Type.MakeGenericType(Type[]) Method

Definition

Namespace:

System

Assembly:

System.Runtime.dll

Source:

Type.cs

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.

public:
 virtual Type ^ MakeGenericType(... cli::array <Type ^> ^ typeArguments);

public virtual Type MakeGenericType (params Type[] typeArguments);

abstract member MakeGenericType : Type[] -> Type
override this.MakeGenericType : Type[] -> Type

Public Overridable Function MakeGenericType (ParamArray typeArguments As Type()) As Type

Parameters

typeArguments

Type[]

An array of types to be substituted for the type parameters of the current generic type.

Returns

Type

A Type representing the constructed type formed by substituting the elements of typeArguments for the type parameters of the current generic type.

Exceptions

InvalidOperationException

The current type does not represent a generic type definition. That is, IsGenericTypeDefinition returns false.

ArgumentNullException

typeArguments is null.

-or-

Any element of typeArguments is null.

ArgumentException

The number of elements in typeArguments is not the same as the number of type parameters in the current generic type definition.

-or-

Any element of typeArguments does not satisfy the constraints specified for the corresponding type parameter of the current generic type.

-or-

typeArguments contains an element that is a pointer type (IsPointer returns true), a by-ref type (IsByRef returns true), or Void.

NotSupportedException

The invoked method is not supported in the base class. Derived classes must provide an implementation.

Examples

The following example uses the MakeGenericType method to create a constructed type from the generic type definition for the Dictionary<TKey,TValue> type. The constructed type represents a Dictionary<TKey,TValue> of Test objects with string keys.

using namespace System;
using namespace System::Reflection;
using namespace System::Collections::Generic;

namespace Example
{
    public ref class Test
    {
    public:
        static void CreateConstructedType(void)
        {      
            Console::WriteLine("\r\n--- Create a constructed type"
                " from the generic Dictionary`2 type.");
            
            // Create a type object representing 
            // the generic Dictionary`2 type.
            Type^ genericType = Type::GetType(
                "System.Collections.Generic.Dictionary`2");
            if (genericType != nullptr)
            {  
                DisplayTypeInfo(genericType);
            }
            else
            {
                Console::WriteLine("The type is not found");
                return;
            }
            
            // Create an array of types to substitute for the type
            // parameters of Dictionary`2. 
            // The key is of type string, and the type to be 
            // contained in the Dictionary`2 is Test.
            array<Type^>^ typeArgs = {String::typeid, Test::typeid};
            Type^ constructedType = 
                genericType->MakeGenericType(typeArgs);
            DisplayTypeInfo(constructedType);
            
            // Compare the type objects obtained above to type objects
            // obtained using typeof() and GetGenericTypeDefinition().
            Console::WriteLine("\r\n--- Compare types obtained by"
                " different methods:");

            Type^ definedType = Dictionary<String^, Test^>::typeid;
            Console::WriteLine("\tAre the constructed types "
                "equal? {0}", definedType == constructedType);
            Console::WriteLine("\tAre the generic types equal? {0}", 
                definedType->GetGenericTypeDefinition() == genericType);
        }

    private:
        static void DisplayTypeInfo(Type^ typeToDisplay)
        {   
            Console::WriteLine("\r\n{0}", typeToDisplay);
            Console::WriteLine("\tIs this a generic type definition? "
                "{0}", typeToDisplay->IsGenericTypeDefinition);
            Console::WriteLine("\tIs it a generic type? "
                "{0}", typeToDisplay->IsGenericType);
            
            array<Type^>^ typeArguments = 
                typeToDisplay->GetGenericArguments();
            Console::WriteLine("\tList type arguments ({0}):", 
                typeArguments->Length);
            
            for each (Type^ typeArgument in typeArguments)
            {   
                Console::WriteLine("\t\t{0}", typeArgument);
            }
        }
    };
}

int main(void)
{
    Example::Test::CreateConstructedType();
}

/* This example produces the following output:

--- Create a constructed type from the generic Dictionary`2 type.

System.Collections.Generic.Dictionary`2[KeyType,ValueType]
          Is this a generic type definition? True
          Is it a generic type? True
          List type arguments (2):
                     K
                     V

System.Collections.Generic.Dictionary`2[System.String, Test]
          Is this a generic type definition? False
          Is it a generic type? True
          List type arguments (2):
                     System.String
                     Test

--- Compare types obtained by different methods:
          Are the constructed types equal? True
          Are the generic types equal? True
 */

using System;
using System.Reflection;
using System.Collections.Generic;

public class Test
{
    public static void Main()
    {
        Console.WriteLine("\r\n--- Create a constructed type from the generic Dictionary type.");

        // Create a type object representing the generic Dictionary 
        // type, by omitting the type arguments (but keeping the 
        // comma that separates them, so the compiler can infer the
        // number of type parameters).      
        Type generic = typeof(Dictionary<,>);
        DisplayTypeInfo(generic);

        // Create an array of types to substitute for the type
        // parameters of Dictionary. The key is of type string, and
        // the type to be contained in the Dictionary is Test.
        Type[] typeArgs = { typeof(string), typeof(Test) };

        // Create a Type object representing the constructed generic
        // type.
        Type constructed = generic.MakeGenericType(typeArgs);
        DisplayTypeInfo(constructed);

        // Compare the type objects obtained above to type objects
        // obtained using typeof() and GetGenericTypeDefinition().
        Console.WriteLine("\r\n--- Compare types obtained by different methods:");

        Type t = typeof(Dictionary<String, Test>);
        Console.WriteLine("\tAre the constructed types equal? {0}", t == constructed);
        Console.WriteLine("\tAre the generic types equal? {0}", 
            t.GetGenericTypeDefinition() == generic);
    }

    private static void DisplayTypeInfo(Type t)
    {
        Console.WriteLine("\r\n{0}", t);

        Console.WriteLine("\tIs this a generic type definition? {0}", 
            t.IsGenericTypeDefinition);

        Console.WriteLine("\tIs it a generic type? {0}", 
            t.IsGenericType);

        Type[] typeArguments = t.GetGenericArguments();
        Console.WriteLine("\tList type arguments ({0}):", typeArguments.Length);
        foreach (Type tParam in typeArguments)
        {
            Console.WriteLine("\t\t{0}", tParam);
        }
    }
}

/* This example produces the following output:

--- Create a constructed type from the generic Dictionary type.

