Type Class (System)

Type Class

Note
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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.

To browse the .NET Framework source code for this type, see the Reference Source.

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

Inheritance Hierarchy

SystemObject
System.ReflectionMemberInfo
SystemType
System.ReflectionTypeInfo

Syntax

[SerializableAttribute]
[ClassInterfaceAttribute(ClassInterfaceType.None)]
[ComVisibleAttribute(true)]
public abstract class Type : MemberInfo, _Type, IReflect

[SerializableAttribute]
[ClassInterfaceAttribute(ClassInterfaceType::None)]
[ComVisibleAttribute(true)]
public ref class Type abstract : MemberInfo, _Type, IReflect

[<AbstractClass>]
[<SerializableAttribute>]
[<ClassInterfaceAttribute(ClassInterfaceType.None)>]
[<ComVisibleAttribute(true)>]
type Type = 
    class
        inherit MemberInfo
        interface _Type
        interface IReflect
    end

<SerializableAttribute>
<ClassInterfaceAttribute(ClassInterfaceType.None)>
<ComVisibleAttribute(True)>
Public MustInherit Class Type
	Inherits MemberInfo
	Implements _Type, IReflect

Constructors

	Name	Description
	Type	Initializes a new instance of the Type class.

Properties

	Name	Description
		Gets the Assembly in which the type is declared. For generic types, gets the Assembly in which the generic type is defined.
		Gets the assembly-qualified name of the type, which includes the name of the assembly from which this Type object was loaded.
		Gets the attributes associated with the Type.
		Gets the type from which the current Type directly inherits.
		Gets a value indicating whether the current Type object has type parameters that have not been replaced by specific types.
		Gets a collection that contains this member's custom attributes.(Inherited from MemberInfo.)
		Gets a MethodBase that represents the declaring method, if the current Type represents a type parameter of a generic method.
		Gets the type that declares the current nested type or generic type parameter.(Overrides .)
		Gets a reference to the default binder, which implements internal rules for selecting the appropriate members to be called by InvokeMember.
		Gets the fully qualified name of the type, including its namespace but not its assembly.
		Gets a combination of GenericParameterAttributes flags that describe the covariance and special constraints of the current generic type parameter.
		Gets the position of the type parameter in the type parameter list of the generic type or method that declared the parameter, when the Type object represents a type parameter of a generic type or a generic method.
		Gets an array of the generic type arguments for this type.
		Gets the GUID associated with the Type.
		Gets a value indicating whether the current Type encompasses or refers to another type; that is, whether the current Type is an array, a pointer, or is passed by reference.
		Gets a value indicating whether the Type is abstract and must be overridden.
		Gets a value indicating whether the string format attribute AnsiClass is selected for the Type.
		Gets a value that indicates whether the type is an array.
		Gets a value indicating whether the string format attribute AutoClass is selected for the Type.
		Gets a value indicating whether the fields of the current type are laid out automatically by the common language runtime.
		Gets a value indicating whether the Type is passed by reference.
		Gets a value indicating whether the Type is a class or a delegate; that is, not a value type or interface.
		Gets a value indicating whether the Type is a COM object.
		Gets a value that indicates whether this object represents a constructed generic type. You can create instances of a constructed generic type.
		Gets a value indicating whether the Type can be hosted in a context.
		Gets a value indicating whether the current Type represents an enumeration.
		Gets a value indicating whether the fields of the current type are laid out at explicitly specified offsets.
		Gets a value indicating whether the current Type represents a type parameter in the definition of a generic type or method.
		Gets a value indicating whether the current type is a generic type.
		Gets a value indicating whether the current Type represents a generic type definition, from which other generic types can be constructed.
		Gets a value indicating whether the Type has a ComImportAttribute attribute applied, indicating that it was imported from a COM type library.
		Gets a value indicating whether the Type is an interface; that is, not a class or a value type.
		Gets a value indicating whether the fields of the current type are laid out sequentially, in the order that they were defined or emitted to the metadata.
		Gets a value indicating whether the Type is marshaled by reference.
		Gets a value indicating whether the current Type object represents a type whose definition is nested inside the definition of another type.
		Gets a value indicating whether the Type is nested and visible only within its own assembly.
		Gets a value indicating whether the Type is nested and visible only to classes that belong to both its own family and its own assembly.
		Gets a value indicating whether the Type is nested and visible only within its own family.
		Gets a value indicating whether the Type is nested and visible only to classes that belong to either its own family or to its own assembly.
		Gets a value indicating whether the Type is nested and declared private.
		Gets a value indicating whether a class is nested and declared public.
		Gets a value indicating whether the Type is not declared public.
		Gets a value indicating whether the Type is a pointer.
		Gets a value indicating whether the Type is one of the primitive types.
		Gets a value indicating whether the Type is declared public.
		Gets a value indicating whether the Type is declared sealed.
		Gets a value that indicates whether the current type is security-critical or security-safe-critical at the current trust level, and therefore can perform critical operations.
		Gets a value that indicates whether the current type is security-safe-critical at the current trust level; that is, whether it can perform critical operations and can be accessed by transparent code.
		Gets a value that indicates whether the current type is transparent at the current trust level, and therefore cannot perform critical operations.
		Gets a value indicating whether the Type is serializable.
		Gets a value indicating whether the type has a name that requires special handling.
		Gets a value indicating whether the string format attribute UnicodeClass is selected for the Type.
		Gets a value indicating whether the Type is a value type.
		Gets a value indicating whether the Type can be accessed by code outside the assembly.
		Gets a MemberTypes value indicating that this member is a type or a nested type.(Overrides .)
		Gets a value that identifies a metadata element.(Inherited from MemberInfo.)
		Gets the module (the DLL) in which the current Type is defined.
		Gets the name of the current member.(Inherited from MemberInfo.)
		Gets the namespace of the Type.
		Gets the class object that was used to obtain this member. (Overrides .)
		Gets a StructLayoutAttribute that describes the layout of the current type.
		Gets the handle for the current Type.
		Gets the initializer for the type.
		Indicates the type provided by the common language runtime that represents this type.

