Reflecting Types in .NET

Getting Types:

                Type Object can be obtained:

                                From Assembly class

                                From Module class

                                From instance of an object

                                Using typeof keyword in C#

 

Type Class:

Represents type declarations: class types, interface types, array types, value types, enumeration types, type parameters, generic type definitions, and open or closed constructed generic types.

Properties of Type class:

Name	Description
Assembly	Gets the Assembly in which the type is declared. For generic types, gets the Assembly in which the generic type is defined.
AssemblyQualifiedName	Gets the assembly-qualified name of the Type, which includes the name of the assembly from which the Type was loaded.
Attributes	Gets the attributes associated with the Type.
BaseType	Gets the type from which the current Type directly inherits.
ContainsGenericParameters	Gets a value indicating whether the current Type object has type parameters that have not been replaced by specific types.
DeclaringMethod	Gets a MethodBase that represents the declaring method, if the current Type represents a type parameter of a generic method.
DeclaringType	Gets the class that declares this member.
DefaultBinder	Gets a reference to the default binder, which implements internal rules for selecting the appropriate members to be called by InvokeMember.
FullName	Gets the fully qualified name of the Type, including the namespace of the Type but not the assembly.
HasElementType	Gets a value indicating whether the current Type encompasses or refers to another type; that is, whether the current Type is an array, a pointer, or is passed by reference.
IsAbstract	Gets a value indicating whether the Type is abstract and must be overridden.
IsAnsiClass	Gets a value indicating whether the string format attribute AnsiClass is selected for the Type.
IsArray	Gets a value indicating whether the Type is an array.
IsAutoClass	Gets a value indicating whether the string format attribute AutoClass is selected for the Type.
IsAutoLayout	Gets a value indicating whether the class layout attribute AutoLayout is selected for the Type.
IsByRef	Gets a value indicating whether the Type is passed by reference.
IsClass	Gets a value indicating whether the Type is a class; that is, not a value type or interface.
IsCOMObject	Gets a value indicating whether the Type is a COM object.
IsEnum	Gets a value indicating whether the current Type represents an enumeration.
IsGenericParameter	Gets a value indicating whether the current Type represents a type parameter in the definition of a generic type or method.
IsGenericType	Gets a value indicating whether the current type is a generic type.
IsGenericTypeDefinition	Gets a value indicating whether the current Type represents a generic type definition, from which other generic types can be constructed.
IsImport	Gets a value indicating whether the Type has a ComImportAttribute attribute applied, indicating that it was imported from a COM type library.
IsInterface	Gets a value indicating whether the Type is an interface; that is, not a class or a value type.
IsNestedAssembly	Gets a value indicating whether the Type is nested and visible only within its own assembly.
IsNestedFamANDAssem	Gets a value indicating whether the Type is nested and visible only to classes that belong to both its own family and its own assembly.
IsNestedFamily	Gets a value indicating whether the Type is nested and visible only within its own family.
IsNestedFamORAssem	Gets a value indicating whether the Type is nested and visible only to classes that belong to either its own family or to its own assembly.
IsNestedPrivate	Gets a value indicating whether the Type is nested and declared private.
IsNestedPublic	Gets a value indicating whether a class is nested and declared public.
IsNotPublic	Gets a value indicating whether the Type is not declared public.
IsPointer	Gets a value indicating whether the Type is a pointer.
IsPrimitive	Gets a value indicating whether the Type is one of the primitive types.
IsPublic	Gets a value indicating whether the Type is declared public.
IsSealed	Gets a value indicating whether the Type is declared sealed.
IsSpecialName	Gets a value indicating whether the Type has a name that requires special handling.
IsUnicodeClass	Gets a value indicating whether the string format attribute UnicodeClass is selected for the Type.
IsValueType	Gets a value indicating whether the Type is a value type.
IsVisible	Gets a value indicating whether the Type can be accessed by code outside the assembly.
MemberType	Gets a MemberTypes value indicating that this member is a type or a nested type.
MetadataToken	Gets a value that identifies a metadata element.(Inherited from MemberInfo.)
Module	Gets the module (the DLL) in which the current Type is defined.
Name	Gets the name of the current member.(Inherited from MemberInfo.)
Namespace	Gets the namespace of the Type.
ReflectedType	Gets the class object that was used to obtain this member.
TypeHandle	Gets the handle for the current Type.
UnderlyingSystemType	Indicates the type provided by the common language runtime that represents this type.

