I need to create instance of a generic class like this:
Type T = Type.GetType(className).GetMethod(functionName).ReturnType;
var comparer = new MyComparer<T>(); // ERROR: "The type or namespace name 'T' could not be found"
I found this answer where this is possible only with reflection. But using reflection I get object which I need to cast to my generic type. I tried like this
Type myGeneric = typeof(MyComparer<>);
Type constructedClass = myGeneric.MakeGenericType();
object created = Activator.CreateInstance(constructedClass);
var comparer = (T)Convert.ChangeType(created, T);// ERROR: "The type or namespace name 'T' could not be found"
but get the same error. How to solve it?
Here is a complete example:
public static bool Test(string className, string functionName, object[] parameters, object correctResult)
{
var method = Type.GetType(className).GetMethod(functionName);
Type T = method.ReturnType;
var myResult = method.Invoke(null, parameters);
dynamic myResultAsT = Convert.ChangeType(myResult, T);
dynamic correctResultAsT = Convert.ChangeType(correctResult, T);
var comparer = new MyComparer<T>(); // Problem is here!!!
return comparer.Equals(myResultAsT, correctResultAsT);
}
The idea is to make a unit test which will call a function with parameters and compare its result with the correct result. But I need custom comparer, so I implement MyComparer
which I cannot use because of a compiler error.
public class MyComparer<T> : IEqualityComparer<T>
{
public bool Equals(T x, T y){/* some implementation*/}
}
I found very simple solution to problem. There is no need to cast object
to specific type T
, just use dynamic
keyword instead of casting
Type myGeneric = typeof(MyComparer<>);
Type constructedClass = myGeneric.MakeGenericType(T);
object created = Activator.CreateInstance(constructedClass);
dynamic comparer = created; // No need to cast created object to T
and then I can use comparer normally to call its methods like:
return comparer.Equals(myResultAsT, correctResultAsT);
According to LueTm comments, it is probably possible to use reflection again and call comparer methods, but this solution looks much easier.
Looks like you're almost there:
// t is a variable, so make it lowercase. This is where some of the confusion comes from
Type t = Type.GetType(className).GetMethod(functionName).ReturnType;
Type myGeneric = typeof(IEqualityComparer<>);
// You need to provide the generic type to make it generic with
// You want IEqualityComparer<T>, so:
Type constructedClass = myGeneric.MakeGenericType(t);
// Now create the object
object created = Activator.CreateInstance(constructedClass);
// This is tricky without more context...
// You could try this, but to tell you more I would need to know where you use
// the comparer instance. Are you using it in a LINQ query, or in a Sort()?
// If so just cast it to a IEqualityComparer<YourType>, and
// make YourType whaterver you need it to be in the list or the query...
var comparer = (IEqualityComparer<object>)created;
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