Mapping using automapper

Need  for using Automapper 

Eventually, in any application, a developer will need to translate data from one object type to another.

Common examples include DTOs (Data Transfer Objects), View Models, or even just some request or response object from a service or Web API call.

Usually we end up doing manual mapping.

Drawback

•          We need to do it in every page or repository where we are using it
•          Difficult to maintain code
•          We end up exposing actual properties from the database to the outside world

Advantages

•          Lines of code has been reduced
•          Easy for maintainance
•          Mapping is loaded at application start up
•          We are exposing the member what we have defined in view model

Typical data flow

Using Automapper

Steps to use Auto Mapper

• Download Automapper using package manager

   

• Create a config file 

public class MapperConfig

    {

        public static void CreateMaps()

        {

            Mapper.CreateMap<SearchResult, OrgViewModel>()

                .ForMember(dest => dest.FirstName, opt => opt.MapFrom(src => src.first_name))

                .ForMember(dest => dest.LastName, opt => opt.MapFrom(src => src.last_name))

        }

    }

• In global.asax.cs call Mapper.config  

      protected void Application_Start()

        {

         

            MapperConfig.CreateMaps();

        }

• Now we can use the mapping anywhere in our solution

       Mapper.Map<IEnumerable<SearchResult>, IEnumerable< OrgViewModel>> ((searchList).ToList(), model);