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.netgenericstype-constraints

How to call a generic method with type constraints when the parameter doesn't have these constraints?


class A { }
interface I { }
void GenericStuff<T>(T x) { }
void SpecificStuff<T>(T x) where T : A, I { }

void Start<T>(T x)
{
    if (x is A && x is I)
        SpecificStuff(x); // <---- Wrong type
    else
        GenericStuff(x);
}

I've got the situation illustrated above. In method Start() I get a single parameter x and depending on it's type I want to call either the GenericStuff() or the SpecificStuff() method. Naturally, the type constraints prevent me from doing so, and since there are two of them, I cannot get around them by casting.

Is there any way (short of reflection) to accomplish this?


Solution

  • You can use dynamic. While this is more or less glorified reflection, it looks much nicer:

    void Start<T>(T x)
    {
        if (x is A && x is I)
            SpecificStuff((dynamic)x);
        else
            GenericStuff(x);
    }
    

    Please note:
    If, at a later point, you change the type constraints of SpecificStuff to contain a third interface and you forget to update your if accordingly, you will get runtime exceptions and not compile time errors.