Methods

	Name	Description
	Equals	Determines if the underlying system type of the current Type object is the same as the underlying system type of the specified Object.(Overrides MemberInfoEquals.)
	Equals	Determines if the underlying system type of the current Type is the same as the underlying system type of the specified Type.
	Finalize	Allows an object to try to free resources and perform other cleanup operations before it is reclaimed by garbage collection.(Inherited from Object.)
	FindInterfaces	Returns an array of Type objects representing a filtered list of interfaces implemented or inherited by the current Type.
	FindMembers	Returns a filtered array of MemberInfo objects of the specified member type.
	GetArrayRank	Gets the number of dimensions in an array.
	GetAttributeFlagsImpl	When overridden in a derived class, implements the property and gets a bitmask indicating the attributes associated with the Type.
	GetConstructor	Searches for a constructor whose parameters match the specified argument types and modifiers, using the specified binding constraints and the specified calling convention.
	GetConstructor	Searches for a constructor whose parameters match the specified argument types and modifiers, using the specified binding constraints.
	GetConstructor	Searches for a public instance constructor whose parameters match the types in the specified array.
	GetConstructorImpl	When overridden in a derived class, searches for a constructor whose parameters match the specified argument types and modifiers, using the specified binding constraints and the specified calling convention.
	GetConstructors	Returns all the public constructors defined for the current Type.
	GetConstructors	When overridden in a derived class, searches for the constructors defined for the current Type, using the specified BindingFlags.
	GetCustomAttributes	When overridden in a derived class, returns an array of all custom attributes applied to this member. (Inherited from MemberInfo.)
	GetCustomAttributes	When overridden in a derived class, returns an array of custom attributes applied to this member and identified by Type.(Inherited from MemberInfo.)
	GetCustomAttributesData	Returns a list of CustomAttributeData objects representing data about the attributes that have been applied to the target member.(Inherited from MemberInfo.)
	GetDefaultMembers	Searches for the members defined for the current Type whose DefaultMemberAttribute is set.
	GetElementType	When overridden in a derived class, returns the Type of the object encompassed or referred to by the current array, pointer or reference type.
	GetEnumName	Returns the name of the constant that has the specified value, for the current enumeration type.
	GetEnumNames	Returns the names of the members of the current enumeration type.
	GetEnumUnderlyingType	Returns the underlying type of the current enumeration type.
	GetEnumValues	Returns an array of the values of the constants in the current enumeration type.
	GetEvent	Returns the EventInfo object representing the specified public event.
	GetEvent	When overridden in a derived class, returns the EventInfo object representing the specified event, using the specified binding constraints.
	GetEvents	Returns all the public events that are declared or inherited by the current Type.
	GetEvents	When overridden in a derived class, searches for events that are declared or inherited by the current Type, using the specified binding constraints.
	GetField	Searches for the public field with the specified name.
	GetField	Searches for the specified field, using the specified binding constraints.
	GetFields	Returns all the public fields of the current Type.
	GetFields	When overridden in a derived class, searches for the fields defined for the current Type, using the specified binding constraints.
	GetGenericArguments	Returns an array of Type objects that represent the type arguments of a closed generic type or the type parameters of a generic type definition.
	GetGenericParameterConstraints	Returns an array of Type objects that represent the constraints on the current generic type parameter.
	GetGenericTypeDefinition	Returns a Type object that represents a generic type definition from which the current generic type can be constructed.
	GetHashCode	Returns the hash code for this instance.(Overrides MemberInfoGetHashCode.)
	GetInterface	Searches for the interface with the specified name.
	GetInterface	When overridden in a derived class, searches for the specified interface, specifying whether to do a case-insensitive search for the interface name.
	GetInterfaceMap	Returns an interface mapping for the specified interface type.
