Which is the best approach? AutoMapper against implicit (C# Reference)

Question

Automapper is a way to match types, ideally when you want to map a model and its viewmodel. But is this not the same approach that we can make with implicit in C#? (

Answer 1

This depends on your particular scenario.

If AutoMapper is capable of mapping your classes onto each other, and you don't need any special logic to happen during the mapping, then why bother writing all that code yourself when there's something out there that can do it for you with a NuGet reference and a couple of lines? Plus, this method will adapt as you change the classes, saving you the trouble of maintaining it.

If you need to do clever things during the mapping that AutoMapper can't do, or for some reason AutoMapper isn't available in your project, then you'll have to write your own operators. If it can be avoided, I'd advise against it, but sometimes you're stuck with it.