Comparing boxed value types

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If you need different behaviour when you’re dealing with a value-type then you’re obviously going to need to perform some kind of test. You don’t need an explicit check for boxed value-types, since all value-types will be boxed** due to the parameter being typed as object.

This code should meet your stated criteria: If value is a (boxed) value-type then call the polymorphic Equals method, otherwise use == to test for reference equality.

public void SetValue(TEnum property, object value)
{
    bool equal = ((value != null) && value.GetType().IsValueType)
                     ? value.Equals(_properties[property])
                     : (value == _properties[property]);

    if (!equal)
    {
        // Only come here when the new value is different.
    }
}

( ** And, yes, I know that Nullable<T> is a value-type with its own special rules relating to boxing and unboxing, but that’s pretty much irrelevant here.)

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