System Namespace

Represents type declarations: class types, interface types, array types, value types, and enumeration types.

Type is the root of all reflection operations and the object that represents a type inside the system. Type is an abstract base class that allows multiple implementations. The system will always provide the derived class RuntimeType. In reflection, all classes beginning with the word Runtime are created only once per object in the system and support comparison operations.

This class is the primary way to access metadata, and it acts as a gateway to the Reflection API. Use the members of Type to get information about a type declaration, such as the constructors, methods, fields, properties, and events of a class, as well as the module and the assembly in which the class is deployed.

A Type object that represents a type is unique; that is, two Type object references refer to the same object if and only if they represent the same type. This allows for the synchronization of multiple static method invocations and for comparison of Type objects through reference comparisons.

A reference to the Type object associated with a type can be obtained in the following ways.

• The Object.GetType method provided by Object returns a Type object that represents the type of an instance.
• The static GetType method provided by Type returns a Type object that represents a type specified by its fully qualified name.
• The GetTypes, GetType, and FindTypes methods provided by Module return Type objects that represent the types defined in a module. The first can be used to obtain an array of Type objects for all of the public and private types defined in a module. ( An instance of Module is obtained through the static GetModule method provided by Module, or through the Module property provided by Type. )
• The FindInterfaces method returns a filtered list of interface types supported by a class.
• The GetElementType method returns a Type object that represents the element.
• The GetInterfaces and GetInterface methods return Type objects representing the interface types supported by a class.
• The GetTypeArray method returns an array of Type objects representing the types specified by an arbitrary set of objects. The objects are specified with an array of type Object.
• The GetTypeFromProgID and GetTypeFromCLSID methods are provided for COM interoperability. They return a Type object that represents the type specified by a ProgID or CLSID.
• GetTypeFromHandle method is provided for interoperability. It returns a Type object that represents the type specified by a class handle.
• The typeof operator obtains the Type object for a type.

Note on Security: A derived class can access protected members of the calling code's base classes. Also, access is allowed to assembly members of the calling code's assembly. As a rule, if you are allowed access in early bound code, then you are also allowed access in late bound code.

Note on Reflection over Interfaces: Interfaces that extend other interfaces do not inherit the methods defined in the extended interfaces.

Object   System.Reflection   ReflectionPermission