There is a way. Add these classes:
DefaultDateTimeValueAttribute.cs
using System;
using System.ComponentModel;
using System.ComponentModel.DataAnnotations;
using System.Linq;
using System.Reflection;
using System.Runtime.CompilerServices;
using Custom.Extensions;
namespace Custom.DefaultValueAttributes
{
/// <summary>
/// This class's DefaultValue attribute allows the programmer to use DateTime.Now as a default value for a property.
/// Inspired from https://code.msdn.microsoft.com/A-flexible-Default-Value-11c2db19.
/// </summary>
[AttributeUsage(AttributeTargets.Property)]
public sealed class DefaultDateTimeValueAttribute : DefaultValueAttribute
{
public string DefaultValue { get; set; }
private object _value;
public override object Value
{
get
{
if (_value == null)
return _value = GetDefaultValue();
return _value;
}
}
/// <summary>
/// Initialized a new instance of this class using the desired DateTime value. A string is expected, because the value must be generated at runtime.
/// Example of value to pass: Now. This will return the current date and time as a default value.
/// Programmer tip: Even if the parameter is passed to the base class, it is not used at all. The property Value is overridden.
/// </summary>
/// <param name="defaultValue">Default value to render from an instance of <see cref="DateTime"/></param>
public DefaultDateTimeValueAttribute(string defaultValue) : base(defaultValue)
{
DefaultValue = defaultValue;
}
public static DateTime GetDefaultValue(Type objectType, string propertyName)
{
var property = objectType.GetProperty(propertyName);
var attribute = property.GetCustomAttributes(typeof(DefaultDateTimeValueAttribute), false)
?.Cast<DefaultDateTimeValueAttribute>()
?.FirstOrDefault();
return attribute.GetDefaultValue();
}
private DateTime GetDefaultValue()
{
// Resolve a named property of DateTime, like "Now"
if (this.IsProperty)
{
return GetPropertyValue();
}
// Resolve a named extension method of DateTime, like "LastOfMonth"
if (this.IsExtensionMethod)
{
return GetExtensionMethodValue();
}
// Parse a relative date
if (this.IsRelativeValue)
{
return GetRelativeValue();
}
// Parse an absolute date
return GetAbsoluteValue();
}
private bool IsProperty
=> typeof(DateTime).GetProperties()
.Select(p => p.Name).Contains(this.DefaultValue);
private bool IsExtensionMethod
=> typeof(DefaultDateTimeValueAttribute).Assembly
.GetType(typeof(DefaultDateTimeExtensions).FullName)
.GetMethods()
.Where(m => m.IsDefined(typeof(ExtensionAttribute), false))
.Select(p => p.Name).Contains(this.DefaultValue);
private bool IsRelativeValue
=> this.DefaultValue.Contains(":");
private DateTime GetPropertyValue()
{
var instance = Activator.CreateInstance<DateTime>();
var value = (DateTime)instance.GetType()
.GetProperty(this.DefaultValue)
.GetValue(instance);
return value;
}
private DateTime GetExtensionMethodValue()
{
var instance = Activator.CreateInstance<DateTime>();
var value = (DateTime)typeof(DefaultDateTimeValueAttribute).Assembly
.GetType(typeof(DefaultDateTimeExtensions).FullName)
.GetMethod(this.DefaultValue)
.Invoke(instance, new object[] { DateTime.Now });
return value;
}
private DateTime GetRelativeValue()
{
TimeSpan timeSpan;
if (!TimeSpan.TryParse(this.DefaultValue, out timeSpan))
{
return default(DateTime);
}
return DateTime.Now.Add(timeSpan);
}
private DateTime GetAbsoluteValue()
{
DateTime value;
if (!DateTime.TryParse(this.DefaultValue, out value))
{
return default(DateTime);
}
return value;
}
}
}
DefaultDateTimeExtensions.cs
using System;
namespace Custom.Extensions
{
/// <summary>
/// Inspired from https://code.msdn.microsoft.com/A-flexible-Default-Value-11c2db19. See usage for more information.
/// </summary>
public static class DefaultDateTimeExtensions
{
public static DateTime FirstOfYear(this DateTime dateTime)
=> new DateTime(dateTime.Year, 1, 1, dateTime.Hour, dateTime.Minute, dateTime.Second, dateTime.Millisecond);
public static DateTime LastOfYear(this DateTime dateTime)
=> new DateTime(dateTime.Year, 12, 31, dateTime.Hour, dateTime.Minute, dateTime.Second, dateTime.Millisecond);
public static DateTime FirstOfMonth(this DateTime dateTime)
=> new DateTime(dateTime.Year, dateTime.Month, 1, dateTime.Hour, dateTime.Minute, dateTime.Second, dateTime.Millisecond);
public static DateTime LastOfMonth(this DateTime dateTime)
=> new DateTime(dateTime.Year, dateTime.Month, DateTime.DaysInMonth(dateTime.Year, dateTime.Month), dateTime.Hour, dateTime.Minute, dateTime.Second, dateTime.Millisecond);
}
}
And use DefaultDateTimeValue as an attribute to your properties. Value to input to your validation attribute are things like "Now", which will be rendered at run time from a DateTime instance created with an Activator. The source code is inspired from this thread: https://code.msdn.microsoft.com/A-flexible-Default-Value-11c2db19. I changed it to make my class inherit with DefaultValueAttribute instead of a ValidationAttribute.
