Expression tree - compile inner lambda in outer lambda - scoping resolution

Question

I am creating expression tree and there is a situation where I need to create one lambda in another lambda and store inner one in a class and add that class in expression tree. This is simple example of what I am trying to do (this code does not compile):

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;
using System.Text;
using System.Linq.Expressions;

namespace SimpleTest {
    public class LambdaWrapper {
        private Delegate compiledLambda;
        public LambdaWrapper(Delegate compiledLambda) {
            this.compiledLambda = compiledLambda;
        }
        public dynamic Execute() {
            return compiledLambda.DynamicInvoke();
        }
    }

    public class ForSO {

        public ParameterExpression Param;

        public LambdaExpression GetOuterLambda() {
            IList<Expression> lambdaBody = new List<Expression>();
            Param = Expression.Parameter(typeof(object), "Param");
            lambdaBody.Add(Expression.Assign(
                            Param, 
                            Expression.Constant("Value of 'param' valiable"))
                          );

            lambdaBody.Add(Expression.Call(
                            null, 
                            typeof(ForSO).GetMethod("Write"), 
                            Param)
                          );

            Delegate compiledInnerLambda = GetInnerLambda().Compile();
            LambdaWrapper wrapper = new LambdaWrapper(compiledInnerLambda);
            lambdaBody.Add(Expression.Constant(wrapper));
            //lambdaBody.Add(GetInnerLambda());
            return Expression.Lambda(
                        Expression.Block(
                                new ParameterExpression[] { Param }, 
                                lambdaBody));
        }

        public LambdaExpression GetInnerLambda() {
            return Expression.Lambda(
                    Expression.Block(
                        Expression.Call(null, 
                                typeof(ForSO).GetMethod("Write"), 
                                Expression.Constant("Inner lambda start")),
                        Expression.Call(null, 
                                typeof(ForSO).GetMethod("Write"), 
                                Param),
                        Expression.Call(null, 
                                typeof(ForSO).GetMethod("Write"), 
                                Expression.Constant("Inner lambda end"))
                    )
                );
        }

        public static void Write(object toWrite) {
            Console.WriteLine(toWrite);
        }

        public static void Main(string[] args) {
            ForSO so = new ForSO();
            LambdaWrapper wrapper = so.GetOuterLambda().Compile()
                                      .DynamicInvoke() as LambdaWrapper;
            wrapper.Execute();
            //(so.GetOuterLambda().Compile().DynamicInvoke() as Delegate).DynamicInvoke();
        }
    }
}

Problem is in GetInnerLambda().Compile() line in GetOuterLambda method. I am aware of one solution - it is in commented part of code. With that, everything works fine, but I need a wrapper as return value, not expression subtree (it might be ok to store inner lambda subtree in LambdaWrapper, and compile it later, but same problem occures).

Error I am getting is Unhandled Exception: System.InvalidOperationException: variable 'Param' of type 'System.Object' referenced from scope '', but it is not defined.

If I add Param to block variables in inner lambda, code compiles, but Param has not value assigned in outer lambda (and that makes sense).

How can this be solved?

Answer 1

Well, since you can't use Param as a constant value in your inner lambda expression, I suggest you to add a lambda parameter to your expression:

public LambdaExpression GetInnerLambda()
{
    var param = Expression.Parameter(typeof(object));
    return Expression.Lambda(
        Expression.Block(
            Expression.Call(null,
                typeof(ForSO).GetMethod("Write"),
                Expression.Constant("Inner lambda start")),
            Expression.Call(null,
                typeof(ForSO).GetMethod("Write"),
                param),
            Expression.Call(null,
                typeof(ForSO).GetMethod("Write"),
                Expression.Constant("Inner lambda end"))
        ),
        param
    );
}

Then store the parameter's value in your LambdaWrapper class, and use it later as an argument in the DynamicInvoke call:

public class LambdaWrapper
{
    private object param;
    private Delegate compiledLambda;

    public LambdaWrapper(Delegate compiledLambda, object param)
    {
        this.compiledLambda = compiledLambda;
        this.param = param;
    }

    public dynamic Execute()
    {
        return compiledLambda.DynamicInvoke(param);
    }
}

That works, but the only issue is that it will call WriteLine on Param, which is a ParameterExpression object. To solve this, you have to create the wrapper class dynamically in your expression tree:

//lambdaBody.Add(Expression.Constant(wrapper));
lambdaBody.Add(Expression.New(
    typeof(LambdaWrapper).GetConstructor(new[] { typeof(Delegate), typeof(object) }),
    Expression.Constant(compiledInnerLambda),
    Param)
);

Then it will use the assigned value of Param. And since you don't use Param outside of GetOuterLambda, you can now use it as a local variable.

EDIT:

Here is my second attempt to solve this issue:

public LambdaExpression GetOuterLambda()
{
    ...
    //Delegate compiledInnerLambda = GetInnerLambda().Compile();
    //LambdaWrapper wrapper = new LambdaWrapper(compiledInnerLambda);

    lambdaBody.Add(Expression.New(
        typeof(LambdaWrapper).GetConstructor(new[] { typeof(Delegate) }),
        Expression.Call(
            Expression.Call(
                typeof(ForSO).GetMethod("GetInnerLambda", BindingFlags.Public | BindingFlags.Static),
                Param
            ),
            typeof(LambdaExpression).GetMethod("Compile", Type.EmptyTypes)
        )
    ));
    ...
}

public static LambdaExpression GetInnerLambda(object param)
{
    return Expression.Lambda(
        Expression.Block(
            Expression.Call(null,
                typeof(ForSO).GetMethod("Write"),
                Expression.Constant("Inner lambda start")),
            Expression.Call(null,
                typeof(ForSO).GetMethod("Write"),
                Expression.Constant(param)),
            Expression.Call(null,
                typeof(ForSO).GetMethod("Write"),
                Expression.Constant("Inner lambda end"))
        )
    );
}

This approach compiles this inner lambda when you run the outer delegate. By doing this, Param will be assigned before the inner lambda gets compiled.