C# creating instance of class and set properties by name in string

Question

I have some problem. I want to creating instance of class by name. I found Activator.CreateInstance http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/d133hta4.aspx and it works fine, and I found this: Setting a property by reflection with a string value too.

But how to do both od this? I mean, I know the name of class, I know all properties in that class and I have this in string. For example:

string name = "MyClass"; string property = "PropertyInMyClass"; 

How to create instance and set some value to properties ?

Answer 1

You could use Reflection:

using System; using System.Reflection;  public class Foo {     public string Bar { get; set; } }  public class Program {     static void Main()     {         string name = "Foo";         string property = "Bar";         string value = "Baz";          // Get the type contained in the name string         Type type = Type.GetType(name, true);          // create an instance of that type         object instance = Activator.CreateInstance(type);          // Get a property on the type that is stored in the          // property string         PropertyInfo prop = type.GetProperty(property);          // Set the value of the given property on the given instance         prop.SetValue(instance, value, null);          // at this stage instance.Bar will equal to the value         Console.WriteLine(((Foo)instance).Bar);     } } 

Answer 2

If you had System.TypeLoad Exception, your class name is wrong.

To method Type.GetType you must enter assembly-qualified name. That is with the project name For example: GenerateClassDynamically_ConsoleApp1.Foo

If it is in another assembly jou must enter assembly name after comma (details on https://stackoverflow.com/a/3512351/1540350): Type.GetType("GenerateClassDynamically_ConsoleApp1.Foo,GenerateClassDynamically_ConsoleApp1");