System.Collections.Generic.Dictionary`2[TKey,TValue]
        Is this a generic type definition? True
        Is it a generic type? True
        List type arguments (2):
                TKey
                TValue

System.Collections.Generic.Dictionary`2[System.String, Test]
        Is this a generic type definition? False
        Is it a generic type? True
        List type arguments (2):
                System.String
                Test

--- Compare types obtained by different methods:
        Are the constructed types equal? True
        Are the generic types equal? True
 */

open System
open System.Collections.Generic

type Test() = class end

let displayTypeInfo (t: Type) =
    printfn $"\r\n{t}"

    printfn $"\tIs this a generic type definition? {t.IsGenericTypeDefinition}" 

    printfn $"\tIs it a generic type? {t.IsGenericType}"

    let typeArguments = t.GetGenericArguments()
    printfn $"\tList type arguments ({typeArguments.Length}):"
    for tParam in typeArguments do
        printfn $"\t\t{tParam}"

printfn "\r\n--- Create a constructed type from the generic Dictionary type."

// Create a type object representing the generic Dictionary 
// type, by calling .GetGenericTypeDefinition().
let generic = typeof<Dictionary<_,_>>.GetGenericTypeDefinition()
displayTypeInfo generic

// Create an array of types to substitute for the type
// parameters of Dictionary. The key is of type string, and
// the type to be contained in the Dictionary is Test.
let typeArgs = [| typeof<string>; typeof<Test> |]

// Create a Type object representing the constructed generic type.
let constructed = generic.MakeGenericType typeArgs
displayTypeInfo constructed

(* This example produces the following output:

--- Create a constructed type from the generic Dictionary type.

System.Collections.Generic.Dictionary`2[TKey,TValue]
        Is this a generic type definition? True
        Is it a generic type? True
        List type arguments (2):
                TKey
                TValue

System.Collections.Generic.Dictionary`2[System.String, Test]
        Is this a generic type definition? False
        Is it a generic type? True
        List type arguments (2):
                System.String
                Test
 *)

Imports System.Reflection
Imports System.Collections.Generic

Public Class Test
    Public Shared Sub Main()
        Console.WriteLine(vbCrLf & "--- Create a constructed type from the generic Dictionary type.")

        ' Create a type object representing the generic Dictionary 
        ' type, by omitting the type arguments (but keeping the 
        ' comma that separates them, so the compiler can infer the
        ' number of type parameters).
        Dim generic As Type = GetType(Dictionary(Of ,))
        DisplayTypeInfo(generic)

        ' Create an array of types to substitute for the type
        ' parameters of Dictionary. The key is of type string, and
        ' the type to be contained in the Dictionary is Test.
        Dim typeArgs() As Type = { GetType(String), GetType(Test) }

        ' Create a Type object representing the constructed generic
        ' type.
        Dim constructed As Type = generic.MakeGenericType(typeArgs)
        DisplayTypeInfo(constructed)

        ' Compare the type objects obtained above to type objects
        ' obtained using GetType() and GetGenericTypeDefinition().
        Console.WriteLine(vbCrLf & "--- Compare types obtained by different methods:")

        Dim t As Type = GetType(Dictionary(Of String, Test))
        Console.WriteLine(vbTab & "Are the constructed types equal? " _
            & (t Is constructed))
        Console.WriteLine(vbTab & "Are the generic types equal? " _ 
            & (t.GetGenericTypeDefinition() Is generic))
    End Sub

    Private Shared Sub DisplayTypeInfo(ByVal t As Type)
        Console.WriteLine(vbCrLf & t.ToString())

        Console.WriteLine(vbTab & "Is this a generic type definition? " _ 
            & t.IsGenericTypeDefinition)

        Console.WriteLine(vbTab & "Is it a generic type? " _ 
            & t.IsGenericType)

        Dim typeArguments() As Type = t.GetGenericArguments()
        Console.WriteLine(vbTab & "List type arguments ({0}):", _
            typeArguments.Length)
        For Each tParam As Type In typeArguments       
            Console.WriteLine(vbTab & vbTab & tParam.ToString())
        Next
    End Sub
End Class

' This example produces the following output:
'
'--- Create a constructed type from the generic Dictionary type.
'
'System.Collections.Generic.Dictionary'2[TKey,TValue]
'        Is this a generic type definition? True
'        Is it a generic type? True
'        List type arguments (2):
'                TKey
'                TValue
'
'System.Collections.Generic.Dictionary`2[System.String,Test]
'        Is this a generic type definition? False
'        Is it a generic type? True
'        List type arguments (2):
'                System.String
'                Test
'
'--- Compare types obtained by different methods:
'        Are the constructed types equal? True
'        Are the generic types equal? True

Remarks

For more information about this API, see Supplemental API remarks for Type.MakeGenericType.

See also

• IsGenericTypeDefinition
• GetGenericTypeDefinition()
• Reflection and Generic Types
• How to: Examine and Instantiate Generic Types with Reflection