How return the type of a System.__COMObject in System.Type in C#

Question

I'm doing a program and I want to do a Reflection, but for this, I need an Object of the Type class, right? to use the .GetProperties() method... So I tryed this:

Type typeName = simObjects.getType();

But the .GetType() is returning "System.__COMObject". And this is not helpfull. The same happens with .typeof(). I search and found another code, this one:

Type typeName = (Type)Microsoft.VisualBasic.Information.TypeName(simObjects);

But this method return a String, and I need it in System.Type, Can any genious please help me?

Answer 1

I did not use reflection as I wished, but it is working pretty fine.

foreach(PropertyDescriptor descrip in TypeDescriptor.GetProperties(COMObject))
{
    if(descrip.Name == "Attribute Name")
    {
        foreach(PropertyDescriptor descrip2 in TypeDescriptor.GetProperties(descrip))
        {
           if(descrip2.Name == "sub attribute Name")
           {
           }
        } 
    }
}

This code returns the name of the attributes, for example, imagine that my COMObject has this attributes:

int age;
string name;
Son Phill;

and Son has:

int age;
string name;

In the first loop, the descrip.Name will be "age", "name" and "Phill", and in the second (suppose that the condition returns true for "Son"), "age" and "name".

Answer 2

See this link on how to get the type:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/320523

See this SO answer regarding COM objects and reflection:

https://stackoverflow.com/a/10617479/4004002

Also, do you know what the properties are ahead of time? If so you may (I've never tried it with a COM object) be able to use Dynamics instead to access the properties.

dynamic d = simObjects;
string myVariable = d.SomeProperty;

EDIT: This link explains using dynamics and COM

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/ff714583.aspx

In case it disappears:

public static class WordDocument
{
    public const String TemplateName = @"Sample.dotx";
    public const String CurrentDateBookmark = "CurrentDate";
    public const String SignatureBookmark = "Signature";

    public static void Create(string file, DateTime now, String author)
    {
         // Run Word and make it visible for demo purposes
         dynamic wordApp = new Application { Visible = true };

        // Create a new document
        var doc = wordApp.Documents.Add(TemplateName);
        templatedDocument.Activate();

        // Fill the bookmarks in the document
        doc.Bookmarks[CurrentDateBookmark].Range.Select();
        wordApp.Selection.TypeText(current.ToString());
        doc.Bookmarks[SignatureBookmark].Range.Select();
        wordApp.Selection.TypeText(author);