Article
11/18/2011

Type.ToString Method

Microsoft Silverlight will reach end of support after October 2021. Learn more.

Returns a String representing the name of the current Type.

Namespace: System
Assembly: mscorlib (in mscorlib.dll)

Syntax

'Declaration
Public Overrides Function ToString As String

public override string ToString()

Return Value

Type: System.String
A String representing the name of the current Type.

Remarks

This method returns the fully qualified common language runtime namespace and name for all primitive types. For example, the C# instruction, (long)0.Type().ToString() returns "System.Int64" instead of merely "Int64".

If the current Type represents a generic type, the type and its type arguments are qualified by namespace and by nested type, but not by assembly. If the current Type represents a type parameter in the definition of a generic type or generic method, this method returns the unqualified name of the type parameter.

Examples

This following example demonstrates a use of the Namespace and Module properties and the ToString method of Type.

Note:
To run this example, see Building Examples That Use a Demo Method and a TextBlock Control.

Namespace MyNamespace
   Class [MyClass]
   End Class '[MyClass]
End Namespace 'MyNamespace
Public Class Example
   Public Shared Sub Demo(ByVal outputBlock As System.Windows.Controls.TextBlock)
      Try
         Dim myType As Type = GetType(MyNamespace.MyClass)
         outputBlock.Text += String.Format(ControlChars.NewLine + "Printing the details of {0}." + ControlChars.NewLine, myType) & vbCrLf
         ' Get the namespace of the class Example.
         outputBlock.Text += String.Format("Namespace: {0}.", myType.Namespace) & vbCrLf
         ' Get the name of the module.
         outputBlock.Text += String.Format("Module: {0}.", myType.Module) & vbCrLf
         ' Get the fully qualified common language runtime namespace.
         outputBlock.Text += String.Format("Fully qualified type: {0}.", myType.ToString()) & vbCrLf
      Catch e As Exception
         outputBlock.Text &= "Exception: " + e.Message.ToString() & vbCrLf
      End Try
   End Sub 'Main
End Class 'Type_ToString_3

using System;
namespace MyNamespace
{
   class MyClass
   {
   }
}
public class Example
{
   public static void Demo(System.Windows.Controls.TextBlock outputBlock)
   {
      try
      {
         Type myType = typeof(MyNamespace.MyClass);
         outputBlock.Text += String.Format("\nPrinting the details of {0}.\n", myType) + "\n";
         // Get the namespace of the class Example.
         outputBlock.Text += String.Format("Namespace: {0}.", myType.Namespace) + "\n";
         // Get the name of the module.
         outputBlock.Text += String.Format("Module: {0}.", myType.Module) + "\n";
         // Get the fully qualified common language runtime namespace.
         outputBlock.Text += String.Format("Fully qualified type: {0}.", myType.ToString()) + "\n";
      }
      catch (Exception e)
      {
         outputBlock.Text += "Exception: " + e.Message + "\n";
      }
   }
}

Version Information

Silverlight

Supported in: 5, 4, 3

Silverlight for Windows Phone

Supported in: Windows Phone OS 7.1, Windows Phone OS 7.0

XNA Framework

Supported in: Xbox 360, Windows Phone OS 7.0

Platforms

For a list of the operating systems and browsers that are supported by Silverlight, see Supported Operating Systems and Browsers.

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