	GetInterfaces	When overridden in a derived class, gets all the interfaces implemented or inherited by the current Type.
	GetMember	Searches for the public members with the specified name.
	GetMember	Searches for the specified members, using the specified binding constraints.
	GetMember	Searches for the specified members of the specified member type, using the specified binding constraints.
	GetMembers	Returns all the public members of the current Type.
	GetMembers	When overridden in a derived class, searches for the members defined for the current Type, using the specified binding constraints.
	GetMethod	Searches for the public method with the specified name.
	GetMethod	Searches for the specified method, using the specified binding constraints.
	GetMethod	Searches for the specified method whose parameters match the specified argument types and modifiers, using the specified binding constraints and the specified calling convention.
	GetMethod	Searches for the specified method whose parameters match the specified argument types and modifiers, using the specified binding constraints.
	GetMethod	Searches for the specified public method whose parameters match the specified argument types.
	GetMethod	Searches for the specified public method whose parameters match the specified argument types and modifiers.
	GetMethodImpl	When overridden in a derived class, searches for the specified method whose parameters match the specified argument types and modifiers, using the specified binding constraints and the specified calling convention.
	GetMethods	Returns all the public methods of the current Type.
	GetMethods	When overridden in a derived class, searches for the methods defined for the current Type, using the specified binding constraints.
	GetNestedType	Searches for the public nested type with the specified name.
	GetNestedType	When overridden in a derived class, searches for the specified nested type, using the specified binding constraints.
	GetNestedTypes	Returns the public types nested in the current Type.
	GetNestedTypes	When overridden in a derived class, searches for the types nested in the current Type, using the specified binding constraints.
	GetProperties	Returns all the public properties of the current Type.
	GetProperties	When overridden in a derived class, searches for the properties of the current Type, using the specified binding constraints.
	GetProperty	Searches for the public property with the specified name.
	GetProperty	Searches for the specified property, using the specified binding constraints.
	GetProperty	Searches for the specified property whose parameters match the specified argument types and modifiers, using the specified binding constraints.
	GetProperty	Searches for the public property with the specified name and return type.
	GetProperty	Searches for the specified public property whose parameters match the specified argument types.
	GetProperty	Searches for the specified public property whose parameters match the specified argument types and modifiers.
	GetProperty	Searches for the specified public property whose parameters match the specified argument types.
	GetPropertyImpl	When overridden in a derived class, searches for the specified property whose parameters match the specified argument types and modifiers, using the specified binding constraints.
	GetType	Gets the current Type.
	GetType	Gets the Type with the specified name, performing a case-sensitive search.
	GetType	Gets the Type with the specified name, performing a case-sensitive search and specifying whether to throw an exception if the type is not found.
	GetType	Gets the Type with the specified name, specifying whether to throw an exception if the type is not found and whether to perform a case-sensitive search.
	GetType	Gets the type with the specified name, optionally providing custom methods to resolve the assembly and the type.
	GetType	Gets the type with the specified name, specifying whether to throw an exception if the type is not found, and optionally providing custom methods to resolve the assembly and the type.
	GetType	Gets the type with the specified name, specifying whether to perform a case-sensitive search and whether to throw an exception if the type is not found, and optionally providing custom methods to resolve the assembly and the type.
	GetTypeArray	Gets the types of the objects in the specified array.
	GetTypeCode	Gets the underlying type code of the specified Type.
	GetTypeCodeImpl	Returns the underlying type code of this Type instance.
	GetTypeFromCLSID	Gets the type associated with the specified class identifier (CLSID).
	GetTypeFromCLSID	Gets the type associated with the specified class identifier (CLSID), specifying whether to throw an exception if an error occurs while loading the type.
