Encapsulating transformations in functions

suggest change

public class MyObject{
    public DateTime? TestDate { get; set; }

    public Func<MyObject, bool> DateIsValid = myObject => myObject.TestDate.HasValue && myObject.TestDate > DateTime.Now;

    public void DoSomething(){
        //We can do this:
        if(this.TestDate.HasValue && this.TestDate > DateTime.Now){
            CallAnotherMethod();
        }

        //or this:
        if(DateIsValid(this)){
            CallAnotherMethod();
        }
    }
}

In the spirit of clean coding, encapsulating checks and transformations like the one above as a Func can make your code easier to read and understand. While the above example is very simple, what if there were multiple DateTime properties each with their own differing validation rules and we wanted to check different combinations? Simple, one-line Funcs that each have established return logic can be both readable and reduce the apparent complexity of your code. Consider the below Func calls and imagine how much more code would be cluttering up the method:

public void CheckForIntegrity(){
    if(ShipDateIsValid(this) && TestResultsHaveBeenIssued(this) && !TestResultsFail(this)){
        SendPassingTestNotification();
    }
}

Found a mistake? Have a question or improvement idea? Let me know.

Table Of Contents