

Simple Anonymous Object

// Before
var point = new { X = 10, Y = 20 };

// After
public record AnonymousRecord001
{
    public required int X { get; init; }
    public required int Y { get; init; }
}
var point = new AnonymousRecord001 { X = 10, Y = 20 };

Nested Anonymous Objects

// Before
var user = new 
{ 
    Name = "John", 
    Address = new { Street = "123 Main St", City = "Anytown" } 
};

// After
public record AnonymousRecord001
{
    public required string Street { get; init; }
    public required string City { get; init; }
}

public record AnonymousRecord002
{
    public required string Name { get; init; }
    public required AnonymousRecord001 Address { get; init; }
}

var user = new AnonymousRecord002 
{ 
    Name = "John", 
    Address = new AnonymousRecord001 { Street = "123 Main St", City = "Anytown" } 
};

Collections with Anonymous Objects

// Before
var items = new[]
{
    new { Id = 1, Name = "Item1" },
    new { Id = 2, Name = "Item2" }
};

// After
public record AnonymousRecord001
{
    public required int Id { get; init; }
    public required string Name { get; init; }
}

var items = new[]
{
    new AnonymousRecord001 { Id = 1, Name = "Item1" },
    new AnonymousRecord001 { Id = 2, Name = "Item2" }
};

Requirements

• .NET Standard 2.0 or later
• C# 9.0 or later (for record support)
• Visual Studio 2019 16.8+ or compatible IDE

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit issues and pull requests.

License

This project is licensed under the Apache License 2.0 - see the LICENSE file for details.

Changelog

0.1.0-alpha

• Initial release
• Basic anonymous object to record conversion
• Support for nested anonymous objects
• Batch processing capabilities
• Generic type support