	GetTypeFromCLSID	Gets the type associated with the specified class identifier (CLSID) from the specified server.
	GetTypeFromCLSID	Gets the type associated with the specified class identifier (CLSID) from the specified server, specifying whether to throw an exception if an error occurs while loading the type.
	GetTypeFromHandle	Gets the type referenced by the specified type handle.
	GetTypeFromProgID	Gets the type associated with the specified program identifier (ProgID), returning null if an error is encountered while loading the Type.
	GetTypeFromProgID	Gets the type associated with the specified program identifier (ProgID), specifying whether to throw an exception if an error occurs while loading the type.
	GetTypeFromProgID	Gets the type associated with the specified program identifier (progID) from the specified server, returning null if an error is encountered while loading the type.
	GetTypeFromProgID	Gets the type associated with the specified program identifier (progID) from the specified server, specifying whether to throw an exception if an error occurs while loading the type.
	GetTypeHandle	Gets the handle for the Type of a specified object.
	HasElementTypeImpl	When overridden in a derived class, implements the property and determines whether the current Type encompasses or refers to another type; that is, whether the current Type is an array, a pointer, or is passed by reference.
	InvokeMember	Invokes the specified member, using the specified binding constraints and matching the specified argument list.
	InvokeMember	Invokes the specified member, using the specified binding constraints and matching the specified argument list and culture.
	InvokeMember	When overridden in a derived class, invokes the specified member, using the specified binding constraints and matching the specified argument list, modifiers and culture.
	IsArrayImpl	When overridden in a derived class, implements the property and determines whether the Type is an array.
	IsAssignableFrom	Determines whether an instance of a specified type can be assigned to an instance of the current type.
	IsByRefImpl	When overridden in a derived class, implements the property and determines whether the Type is passed by reference.
	IsCOMObjectImpl	When overridden in a derived class, implements the property and determines whether the Type is a COM object.
	IsContextfulImpl	Implements the property and determines whether the Type can be hosted in a context.
	IsDefined	When overridden in a derived class, indicates whether one or more attributes of the specified type or of its derived types is applied to this member.(Inherited from MemberInfo.)
	IsEnumDefined	Returns a value that indicates whether the specified value exists in the current enumeration type.
	IsEquivalentTo	Determines whether two COM types have the same identity and are eligible for type equivalence.
	IsInstanceOfType	Determines whether the specified object is an instance of the current Type.
	IsMarshalByRefImpl	Implements the property and determines whether the Type is marshaled by reference.
	IsPointerImpl	When overridden in a derived class, implements the property and determines whether the Type is a pointer.
	IsPrimitiveImpl	When overridden in a derived class, implements the property and determines whether the Type is one of the primitive types.
	IsSubclassOf	Determines whether the current Type derives from the specified Type.
	IsValueTypeImpl	Implements the property and determines whether the Type is a value type; that is, not a class or an interface.
	MakeArrayType	Returns a Type object representing a one-dimensional array of the current type, with a lower bound of zero.
	MakeArrayType	Returns a Type object representing an array of the current type, with the specified number of dimensions.
	MakeByRefType	Returns a Type object that represents the current type when passed as a ref parameter (ByRef parameter in Visual Basic).
	MakeGenericType	Substitutes the elements of an array of types for the type parameters of the current generic type definition and returns a Type object representing the resulting constructed type.
	MakePointerType	Returns a Type object that represents a pointer to the current type.
	MemberwiseClone	Creates a shallow copy of the current Object.(Inherited from Object.)
	ReflectionOnlyGetType	Gets the Type with the specified name, specifying whether to perform a case-sensitive search and whether to throw an exception if the type is not found. The type is loaded for reflection only, not for execution.
	ToString	Returns a String representing the name of the current Type.(Overrides ObjectToString.)

