Compare and check if multiple variables, both reference types and value types, in object has changed in C# -

in system dependent on third party service , once every minute download data them , update our data. related e-signing lot of fields update. right getting information , update on our side if nothing has changed.

my thought deep copy using of methods shown below , compare values. since there many variables wonder if there someway can compare values , see if equal , not have write code check each variable? agreement shown below have both value , reference types.

public class agreement {     //properties here, both value , reference types      public bool haschanged(agreement oldagreement)     {         //code here     } } 

method example:

var oldagreement = agreement.clone();  var document = client.getthirdpartyagreement(agreement.agreementdocumentid);  updatedocument(agreement, document);  if(agreement.haschanged(oldagreement) {    agreementrepository.update(agreement); } 

deep copy extension methods:

/// <summary> /// perform deep copy of object, using json serialisation method. note: private members not cloned using method. /// </summary> /// <typeparam name="t">the type of object being copied.</typeparam> /// <param name="source">the object instance copy.</param> /// <returns>the copied object.</returns> public static t clonejson<t>(this t source) {     // don't serialize null object, return default object     if (object.referenceequals(source, null))     {         return default(t);     }      // initialize inner objects individually     // example in default constructor list property initialized values,     // in 'source' these items cleaned -     // without objectcreationhandling.replace default constructor values added result     var deserializesettings = new jsonserializersettings { objectcreationhandling = objectcreationhandling.replace };      return jsonconvert.deserializeobject<t>(jsonconvert.serializeobject(source), deserializesettings); }  /// <summary> /// perform deep copy of object. /// </summary> /// <typeparam name="t">the type of object being copied.</typeparam> /// <param name="source">the object instance copy.</param> /// <returns>the copied object.</returns> public static t clone<t>(this t source) {     if (!typeof(t).isserializable)     {         throw new argumentexception("the type must serializable.", "source");     }      // don't serialize null object, return default object     if (object.referenceequals(source, null))     {         return default(t);     }      iformatter formatter = new binaryformatter();     stream stream = new memorystream();     using (stream)     {         formatter.serialize(stream, source);         stream.seek(0, seekorigin.begin);         return (t)formatter.deserialize(stream);     } } 

i got work using tip @lassev.karlsen. 1 problem had datetimes however. when compared datetime object in c# equal when metod newtonsoft.json.jsonconvert.serializeobject() called generated different time string. these strings generated 2016-10-21t10:42:09+02:00 , 2016-10-21t10:42:09.

i solved extending newtonsoft.json.converters.isodatetimeconverter code below. afterwards datetime objects had same format.

public class customdatetimeconverter : isodatetimeconverter {     public customdatetimeconverter()     {         base.datetimeformat = "yyyy-mm-ddthh:mm:sszzz";     } } 

working method example:

//clonejson extension method above - deep copy var oldagreement = agreement.clonejson();  var document = client.getthirdpartyagreement(agreement.agreementdocumentid);  updatedocument(agreement, document);  var agreementstring = newtonsoft.json.jsonconvert.serializeobject(agreement, new customdatetimeconverter()); var oldagreementstring = newtonsoft.json.jsonconvert.serializeobject(oldagreement, new customdatetimeconverter());  if (agreementstring != oldagreementstring) {     agreementrepository.update(agreement); }