Public Methods of Type Class

GetArrayRank	Gets the number of dimensions in an Array.
GetConstructor	Overloaded. Gets a specific constructor of the current Type.
GetConstructors	Overloaded. Gets the constructors of the current Type.
GetCustomAttributes	Overloaded. When overridden in a derived class, returns all attributes applied to this member. (Inherited from MemberInfo.)
GetDefaultMembers	Searches for the members defined for the current Type whose DefaultMemberAttribute is set.
GetElementType	When overridden in a derived class, returns the Type of the object encompassed or referred to by the current array, pointer or reference type.
GetEvent	Overloaded. Gets a specific event declared or inherited by the current Type.
GetEvents	Overloaded. Gets the events that are declared or inherited by the current Type.
GetField	Overloaded. Gets a specific field of the current Type.
GetFields	Overloaded. Gets the fields of the current Type.
GetGenericArguments	Returns an array of Type objects that represent the type arguments of a generic type or the type parameters of a generic type definition.
GetGenericParameterConstraints	Returns an array of Type objects that represent the constraints on the current generic type parameter.
GetGenericTypeDefinition	Returns a Type object that represents a generic type definition from which the current generic type can be constructed.
GetHashCode	Overridden. Returns the hash code for this instance.
GetInterfaces	When overridden in a derived class, gets all the interfaces implemented or inherited by the current Type.
GetMember	Overloaded. Gets the specified members of the current Type.
GetMembers	Overloaded. Gets the members (properties, methods, fields, events, and so on) of the current Type.
GetMethod	Overloaded. Gets a specific method of the current Type.
GetMethods	Overloaded. Gets the methods of the current Type.
GetNestedType	Overloaded. Gets a specific type nested within the current Type.
GetNestedTypes	Overloaded. Gets the types nested within the current Type.
GetProperties	Overloaded. Gets the properties of the current Type.
GetProperty	Overloaded. Gets a specific property of the current Type.
GetType	Overloaded. Gets a Type object that represents the specified type.
GetTypeCode	Gets the underlying type code of the specified Type.
GetTypeFromCLSID	Overloaded. Gets the type associated with the specified class identifier (CLSID).
GetTypeFromHandle	Gets the type referenced by the specified type handle.
GetTypeFromProgID	Overloaded. Gets the type associated with the specified program identifier (ProgID).
InvokeMember	Overloaded. Invokes a specific member of the current Type.
IsAssignableFrom	Determines whether an instance of the current Type can be assigned from an instance of the specified Type.
IsDefined	When overridden in a derived class, indicates whether one or more instance of attributeType is applied to this member. (Inherited from MemberInfo.)
IsInstanceOfType	Determines whether the specified object is an instance of the current Type.
IsSubclassOf	Determines whether the class represented by the current Type derives from the class represented by the specified Type.
ReferenceEquals	Determines whether the specified Object instances are the same instance. (Inherited from Object.)
ToString	Overridden. Returns a String representing the name of the current Type.

MethodBody Class

The MethodBody class provides access to information about the local variables and exception-handling clauses in a method body, and to the Microsoft intermediate language (MSIL) that makes up the method body.

Important usage:

(MethodBody Instance).LocalVariables[i].LocalType

(MethodBody Instance).LocalVariables[i].LocalIndex

(MethodBody Instance).GetILAsByteArray()

(MethodBody Instance).LocalVariables[i].ExceptionHandlingClauses

Using Binding Flags:

                Specifies flags that control binding and the way in which the search for members and types is conducted by reflection.

How to Use Binding Flags: 

Type t = typeof(String);

BindingFlags flags = BindingFlags.Public | BindingFlags.NonPublic | BindingFlags.Instance;

MemberInfo[] members = t.GetMembers(flags);

foreach(MemberInfo member in members)
{
    Console.WriteLine("Member: {0}", member.Name);
}