Fields

	Name	Description
	Delimiter	Separates names in the namespace of the Type. This field is read-only.
	EmptyTypes	Represents an empty array of type Type. This field is read-only.
	FilterAttribute	Represents the member filter used on attributes. This field is read-only.
	FilterName	Represents the case-sensitive member filter used on names. This field is read-only.
	FilterNameIgnoreCase	Represents the case-insensitive member filter used on names. This field is read-only.
	Missing	Represents a missing value in the Type information. This field is read-only.

Operators

	Name	Description
	Equality	Indicates whether two Type objects are equal.
	Inequality	Indicates whether two Type objects are not equal.

Explicit Interface Implementations

	Name	Description
	_MemberInfoGetIDsOfNames	Maps a set of names to a corresponding set of dispatch identifiers.(Inherited from MemberInfo.)
	_MemberInfoGetType	Gets a Type object representing the MemberInfo class.(Inherited from MemberInfo.)
	_MemberInfoGetTypeInfo	Retrieves the type information for an object, which can then be used to get the type information for an interface.(Inherited from MemberInfo.)
	_MemberInfoGetTypeInfoCount	Retrieves the number of type information interfaces that an object provides (either 0 or 1).(Inherited from MemberInfo.)
	_MemberInfoInvoke	Provides access to properties and methods exposed by an object.(Inherited from MemberInfo.)
	_TypeGetIDsOfNames	Maps a set of names to a corresponding set of dispatch identifiers.
	_TypeGetTypeInfo	Retrieves the type information for an object, which can then be used to get the type information for an interface.
	_TypeGetTypeInfoCount	Retrieves the number of type information interfaces that an object provides (either 0 or 1).
	_TypeInvoke	Provides access to properties and methods exposed by an object.

