Assembly.GetType Method

Definition

Namespace:

System.Reflection

Assembly:

System.Runtime.dll

Gets the Type object that represents the specified type.

Overloads

GetType(String, Boolean)	Gets the Type object with the specified name in the assembly instance and optionally throws an exception if the type is not found.
GetType(String, Boolean, Boolean)	Gets the Type object with the specified name in the assembly instance, with the options of ignoring the case, and of throwing an exception if the type is not found.
GetType(String)	Gets the Type object with the specified name in the assembly instance.

GetType(String, Boolean)

Source:

Assembly.cs

Gets the Type object with the specified name in the assembly instance and optionally throws an exception if the type is not found.

public:
 virtual Type ^ GetType(System::String ^ name, bool throwOnError);

public virtual Type? GetType (string name, bool throwOnError);

override this.GetType : string * bool -> Type

Public Overridable Function GetType (name As String, throwOnError As Boolean) As Type

Parameters

name

String

The full name of the type.

throwOnError

Boolean

true to throw an exception if the type is not found; false to return null.

Returns

Type

An object that represents the specified class.

Exceptions

ArgumentException

name is invalid.

-or-

The length of name exceeds 1024 characters.

ArgumentNullException

name is null.

TypeLoadException

throwOnError is true, and the type cannot be found.

FileNotFoundException

name requires a dependent assembly that could not be found.

FileLoadException

name requires a dependent assembly that was found but could not be loaded.

-or-

The current assembly was loaded into the reflection-only context, and name requires a dependent assembly that was not preloaded.

BadImageFormatException

typeName requires a dependent assembly, but the file is not a valid assembly for the currently loaded runtime.

Remarks

This method only searches the current assembly instance. The name parameter includes the namespace but not the assembly. To search other assemblies for a type, use the Type.GetType(String) method overload, which can optionally include an assembly display name as part of the type name.

Note

If the type has been forwarded to another assembly, it is still returned by this method. For information on type forwarding, see Type Forwarding in the Common Language Runtime.

The throwOnError parameter only affects what happens when the type is not found. It does not affect any other exceptions that might be thrown. In particular, if the type is found but cannot be loaded, TypeLoadException can be thrown even if throwOnError is false.

GetType(String, Boolean, Boolean)

Source:

Assembly.cs

Gets the Type object with the specified name in the assembly instance, with the options of ignoring the case, and of throwing an exception if the type is not found.

public:
 virtual Type ^ GetType(System::String ^ name, bool throwOnError, bool ignoreCase);

public virtual Type? GetType (string name, bool throwOnError, bool ignoreCase);

override this.GetType : string * bool * bool -> Type

Public Overridable Function GetType (name As String, throwOnError As Boolean, ignoreCase As Boolean) As Type

Parameters

name

String

The full name of the type.

throwOnError

Boolean

true to throw an exception if the type is not found; false to return null.

ignoreCase

Boolean

true to ignore the case of the type name; otherwise, false.

Returns

Type

An object that represents the specified class.

Exceptions

ArgumentException

name is invalid.

-or-

The length of name exceeds 1024 characters.

ArgumentNullException

name is null.

TypeLoadException

throwOnError is true, and the type cannot be found.

FileNotFoundException

name requires a dependent assembly that could not be found.

FileLoadException

name requires a dependent assembly that was found but could not be loaded.

-or-

The current assembly was loaded into the reflection-only context, and name requires a dependent assembly that was not preloaded.

BadImageFormatException

typeName requires a dependent assembly, but the file is not a valid assembly for the currently loaded runtime.

Remarks

This method only searches the current assembly instance. The name parameter includes the namespace but not the assembly. To search other assemblies for a type, use the Type.GetType(String) method overload, which can optionally include an assembly display name as part of the type name.

Note

If the type has been forwarded to another assembly, it is still returned by this method. For information on type forwarding, see Type Forwarding in the Common Language Runtime.

The throwOnError parameter only affects what happens when the type is not found. It does not affect any other exceptions that might be thrown. In particular, if the type is found but cannot be loaded, TypeLoadException can be thrown even if throwOnError is false.

