Object.GetType Method (System) (2024)

public: Type ^ GetType();

public Type GetType ();

member this.GetType : unit -> Type

Public Function GetType () As Type

Returns

The exact runtime type of the current instance.

Examples

The following code example demonstrates that GetType returns the runtime type of the current instance.

using namespace System;public ref class MyBaseClass {};public ref class MyDerivedClass: MyBaseClass{};int main(){ MyBaseClass^ myBase = gcnew MyBaseClass; MyDerivedClass^ myDerived = gcnew MyDerivedClass; Object^ o = myDerived; MyBaseClass^ b = myDerived; Console::WriteLine( "mybase: Type is {0}", myBase->GetType() ); Console::WriteLine( "myDerived: Type is {0}", myDerived->GetType() ); Console::WriteLine( "object o = myDerived: Type is {0}", o->GetType() ); Console::WriteLine( "MyBaseClass b = myDerived: Type is {0}", b->GetType() );}/*This code produces the following output.mybase: Type is MyBaseClassmyDerived: Type is MyDerivedClassobject o = myDerived: Type is MyDerivedClassMyBaseClass b = myDerived: Type is MyDerivedClass */

using System;public class MyBaseClass {}public class MyDerivedClass: MyBaseClass {}public class Test{ public static void Main() { MyBaseClass myBase = new MyBaseClass(); MyDerivedClass myDerived = new MyDerivedClass(); object o = myDerived; MyBaseClass b = myDerived; Console.WriteLine("mybase: Type is {0}", myBase.GetType()); Console.WriteLine("myDerived: Type is {0}", myDerived.GetType()); Console.WriteLine("object o = myDerived: Type is {0}", o.GetType()); Console.WriteLine("MyBaseClass b = myDerived: Type is {0}", b.GetType()); }}// The example displays the following output:// mybase: Type is MyBaseClass// myDerived: Type is MyDerivedClass// object o = myDerived: Type is MyDerivedClass// MyBaseClass b = myDerived: Type is MyDerivedClass

type MyBaseClass() = class endtype MyDerivedClass() = inherit MyBaseClass()let myBase = MyBaseClass()let myDerived = MyDerivedClass()let o: obj = myDerivedlet b: MyBaseClass = myDerivedprintfn $"mybase: Type is {myBase.GetType()}"printfn $"myDerived: Type is {myDerived.GetType()}"printfn $"object o = myDerived: Type is {o.GetType()}"printfn $"MyBaseClass b = myDerived: Type is {b.GetType()}"// The example displays the following output:// mybase: Type is MyBaseClass// myDerived: Type is MyDerivedClass// object o = myDerived: Type is MyDerivedClass// MyBaseClass b = myDerived: Type is MyDerivedClass

' Define a base and a derived class.Public Class MyBaseClassEnd Class Public Class MyDerivedClass : Inherits MyBaseClassEnd Class Public Class Test Public Shared Sub Main() Dim base As New MyBaseClass() Dim derived As New MyDerivedClass() Dim o As Object = derived Dim b As MyBaseClass = derived Console.WriteLine("base.GetType returns {0}", base.GetType()) Console.WriteLine("derived.GetType returns {0}", derived.GetType()) Console.WriteLine("Dim o As Object = derived; o.GetType returns {0}", o.GetType()) Console.WriteLine("Dim b As MyBaseClass = derived; b.Type returns {0}", b.GetType()) End Sub End Class ' The example displays the following output:' base.GetType returns MyBaseClass' derived.GetType returns MyDerivedClass' Dim o As Object = derived; o.GetType returns MyDerivedClass' Dim b As MyBaseClass = derived; b.Type returns MyDerivedClass

Remarks

Because System.Object is the base class for all types in the .NET type system, the GetType method can be used to return Type objects that represent all .NET types. .NET recognizes the following five categories of types:

• Classes, which are derived from System.Object,

• Value types, which are derived from System.ValueType.

• Interfaces, which are derived from System.Object starting with the .NET Framework 2.0.

  See Also

  How can to check if two object values are equal in C#

• Enumerations, which are derived from System.Enum.

• Delegates, which are derived from System.MulticastDelegate.