Extension Methods

	Name	Description
	GetCustomAttribute	Overloaded. Retrieves a custom attribute of a specified type that is applied to a specified member.(Defined by CustomAttributeExtensions.)
	GetCustomAttribute	Overloaded. Retrieves a custom attribute of a specified type that is applied to a specified member, and optionally inspects the ancestors of that member.(Defined by CustomAttributeExtensions.)
	GetCustomAttribute	Overloaded. Retrieves a custom attribute of a specified type that is applied to a specified member.(Defined by CustomAttributeExtensions.)
	GetCustomAttribute	Overloaded. Retrieves a custom attribute of a specified type that is applied to a specified member, and optionally inspects the ancestors of that member.(Defined by CustomAttributeExtensions.)
	GetCustomAttributes	Overloaded. Retrieves a collection of custom attributes that are applied to a specified member.(Defined by CustomAttributeExtensions.)
	GetCustomAttributes	Overloaded. Retrieves a collection of custom attributes of a specified type that are applied to a specified member.(Defined by CustomAttributeExtensions.)
	GetCustomAttributes	Overloaded. Retrieves a collection of custom attributes of a specified type that are applied to a specified member, and optionally inspects the ancestors of that member.(Defined by CustomAttributeExtensions.)
	GetRuntimeEvent	Retrieves an object that represents the specified event.(Defined by RuntimeReflectionExtensions.)
	GetRuntimeEvents	Retrieves a collection that represents all the events defined on a specified type.(Defined by RuntimeReflectionExtensions.)
	GetRuntimeField	Retrieves an object that represents a specified field.(Defined by RuntimeReflectionExtensions.)
	GetRuntimeFields	Retrieves a collection that represents all the fields defined on a specified type.(Defined by RuntimeReflectionExtensions.)
	GetRuntimeMethod	Retrieves an object that represents a specified method.(Defined by RuntimeReflectionExtensions.)
	GetRuntimeMethods	Retrieves a collection that represents all methods defined on a specified type.(Defined by RuntimeReflectionExtensions.)
	GetRuntimeProperties	Retrieves a collection that represents all the properties defined on a specified type.(Defined by RuntimeReflectionExtensions.)
	GetRuntimeProperty	Retrieves an object that represents a specified property.(Defined by RuntimeReflectionExtensions.)
	GetTypeInfo	Returns the TypeInfo representation of the specified type.(Defined by IntrospectionExtensions.)
	IsDefined	Overloaded. Indicates whether custom attributes of a specified type are applied to a specified member.(Defined by CustomAttributeExtensions.)

Remarks

Note
To view the .NET Framework source code for this type, see the Reference Source. You can browse through the source code online, download the reference for offline viewing, and step through the sources (including patches and updates) during debugging; see instructions.

Type is the root of the System.Reflection functionality and is the primary way to access metadata. Use the members of Type to get information about a type declaration, about the members of a type (such as the constructors, methods, fields, properties, and events of a class), as well as the module and the assembly in which the class is deployed.

No permissions are required for code to use reflection to get information about types and their members, regardless of their access levels. No permissions are required for code to use reflection to access public members, or other members whose access levels would make them visible during normal compilation. However, in order for your code to use reflection to access members that would normally be inaccessible, such as private or internal methods, or protected fields of a type your class does not inherit, your code must have ReflectionPermission. See Security Considerations for Reflection.

Type is an abstract base class that allows multiple implementations. The system will always provide the derived class RuntimeType. In reflection, all classes beginning with the word Runtime are created only once per object in the system and support comparison operations.

Note
In multithreading scenarios, do not lock Type objects in order to synchronize access to static data. Other code, over which you have no control, might also lock your class type. This might result in a deadlock. Instead, synchronize access to static data by locking a private static object.

Note
A derived class can access protected members of the calling code's base classes. Also, access is allowed to assembly members of the calling code's assembly. As a rule, if you are allowed access in early-bound code, then you are also allowed access in late-bound code.

Note
Interfaces that extend other interfaces do not inherit the methods defined in the extended interfaces.

In this section:

What types does a Type object represent?
Retrieving a Type object
Comparing type objects for equality

What types does a Type object represent?

This class is thread safe; multiple threads can concurrently read from an instance of this type. An instance of the Type class can represent any of the following types:

Classes
Value types
Arrays
Interfaces
Enumerations
Delegates
Constructed generic types and generic type definitions
Type arguments and type parameters of constructed generic types, generic type definitions, and generic method definitions

Retrieving a Type object

The Type object associated with a particular type can be obtained in the following ways:

The instance ObjectGetType method returns a Type object that represents the type of an instance. Because all managed types derive from Object, the GetType method can be called on an instance of any type.

