c# - Setting nested properties via an Expression -

i have following object:

public class contactimport {      public long id {get;set;}     public contact contact {get;set;}     public company company {get;set;}     public address address {get;set;} } 

i want able set properties on the nested objects dynamically based on expression passed in (expression<func<t, dynamic>>).

to have following method, works fine setting properties on top level object (such id) fails when trying set on nested objects (such contact.firstname)

public static void setpropertyvalue<t, tprop>(this t target, expression<func<t, tprop>> member, tprop value) {     var selectorexpr = (memberexpression)(member.body unaryexpression ? ((unaryexpression)member.body).operand : member.body);     if (selectorexpr != null) {         var property = selectorexpr.member propertyinfo;         if (property != null) {             property.setvalue(target, value);         }      }  } 

it looks it's trying set property on top level object can't. take possible i'm unsure how achieve have.

the setpropertyvalue method invoke this:

public class importcheck<t> {      public int id { get; set; }     public string name { get; set; }     public type type { get; set; }     public bool required { get; set; }     public int? minlength { get; set; }     public int? maxlength { get; set; }     public string value { get; set; }     public expression<func<t, dynamic>> associatedproperty { get; set; } }       t pt = (t)activator.createinstance(typeof(t));     foreach (var m in mapping) {         pt.setpropertyvalue(m.associatedproperty, convert.changetype(m.value, nullable.getunderlyingtype(m.type) ?? m.type));     } 

in above example t contactimport, m.associatedproperty expression , mapping list<importcheck<contactimport>>.

update

my issue seems boil down fact expression being passed setpropertyvalue has return type of dynamic. if set int , property on nested object int works. problem have need explicitly set result of expression match type of target property. leaves me issue in need list of importchecks possibility of each expression<func<t,dynamic>> having different return type.