Im wringing an extension that takes in a list of expression and a T value of PageData. The idea is that you should be able to specify a list of properties and the code will take the first property of that list if its set and return its string value with stripped html and shortened text.

At the moment the method looks like this:

        public static string GetPuffText<TPageData, TPropertyValue>(this TPageData pageData, int maxTextLength, string defaultValue,
            params Expression<Func<TPageData, TPropertyValue>>[] expressions) where TPageData : PageData
        {
            foreach (var expression in expressions)
            {
                var propertyName = Utils.Instance.GetPropertyName(expression);
                if (!string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(propertyName))
                {
                    var propertyValue = pageData[propertyName];
                    if (propertyValue != null)
                    {
                        return propertyValue.ToString().StripHtml(maxTextLength);
                    }
                }
            }
            return defaultValue;
        }

This code work well for properties on the page. I could use this extension like this: @Model.CurrentPage.GetPuffText(100, string.Empty, x => x.Intro, x => x.MainBody);

But if the property i want to reach is within a local block on the page and the call would look like this: @(Model.CurrentPage.GetPuffText(100, string.Empty, x=> x.Listing.ListingText, x => x.MainContent.MainBody))

Then i wouldn't find anything. I would instead have to add x => x.MainContent as a parameter and then within the extension open up the MainContent block and access it's properties which wouldn't make my extension very generic

Is there any way i can access the local blocks properties directly with a string or in some other way that still makes this method as generic as it is now.

Thanks in advanced