Return type name as string

[Andrus]

I need to create method which returns my application object type as string :

TypeName(typeof ( List<int>)) should return "List<int>" or
"System.Collect ions.Generic.Li st<int>"

TypeName(typeof ( MyType<Customer >)) should return
"MyNamesp.MyTyp e<MyBusiness.Cu stomer>"

etc.
I tried

static string TypeName(Type type) {
return type.Name;
}

but this returns wrong names (´1 etc) for generic types.

How to get correct type name for generic types ?

Andrus.

[not_a_commie]

You will need to use Type.GetGeneric Arguments and build up your own
string.

[Andrus]

You will need to use Type.GetGeneric Arguments and build up your own

string.

Thank you.
I created method below. For initial tests it seems to work OK.
Is this best solution ?

Andrus.

/// <returns>type name as string</returns>
static string TypeName(Type type)
{

if (!type.IsGeneri cType)
return type.Name;

StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder(t ype.Name);
sb.Append('<');
bool first = false;
foreach (Type t in type.GetGeneric Arguments())
{
if (first)
{
sb.Append(',');
first = false;
}
sb.Append(TypeN ame(t));
}
sb.Append('>');
return sb.ToString();
}

[not_a_commie]

I think you mean 'if (!first)' and then you want to set it to true
inside that 'if' statement.

[Andrus]

>I think you mean 'if (!first)' and then you want to set it to true

inside that 'if' statement.

for type

DateTime?

this function returns invalid type name:

Nullable'1<Date Time>

How to force it to return correct nae:

DateTime?

Andrus.

[Marc Gravell]

Well, strictly speaking, Nullable<DateTi meis the correct name,
give-or-take some namespaces. DateTime? is only C# specific. But you
could do this by checking for Nullable<Tas a special case. There is a
helper method as it happens; Nullable.GetUnd erlyingType(Typ e):

Type nullableType = Nullable.GetUnd erlyingType(typ e);
if (nullableType != null) return nullableType.Na me + "?";

Marc

[Andrus]

Marc,

Well, strictly speaking, Nullable<DateTi meis the correct name,
give-or-take some namespaces.

It returns incorrect name:

Nullable`1<Date Time>

DateTime? is only C# specific. But you could do this by checking for
Nullable<Tas a special case. There is a helper method as it happens;
Nullable.GetUnd erlyingType(Typ e):

Type nullableType = Nullable.GetUnd erlyingType(typ e);
if (nullableType != null) return nullableType.Na me + "?";

Thank you. I created method below. Initially

TypeName( typeof(System.C ollections.Gene ric.List<string >) )

returns invalid type name which causes compile error :

System.Collecti ons.Generic.Lis t`1[[System.String, mscorlib, Version=2.0.0.0 ,
Culture=neutral , PublicKeyToken= b77a5c561934e08 9]]<System.Strin g>

To force it to return

System.Collecti ons.Generic.Lis t<System.String >

I looked all type properties using debugger but havent found any property
which returns legal type name System.Collecti ons.Generic.Lis t .

So I take leftmost characters from FullName up to ` character .
Is this best solution ?

Andrus.

/// <summary>
/// Get full type name with full namespace names
/// </summary>
/// <param name="type">Typ e. May be generic or nullable</param>
/// <returns>Full type name, fully qualified namespaces</returns>
public static string TypeName(Type type)
{
Type nullableType = Nullable.GetUnd erlyingType(typ e);
if (nullableType != null)
return nullableType.Fu llName + "?";

if (!type.IsGeneri cType)
return type.FullName;

StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder(
type.FullName.S ubstring(0, type.FullName.I ndexOf('`'))
);
sb.Append('<');
bool first = true;
foreach (Type t in type.GetGeneric Arguments())
{
if (!first)
{
sb.Append(',');
first = false;
}
sb.Append(TypeN ame(t));
}
sb.Append('>');
return sb.ToString();
}