Search code examples
c#generic-type-argument

C# Get generic non-array type from generic array type


Given the following function;

void SomeFunction<T>(...){
    SomeOtherFunction<T>();
}

This works fine, but sometimes the function fails before T passed is an array type, but it mustn't be an array type. These functions have to do with JSON deserialization of a dictionary, but for some reason it doesn't accept the T array argument when the dictionary has only one entry.

In short, I want to do this

void SomeFunction<T>(...){
    try {
    SomeOtherFunction<T>();
    } catch ( Exception e ){
        SomeOtherFunction<T arrayless>();
    }
}

I've tried a ton of stuff, and I realize the real problem is somewhere else, but I need to temporary fix this so I can work on a real solution in the deserializer. I tried reflection too using the following method;

MethodInfo method = typeof(JToken).GetMethod("ToObject", System.Type.EmptyTypes);
MethodInfo generic = method.MakeGenericMethod(typeof(T).GetElementType().GetGenericTypeDefinition());
object result = generic.Invoke(valueToken, null);

But that doesn't quite work either.

Thank you!


Solution

  • I am not really sure what you are trying to achieve here, but to get the type of the elements in an array, you have to use Type.GetElementType():

    void SomeFunction<T>()
    {
        var type = typeof(T);
        if(type.IsArray)
        {
            var elementType = type.GetElementType();
            var method = typeof(Foo).GetMethod("SomeOtherFunction")
                                    .MakeGenericMethod(elementType);
            // invoke method
        }
        else
            foo.SomeOtherFunction<T>(...);
    }