System.Type Class (System.Reflection)

Overview

The System.Type class represents type declarations: class types, interface types, array types, value types, enumeration types, type parameters, generic type definitions, and open or closed constructed generic types.

Syntax

Remarks

Inheritance

public abstract class Type : MemberInfo, IReflect, _Type, RuntimeType

Use typeof(T) or obj.GetType() to obtain a Type instance. The Type class provides methods to inspect metadata, create instances, and manipulate generic types at runtime.

Object
 └─MemberInfo
    └─Type

Methods

Signature	Description
`public object? GetConstructor(Type[]? types)`	Gets a constructor that matches the specified argument types.
`public MethodInfo? GetMethod(string name, BindingFlags bindingAttr)`	Retrieves a method by name with the specified binding flags.
`public PropertyInfo? GetProperty(string name)`	Gets a public property with the specified name.
`public bool IsAssignableFrom(Type c)`	Determines whether an instance of the current type can be assigned from an instance of the specified type.
`public Type[] GetInterfaces()`	Returns all the interfaces implemented or inherited by the current type.
`public object? InvokeMember(string name, BindingFlags invokeAttr, Binder? binder, object? target, object?[]? args)`	Invokes the specified member, using the specified binding constraints.
`public static Type? GetTypeFromHandle(RuntimeTypeHandle handle)`	Gets the type represented by the specified type handle.

Properties

Name	Type	Description
`Assembly`	`Assembly`	The assembly in which the type is defined.
`BaseType`	`Type?`	The type from which the current type directly inherits.
`FullName`	`string?`	The fully qualified name of the type, including its namespace.
`IsClass`	`bool`	Indicates whether the type is a class.
`IsEnum`	`bool`	Indicates whether the type is an enumeration.
`IsInterface`	`bool`	Indicates whether the type is an interface.
`IsGenericType`	`bool`	True if the type is a generic type definition or constructed generic type.
`Namespace`	`string?`	The namespace of the type.

Examples

// Get the Type object for System.String
Type stringType = typeof(string);

// List all public methods of System.String
foreach (MethodInfo method in stringType.GetMethods())
{
    Console.WriteLine($"{method.ReturnType.Name} {method.Name}");
}

// Check if a type implements IEnumerable
bool implementsIEnumerable = typeof(List<int>).GetInterfaces()
                              .Any(i => i == typeof(IEnumerable));

// Create an instance of a type using its parameterless constructor
object? obj = Activator.CreateInstance(typeof(DateTime));
Console.WriteLine(obj?.GetType().FullName);