The following example calls the ObjectGetType method to determine the runtime type of each object in an object array.

using System;

public class Example
{
   public static void Main()
   {
      object[] values = { "word", true, 120, 136.34, 'a' };
      foreach (var value in values)
         Console.WriteLine("{0} - type {1}", value, 
                           value.GetType().Name);
   }
}
// The example displays the following output:
//       word - type String
//       True - type Boolean
//       120 - type Int32
//       136.34 - type Double
//       a - type Char

Module Example
   Public Sub Main()
      Dim values() As Object = { "word", True, 120, 136.34, "a"c }
      For Each value In values
         Console.WriteLine("{0} - type {1}", value, 
                           value.GetType().Name)
      Next
   End Sub
End Module
' The example displays the following output:
'       word - type String
'       True - type Boolean
'       120 - type Int32
'       136.34 - type Double
'       a - type Char

using namespace System;

void main()
{
   array<Object^>^ values = { "word", true, 120, 136.34 };
   for each (Object^ value in values)
      Console::WriteLine("{0} - type {1}", value, 
                        value->GetType()->Name);
}
// The example displays the following output:
//       word - type String
//       True - type Boolean
//       120 - type Int32
//       136.34 - type Double

The static TypeGetType methods return a Type object that represents a type specified by its fully qualified name.
The ModuleGetTypes, ModuleGetType, and ModuleFindTypes methods return Type objects that represent the types defined in a module. The first method can be used to obtain an array of Type objects for all the public and private types defined in a module. (You can obtain an instance of Module through the AssemblyGetModule or AssemblyGetModules method, or through the property.)
The System.ReflectionAssembly object contains a number of methods to retrieve the classes defined in an assembly, including AssemblyGetType, AssemblyGetTypes, and AssemblyGetExportedTypes.
The FindInterfaces method returns a filtered list of interface types supported by a type.
The GetElementType method returns a Type object that represents the element.
The GetInterfaces and GetInterface methods return Type objects representing the interface types supported by a type.
The GetTypeArray method returns an array of Type objects representing the types specified by an arbitrary set of objects. The objects are specified with an array of type Object.
The GetTypeFromProgID and GetTypeFromCLSID methods are provided for COM interoperability. They return a Type object that represents the type specified by a ProgID or CLSID.
The GetTypeFromHandle method is provided for interoperability. It returns a Type object that represents the type specified by a class handle.
The C# typeof operator, the C++ typeid operator, and the Visual Basic GetType operator obtain the Type object for a type.
The MakeGenericType method returns a Type object representing a constructed generic type, which is an open constructed type if its property returns true, and a closed constructed type otherwise. A generic type can be instantiated only if it is closed.
The MakeArrayType, MakePointerType, and MakeByRefType methods return Type objects that represent, respectively, an array of a specified type, a pointer to a specified type, and the type of a reference parameter (ref in C#, ByRef in Visual Basic).

Comparing type objects for equality

A Type object that represents a type is unique; that is, two Type object references refer to the same object if and only if they represent the same type. This allows for comparison of Type objects using reference equality. The following example compares the Type objects that represent a number of integer values to determine whether they are of the same type.

using System;

public class Example
{
   public static void Main()
   {
      long number1 = 1635429;
      int number2 = 16203;
      double number3 = 1639.41;
      long number4 = 193685412;

      // Get the type of number1.
      Type t = number1.GetType();

      // Compare types of all objects with number1.
      Console.WriteLine("Type of number1 and number2 are equal: {0}",
                        Object.ReferenceEquals(t, number2.GetType()));
      Console.WriteLine("Type of number1 and number3 are equal: {0}",
                        Object.ReferenceEquals(t, number3.GetType()));
      Console.WriteLine("Type of number1 and number4 are equal: {0}",
                        Object.ReferenceEquals(t, number4.GetType()));
   }
}
// The example displays the following output:
//       Type of number1 and number2 are equal: False
//       Type of number1 and number3 are equal: False
//       Type of number1 and number4 are equal: True

Module Example
   Public Sub Main()
      Dim number1 As Long = 1635429
      Dim number2 As Integer = 16203
      Dim number3 As Double = 1639.41
      Dim number4 As Long = 193685412

