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Attribute::IsDefined Method (Assembly^, Type^)

.NET Framework (current version)
 

Determines whether any custom attributes are applied to an assembly. Parameters specify the assembly, and the type of the custom attribute to search for.

Namespace:   System
Assembly:  mscorlib (in mscorlib.dll)

C#
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F#
VB
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public:
static bool IsDefined(
	Assembly^ element,
	Type^ attributeType
)

Parameters

element
Type: System.Reflection::Assembly^

An object derived from the Assembly class that describes a reusable collection of modules.

attributeType
Type: System::Type^

The type, or a base type, of the custom attribute to search for.

Return Value

Type: System::Boolean

true if a custom attribute of type attributeType is applied to element; otherwise, false.

Exception Condition
ArgumentNullException

element or attributeType is null.

ArgumentException

attributeType is not derived from Attribute.

System_CAPS_noteNote

Starting with the .NET Framework version 2.0, this method returns true if the assembly has security attributes stored in the new metadata format. Assemblies compiled with version 2.0 or later use the new format. Dynamic assemblies and assemblies compiled with earlier versions of the .NET Framework use the old XML format. See Emitting Declarative Security Attributes.

The following code example illustrates the use of IsDefined, taking an Assembly as a parameter.

C#
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VB
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using namespace System;
using namespace System::Reflection;

// Add an AssemblyDescription attribute
[assembly:AssemblyDescription("A sample description")];
namespace IsDef1CS
{
   ref class DemoClass
   {
   public:
      static void Main()
      {

         // Get the class type to access its metadata.
         Type^ clsType = DemoClass::typeid;

         // Get the assembly object.
         Assembly^ assy = clsType->Assembly;

         // Store the assembly's name.
         String^ assyName = assy->GetName()->Name;

         //Type assyType = assy.GetType();
         // See if the Assembly Description is defined.
         bool isdef = Attribute::IsDefined( assy, AssemblyDescriptionAttribute::typeid );
         if ( isdef )
         {

            // Affirm that the attribute is defined.
            Console::WriteLine( "The AssemblyDescription attribute "
            "is defined for assembly {0}.", assyName );

            // Get the description attribute itself.
            AssemblyDescriptionAttribute^ adAttr = dynamic_cast<AssemblyDescriptionAttribute^>(Attribute::GetCustomAttribute( assy, AssemblyDescriptionAttribute::typeid ));

            // Display the description.
            if ( adAttr != nullptr )
                        Console::WriteLine( "The description is \"{0}\".", adAttr->Description );
            else
                        Console::WriteLine( "The description could not "
            "be retrieved." );
         }
         else
                  Console::WriteLine( "The AssemblyDescription attribute is not "
         "defined for assembly {0}.", assyName );
      }

   };

}


/*
 * Output:
 * The AssemblyDescription attributeis defined for assembly IsDef1CS.
 * The description is "A sample description".
 */

.NET Framework
Available since 1.1
Portable Class Library
Supported in: portable .NET platforms
Silverlight
Available since 2.0
Windows Phone Silverlight
Available since 7.0
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