Mapping an interface template to a concrete class template in Code?

Question

I have a Droplink type field called Formatter on a Table Column item. I would like GlassMapper to automatically map the selected value in the DropLink to the concrete class. Is this possible?

using System;
using System.Reflection;
using Glass.Mapper.Sc.Configuration.Attributes;
using TI.Models.Base;
using TI.Web.Utilities.ExceptionLogger;

namespace TI.Web.Models.Generics
{
    [SitecoreType(false, "{ADBE3C0C-E00B-4559-8082-97C2E5FFD592}")]
    public class TableColumn : BaseItem
    {
        private const BindingFlags Inherited = BindingFlags.FlattenHierarchy | BindingFlags.Instance | BindingFlags.Public;

        [SitecoreField]
        public virtual string Header { get; set; }

        [SitecoreField]
        public virtual string Property { get; set; }

        [SitecoreField]
        public virtual string Formatting { get; set; }

        [SitecoreField]
        public virtual ITableColumnFormatter Formatter { get; set; }

        public string GetValue(object row, string type)
        {
            var collectionType = Type.GetType(type);

            try
            {
                Type fieldOrPropertyType;
                if (!Property.Contains("."))
                {
                    return Format(GetFieldOrProperty(row, Property, collectionType, out fieldOrPropertyType));
                }

                var current = row;
                var currentType = collectionType;

                foreach (var step in Property.Split('.'))
                {
                    var fieldOrProperty = GetFieldOrProperty(current, step, currentType, out fieldOrPropertyType);
                    current = fieldOrProperty;
                    currentType = fieldOrPropertyType;
                }

                return Format(current);
            }
            catch
            {
                LogManager.Error($"Unable to get field/property {Property} from TableColumn item {Id}", this);
            }

            return null;
        }

        private static object GetFieldOrProperty(object initial, string fieldOrProperty, Type type, out Type fieldOrPropertyType)
        {
            var field = type.GetField(fieldOrProperty, Inherited);
            if (field != null)
            {
                fieldOrPropertyType = field.FieldType;
                return field.GetValue(initial);
            }

            var property = type.GetProperty(fieldOrProperty, Inherited);
            if (property != null)
            {
                fieldOrPropertyType = property.PropertyType;
                return property.GetValue(initial);
            }

            fieldOrPropertyType = null;
            return null;
        }

        private string Format(object fieldOrProperty)
        {
            if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(Formatting))
            {
                return fieldOrProperty.ToString();
            }

            return Formatter.Format(fieldOrProperty);

            var date = (DateTime) fieldOrProperty;
            if (date == null)
            {
                throw new ArgumentException($"Unable to parse {fieldOrProperty} as DateTime");
            }

            return date.ToString(Formatting);
        }
    }

    [SitecoreType(true, "{70846EB9-92EF-41A5-A556-D926BCFB3668}")]
    public class HTMLTableColumnFormatter : BaseItem, ITableColumnFormatter {
        public string Format(object fieldOrProperty)
        {
            throw new NotImplementedException();
        }
    }

    [SitecoreType(true, "{0408DB66-F660-48E0-81A0-7499BF423143}")]
    public class DateTimeTableColumnFormatter : BaseItem, ITableColumnFormatter {
        public string Format(object fieldOrProperty)
        {
            throw new NotImplementedException();
        }
    }

    [SitecoreType(true, "{A29D959E-98E1-433F-A309-A60E012DB138}")]
    public interface ITableColumnFormatter
    {
        string Format(object fieldOrProperty);
    }
}

As it stands right now, the NotImplementedException is not thrown. I would like Sitecore and GlassMapper to enter the appropriate method. Is there an example of how to do this?

Answer 1

look at inferred types http://www.glass.lu/Mapper/Sc/Tutorials/Tutorial17, this will allow you to get a more specific type from a base type.