GetType(String)

Source:

Assembly.cs

Gets the Type object with the specified name in the assembly instance.

public:
 virtual Type ^ GetType(System::String ^ name);

public virtual Type? GetType (string name);

override this.GetType : string -> Type

Public Overridable Function GetType (name As String) As Type

Parameters

name

String

The full name of the type.

Returns

Type

An object that represents the specified class, or null if the class is not found.

Exceptions

ArgumentException

name is invalid.

ArgumentNullException

name is null.

FileNotFoundException

name requires a dependent assembly that could not be found.

FileLoadException

name requires a dependent assembly that was found but could not be loaded.

-or-

The current assembly was loaded into the reflection-only context, and name requires a dependent assembly that was not preloaded.

Note: In .NET for Windows Store apps or the Portable Class Library, catch the base class exception, IOException, instead.

BadImageFormatException

typeName requires a dependent assembly, but the file is not a valid assembly for the currently loaded runtime.

Examples

The following example defines an abstract MeansOfTransportation class in the Transportation namespace. It calls the GetType(String) method to retrieve its Type object, calls the Type.GetProperties method to get an array of PropertyInfo objects that represent the type's properties, and then displays information on the type's abstract properties. Note that the call to the GetType(String) method uses the type's fully qualified name (that is, its namespace along with its type name).

using System;
using System.Reflection;

public class Example
{
    public static void Main()
    {
        Assembly assem = typeof(Example).Assembly;
        Type t = assem.GetType("Transportation.MeansOfTransportation");
        if (t != null)
        {
            Console.WriteLine($"Virtual properties in type {t.FullName}:");
            PropertyInfo[] props = t.GetProperties();
            int nVirtual = 0;
            for (int ctr = 0; ctr < props.Length; ctr++)
            {
                if (props[ctr].GetMethod.IsVirtual)
                {
                    Console.WriteLine($"   {props[ctr].Name} (type {props[ctr].PropertyType.FullName})");
                    nVirtual++;
                }
            }

            if (nVirtual == 0)
                Console.WriteLine("   No virtual properties");
        }
    }
}

namespace Transportation
{
    public abstract class MeansOfTransportation
    {
        abstract public bool HasWheels { get; set; }
        abstract public int Wheels { get; set; }
        abstract public bool ConsumesFuel { get; set; }
        abstract public bool Living { get; set; }
    }
}
// The example displays the following output:
//    Virtual properties in type Transportation.MeansOfTransportation:
//       HasWheels (type System.Boolean)
//       Wheels (type System.Int32)
//       ConsumesFuel (type System.Boolean)
//       Living (type System.Boolean)

Imports System.Reflection

Module Example
   Public Sub Main()
      Dim assem As Assembly = GetType(Example).Assembly
      Dim t As Type = assem.GetType("Transportation.MeansOfTransportation")
      If Not t Is Nothing Then
         Console.WriteLine("Virtual properties in type {0}:", 
                           t.FullName)
         Dim props() As PropertyInfo = t.GetProperties()
         Dim nVirtual As Integer = 0
         For ctr As Integer = 0 To props.Length - 1
            If props(ctr).GetMethod.IsVirtual Then
               Console.WriteLine("   {0} (type {1})",
                                 props(ctr).Name, 
                                 props(ctr).PropertyType.FullName)
               nVirtual += 1
            End If
         Next
         If nVirtual = 0 Then 
            Console.WriteLine("   No virtual properties")
         End If   
      End If   
   End Sub
End Module

Namespace Transportation
   Public MustInherit Class MeansOfTransportation
      Public MustOverride Property HasWheels As Boolean
      Public MustOverride Property Wheels As Integer
      Public MustOverride Property ConsumesFuel As Boolean
      Public MustOverride Property Living As Boolean
   End Class
End Namespace
' The example displays the following output:
'    Virtual properties in type Transportation.MeansOfTransportation:
'       HasWheels (type System.Boolean)
'       Wheels (type System.Int32)
'       ConsumesFuel (type System.Boolean)
'       Living (type System.Boolean)

Remarks

This method only searches the current assembly instance. The name parameter includes the namespace but not the assembly. To search other assemblies for a type, use the Type.GetType(String) method overload, which can optionally include an assembly display name as part of the type name.

Note

If the type has been forwarded to another assembly, it is still returned by this method. For information on type forwarding, see Type Forwarding in the Common Language Runtime.