[c#] C# Reflection: How to get class reference from string?

I want to do this in C#, but I don't know how:

I have a string with a class name -e.g: FooClass and I want to invoke a (static) method on this class:

FooClass.MyMethod();

Obviously, I need to find a reference to the class via reflection, but how?

This question is related to c# reflection

The answer is


We can use

Type.GetType()

to get class name and can also create object of it using Activator.CreateInstance(type);

using System;
using System.Reflection;

namespace MyApplication
{
    class Application
    {
        static void Main()
        {
            Type type = Type.GetType("MyApplication.Action");
            if (type == null)
            {
                throw new Exception("Type not found.");
            }
            var instance = Activator.CreateInstance(type);
            //or
            var newClass = System.Reflection.Assembly.GetAssembly(type).CreateInstance("MyApplication.Action");
        }
    }

    public class Action
    {
        public string key { get; set; }
        public string Value { get; set; }
    }
}

Bit late for reply but this should do the trick

Type myType = Type.GetType("AssemblyQualifiedName");

your assembly qualified name should be like this

"Boom.Bam.Class, Boom.Bam, Version=1.0.0.262, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=e16dba1a3c4385bd"

Via Type.GetType you can get the type information. You can use this class to get the method information and then invoke the method (for static methods, leave the first parameter null).

You might also need the Assembly name to correctly identify the type.

If the type is in the currently executing assembly or in Mscorlib.dll, it is sufficient to supply the type name qualified by its namespace.


A simple use:

Type typeYouWant = Type.GetType("NamespaceOfType.TypeName, AssemblyName");

Sample:

Type dogClass = Type.GetType("Animals.Dog, Animals");

You can use Type.GetType(string), but you'll need to know the full class name including namespace, and if it's not in the current assembly or mscorlib you'll need the assembly name instead. (Ideally, use Assembly.GetType(typeName) instead - I find that easier in terms of getting the assembly reference right!)

For instance:

// "I know String is in the same assembly as Int32..."
Type stringType = typeof(int).Assembly.GetType("System.String");

// "It's in the current assembly"
Type myType = Type.GetType("MyNamespace.MyType");

// "It's in System.Windows.Forms.dll..."
Type formType = Type.GetType ("System.Windows.Forms.Form, " + 
    "System.Windows.Forms, Version=2.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, " + 
    "PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089");