Optional

Optional for C#.. for tracking if an objects value has ever been set. Works with Classes, Value Types and Nullable.

Restful - Partial Updates

Optional allows a restful service to provide clients with a flexible contract where by they can submit the fields they require to be updated.

Scenario

Client 1 has the contract

{Id, Name, AddressLine1}

Client 2 has the contract

{Id, Salary}

The Rest Service has the following contract

public class Person {
  public int Id {get; set;}
  public Optional<string> Name {get; set;}
  public Optional<string> AddressLine1 {get; set;}
  public Optional<int?> Salary {get; set;}
}

Optional allows either client to supply any of the optional properties including setting the field to null where allowed.

Usage samples

Please checkout the branch and see Mgazza.Optional.Tests for example usages.

MVC quick-start sample

in your global.ascx.cs add the following and you'll be ready to create the above scenario

protected void Application_Start()
{
    var httpConfiguration = GlobalConfiguration.Configuration;
	var settings = httpConfiguration.Formatters.JsonFormatter.SerializerSettings;
	settings.Converters.Add(new OptionalJsonConverter());
	settings.NullValueHandling = NullValueHandling.Ignore;

	settings.ContractResolver = new CamelCasePropertyNamesContractResolver();
	settings.NullValueHandling = NullValueHandling.Include;
	settings.DateFormatHandling = DateFormatHandling.IsoDateFormat;
	settings.DateParseHandling = DateParseHandling.DateTimeOffset;
	
	}