Convert C# method name to text

Question

I am using a generic handler in Visual Studio 2013.

What I am trying to do is to create a URL that incorporates the name of a method, but I want the name of the method to be real code so that it will not be hard-coded and follow along if the function name was changed.

If I were doing this in C or C++, I would have just said:

#define GENERATE_REFERENCE(text) #text

I don't really care it is formed as a method call as I have prototyped here

"Pseudo-code" in C# of what I am trying to do:

public class MyClass {
    public void SayHello (String name)
    {
    ...
    }

    public void GenerateLink()
    {
         url = "... "+GenerateReference(this.SayHello);
         // url would be "... SayHello";

    }
    public String GenerateReference( DataType method )
    {
         // Is there some way to do this?
         return method.MethodName.ToString();
    }
}

My question is different than the suggested duplicate question get methodinfo from a method reference C# because my question comes from a place of great ignorance of C# mechanisms (neophyte). The suspected duplicate question implies a much higher level of understanding well beyond what I demonstrated in my question - I didn't know enough to ask that question. I would have never have found this answer from my searching.

Answer 1

C# 6

nameof(MyClass.SayHello)

Before C# 6

public static String GenerateReference<T>(Expression<Action<T>> expression)
{
    var member = expression.Body as MethodCallExpression;

    if (member != null)
        return member.Method.Name;

    throw new ArgumentException("Expression is not a method", "expression");
}

GenerateReference<MyClass>(c => c.SayHello(null));

Credit goes to https://stackoverflow.com/a/9382501/471321

Answer 2

c# 6 introduces a new operator called nameof which eliminates these hardcoded string with method names.

You can use it as follows: nameof(Class.Method)