Access VB property based on name as string - Fastest Option - asp.net

Question

I'm developing an ASP.NET MVC web app in VB and I am required to output a set of data to a table format, and to allow the user to configure the order and presence of columns from an available set. The data set is stored as a list of the object type representing the row model.
Currently, I implement this using CallByName. Iterating over an ordered list of property names and outputting the value from the instance of the row model. However, based on testing this seems to be a major bottleneck in the process.
I've seen a recommendation to store delegates to get the property, against the string representation of the property's name. So, I can presumably do something like this:
Public Delegate Function GetColumn(ByRef RowObj As RowModel) As String
Dim GetPropOne As GetColumn = Function(ByRef RowObj As RowModel) RowObj.Prop1.ToString()
Dim accessors As New Hashtable()
accessors.Add("Prop1", GetPropOne)
Then, loop through and do something like this:
Dim acc As GetColumn = accessors(ColumnName)
Dim val As String = acc.Invoke(currentRow)
It looks faster, but it also looks like more maintenance. If this is indeed faster, is there a way I can dynamically build something like this? I'm thinking:
Public Delegate Function GetObjectProperty(Instance As Object) As Object
For Each prop In GetType(RowModel).GetProperties()
Dim acc As GetObjectProperty = AddressOf prop.GetValue
columns.Add(prop.Name, acc)
Next
Dim getColVal As GetObjectProperty = columns(ColumnName)
Dim val As String = getColVal.Invoke(currentRow).ToString()
Open to suggestions for different approaches.

Answer 1

I do a similar thing to turn a SOAP response into a Data Table
Public Function ObjectToDataSource(objName) As DataSet
Dim CollName = ""
Dim ds As New DataSet()
For Each m As System.Reflection.PropertyInfo In objName.GetType().GetProperties()
If m.CanRead Then
If InStr(m.PropertyType.ToString, "[]") <> 0 Then
CollName = m.Name
Exit For
End If
End If
Next
Dim CollObj
CollObj = CallByName(objName, CollName, CallType.Get)
If CollObj.length = 0 Then
Call EndTask("No Supply Chains to display", "Royal Mail failed to return Supply Chain information for these credentials", 3)
Else
Dim dt_NewTable As New DataTable(CollName)
ds.Tables.Add(dt_NewTable)
Dim ColumnCount = 0
For Each p As System.Reflection.PropertyInfo In CollObj(0).GetType().GetProperties()
If p.CanRead Then
If p.Name <> "ExtensionData" Then
dt_NewTable.Columns.Add(p.Name, p.PropertyType)
ColumnCount = ColumnCount + 1
End If
End If
Next
Dim rowcount = CollObj.Length - 1
For r = 0 To rowcount
Dim rowdata(ColumnCount - 1) As Object
For c = 0 To ColumnCount - 1
rowdata(c) = CallByName(CollObj(r), dt_NewTable.Columns.Item(c).ToString, CallType.Get)
Next
dt_NewTable.Rows.Add(rowdata)
rowdata = Nothing
Next
End If
Return ds
End Function
This is specific to my needs in terms of getting CollName and not requiring ExtensionData

Answer 2

If ColumnName is the same name as one of the RowModel's properties I don't see why you need the long workaround with delegates...
An extension method which gets only the property you want right now is both faster and consumes less memory.
Imports System.Runtime.CompilerServices
Public Module Extensions
<Extension()> _
Public Function GetProperty(ByVal Instance As Object, ByVal PropertyName As String, Optional ByVal Arguments As Object() = Nothing) As Object
Return Instance.GetType().GetProperty(PropertyName).GetValue(Instance, Arguments)
End Function
End Module
Example usage:
currentRow.GetProperty("Prop1")
'or:
currentRow.GetProperty(ColumnName)