      ' Get the type of number1.
      Dim t As Type = number1.GetType()

      ' Compare types of all objects with number1.
      Console.WriteLine("Type of number1 and number2 are equal: {0}",
                        Object.ReferenceEquals(t, number2.GetType()))
      Console.WriteLine("Type of number1 and number3 are equal: {0}",
                        Object.ReferenceEquals(t, number3.GetType()))
      Console.WriteLine("Type of number1 and number4 are equal: {0}",
                        Object.ReferenceEquals(t, number4.GetType()))
   End Sub
End Module
' The example displays the following output:
'       Type of number1 and number2 are equal: False
'       Type of number1 and number3 are equal: False
'       Type of number1 and number4 are equal: True

using namespace System;

void main()
{
   Int64 number1 = 1635429;
   Int32 number2 = 16203;
   double number3 = 1639.41;
   Int64 number4 = 193685412;

   // Get the type of number1.
   Type^ t = number1.GetType();

   // Compare types of all objects with number1.
   Console::WriteLine("Type of number1 and number2 are equal: {0}",
                      Object::ReferenceEquals(t, number2.GetType()));
   Console::WriteLine("Type of number1 and number3 are equal: {0}",
                      Object::ReferenceEquals(t, number3.GetType()));
   Console::WriteLine("Type of number1 and number4 are equal: {0}",
                      Object::ReferenceEquals(t, number4.GetType()));
}
// The example displays the following output:
//       Type of number1 and number2 are equal: False
//       Type of number1 and number3 are equal: False
//       Type of number1 and number4 are equal: True

Notes to Inheritors:

When you inherit from Type, you must override the following members:

Examples

The following example shows a few representative features of Type. The C# typeof operator (GetType operator in Visual Basic, typeid operator in Visual C++) is used to get a Type object representing String. From this Type object, the GetMethod method is used to get a MethodInfo representing the Substring overload that takes a starting location and a length.

To identify the overload signature, the code example creates a temporary array containing two Type objects representing int (Integer in Visual Basic).

Note
To be precise, the array contains two references to the instance of Type that represents int in the current application domain. For any type, there is only one instance of Type per application domain.

The code example uses the MethodInfo to invoke the Substring method on the string "Hello, World!", and displays the result.

using System;
using System.Reflection;

class Example
{
    static void Main()
    {
        Type t = typeof(String);

        MethodInfo substr = t.GetMethod("Substring", 
            new Type[] { typeof(int), typeof(int) });

        Object result = 
            substr.Invoke("Hello, World!", new Object[] { 7, 5 });
        Console.WriteLine("{0} returned \"{1}\".", substr, result);
    }
}

/* This code example produces the following output:

System.String Substring(Int32, Int32) returned "World".
 */

Imports System
Imports System.Reflection

Module Example

    Sub Main() 

        Dim t As Type = GetType(String)

        Dim substr As MethodInfo = t.GetMethod("Substring", _
            New Type() { GetType(Integer), GetType(Integer) })

        Dim result As Object = _ 
            substr.Invoke("Hello, World!", New Object() { 7, 5 })
        Console.WriteLine("{0} returned ""{1}"".", substr, result)

    End Sub 
End Module

' This code example produces the following output:
'
'System.String Substring(Int32, Int32) returned "World".

#using <System.dll>

using namespace System;
using namespace System::Reflection;

void main()
{
    // Get a Type object representing the System.String type.
    Type^ t = String::typeid;

    MethodInfo^ substr = t->GetMethod("Substring", 
        gcnew array<Type^> { int::typeid, int::typeid });

    Object^ result = 
        substr->Invoke("Hello, World!", gcnew array<Object^> { 7, 5 });
    Console::WriteLine("{0} returned \"{1}\".", substr, result);
}

/* This code example produces the following output:

System.String Substring(Int32, Int32) returned "World".
 */

Version Information

Universal Windows Platform
Available since 8
.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
Windows Phone
Available since 8.1

Thread Safety

This type is thread safe.