For two objects x and y that have identical runtime types, Object.ReferenceEquals(x.GetType(),y.GetType()) returns true. The following example uses the GetType method with the ReferenceEquals method to determine whether one numeric value is the same type as two other numeric values.

int n1 = 12;int n2 = 82;long n3 = 12;Console.WriteLine("n1 and n2 are the same type: {0}", Object.ReferenceEquals(n1.GetType(), n2.GetType()));Console.WriteLine("n1 and n3 are the same type: {0}", Object.ReferenceEquals(n1.GetType(), n3.GetType()));// The example displays the following output:// n1 and n2 are the same type: True// n1 and n3 are the same type: False

open Systemlet n1 = 12let n2 = 82let n3 = 12Lprintfn $"n1 and n2 are the same type: {Object.ReferenceEquals(n1.GetType(), n2.GetType())}"printfn $"n1 and n3 are the same type: {Object.ReferenceEquals(n1.GetType(), n3.GetType())}"// The example displays the following output:// n1 and n2 are the same type: True// n1 and n3 are the same type: False

Module Example Public Sub Main() Dim n1 As Integer = 12 Dim n2 As Integer = 82 Dim n3 As Long = 12 Console.WriteLine("n1 and n2 are the same type: {0}", Object.ReferenceEquals(n1.GetType(), n2.GetType())) Console.WriteLine("n1 and n3 are the same type: {0}", Object.ReferenceEquals(n1.GetType(), n3.GetType())) End SubEnd Module' The example displays the following output:' n1 and n2 are the same type: True' n1 and n3 are the same type: False

The GetType method is inherited by all types that derive from Object. This means that, in addition to using your own language's comparison keyword, you can use the GetType method to determine the type of a particular object, as the following example shows.

object[] values = { (int) 12, (long) 10653, (byte) 12, (sbyte) -5, 16.3, "string" };foreach (var value in values) { Type t = value.GetType(); if (t.Equals(typeof(byte))) Console.WriteLine("{0} is an unsigned byte.", value); else if (t.Equals(typeof(sbyte))) Console.WriteLine("{0} is a signed byte.", value); else if (t.Equals(typeof(int))) Console.WriteLine("{0} is a 32-bit integer.", value); else if (t.Equals(typeof(long))) Console.WriteLine("{0} is a 64-bit integer.", value); else if (t.Equals(typeof(double))) Console.WriteLine("{0} is a double-precision floating point.", value); else Console.WriteLine("'{0}' is another data type.", value);}// The example displays the following output:// 12 is a 32-bit integer.// 10653 is a 64-bit integer.// 12 is an unsigned byte.// -5 is a signed byte.// 16.3 is a double-precision floating point.// 'string' is another data type.

let values: obj[] = [| 12; 10653L; 12uy -5y; 16.3; "string" |]for value in values do let t = value.GetType() if t.Equals typeof<byte> then printfn $"{value} is an unsigned byte." elif t.Equals typeof<sbyte> then printfn $"{value} is a signed byte." elif t.Equals typeof<int> then printfn $"{value} is a 32-bit integer." elif t.Equals typeof<int64> then printfn $"{value} is a 64-bit integer." elif t.Equals typeof<double> then printfn $"{value} is a double-precision floating point." else printfn $"'{value}' is another data type."// The example displays the following output:// 12 is a 32-bit integer.// 10653 is a 32-bit integer.// 12 is an unsigned byte.// -5 is a signed byte.// 16.3 is a double-precision floating point.// 'string' is another data type.

Module Example Public Sub Main() Dim values() As Object = { 12, CLng(10653), CByte(12), CSbyte(-5), 16.3, "string" } For Each value In values Dim t AS Type = value.GetType() If t.Equals(GetType(Byte)) Console.WriteLine("{0} is an unsigned byte.", value) ElseIf t.Equals(GetType(SByte)) Console.WriteLine("{0} is a signed byte.", value) ElseIf t.Equals(GetType(Integer)) Console.WriteLine("{0} is a 32-bit integer.", value) ElseIf t.Equals(GetType(Long)) Console.WriteLine("{0} is a 64-bit integer.", value) ElseIf t.Equals(GetType(Double)) Console.WriteLine("{0} is a double-precision floating point.", value) Else Console.WriteLine("'{0}' is another data type.", value) End If Next End SubEnd Module' The example displays the following output:' 12 is a 32-bit integer.' 10653 is a 32-bit integer.' 12 is an unsigned byte.' -5 is a signed byte.' 16.3 is a double-precision floating point.' 'string' is another data type.

The Type object exposes the metadata associated with the class of the current Object.

Applies to

See also

• Type