Struct PropertyBuilder

pub struct PropertyBuilder { /* private fields */ }

Builder for creating Property metadata entries.

PropertyBuilder provides a fluent API for creating Property table entries with validation and automatic heap management. Property entries define named attributes that can be accessed through getter and setter methods, enabling encapsulated data access patterns in .NET types.

Property Types

Properties can represent various data access patterns:

• Instance Properties: Bound to specific object instances
• Static Properties: Associated with the type itself
• Indexed Properties: Properties that accept parameters (indexers)
• Auto-Properties: Properties with compiler-generated backing fields

Method Association

Properties are linked to their implementation methods through the MethodSemantics table (created separately):

• Getter Method: Retrieves the property value
• Setter Method: Sets the property value
• Other Methods: Additional property-related methods

Examples

let assembly = CilAssembly::new(view);
let mut context = BuilderContext::new(assembly);

// Create a property signature for System.String
let string_property_sig = &[0x08, 0x1C]; // PROPERTY calling convention + ELEMENT_TYPE_OBJECT

// Create a public instance property
let property = PropertyBuilder::new()
    .name("Value")
    .flags(0x0000) // No special flags
    .signature(string_property_sig)
    .build(&mut context)?;

// Create a property with special naming
let special_property = PropertyBuilder::new()
    .name("Item") // Indexer property
    .flags(0x0200) // SpecialName
    .signature(string_property_sig)
    .build(&mut context)?;

Implementations

impl PropertyBuilder

pub fn new() -> Self

Creates a new PropertyBuilder.

Returns

A new crate::metadata::tables::property::PropertyBuilder instance ready for configuration.

pub fn name(self, name: impl Into<String>) -> Self

Sets the property name.

Property names are used for reflection, debugging, and binding operations. Common naming patterns include Pascal case for public properties and special names like “Item” for indexer properties.

Arguments

• name - The property name (must be a valid identifier)

Returns

Self for method chaining.

pub fn flags(self, flags: u32) -> Self

Sets the property flags (attributes).

Property flags control special behaviors and characteristics. Common flag values from crate::metadata::tables::PropertyAttributes:

• 0x0000: No special flags (default for most properties)
• 0x0200: SPECIAL_NAME - Property has special naming conventions
• 0x0400: RT_SPECIAL_NAME - Runtime should verify name encoding
• 0x1000: HAS_DEFAULT - Property has default value in Constant table

Arguments

• flags - The property attribute flags bitmask

Returns

Self for method chaining.

pub fn signature(self, signature: &[u8]) -> Self

Sets the property type signature.

The signature defines the property’s type and parameters using ECMA-335 signature encoding. Property signatures start with a calling convention byte followed by the type information.

Common property signature patterns:

• [0x08, 0x08]: PROPERTY + int32 property
• [0x08, 0x0E]: PROPERTY + string property
• [0x28, 0x01, 0x08, 0x08]: PROPERTY + HASTHIS + 1 param + int32 + int32 (indexer)
• [0x08, 0x1C]: PROPERTY + object property

Arguments

• signature - The property type signature bytes

Returns

Self for method chaining.

pub fn build(self, context: &mut BuilderContext) -> Result<Token>

Builds the property and adds it to the assembly.

This method validates all required fields are set, adds the name and signature to the appropriate heaps, creates the raw property structure, and adds it to the Property table.

Note: This only creates the Property table entry. Method associations (getter, setter) must be created separately using MethodSemantics builders.

Arguments

• context - The builder context for managing the assembly

Returns

A crate::metadata::token::Token representing the newly created property, or an error if validation fails or required fields are missing.

Errors

• Returns error if name is not set
• Returns error if flags are not set
• Returns error if signature is not set
• Returns error if heap operations fail
• Returns error if table operations fail

Trait Implementations

impl Default for PropertyBuilder

fn default() -> Self

Returns the “default value” for a type.