How to convert from string to object of any type

Question

I need to convert from string that contains data to object of some type that is passed.
I write some kind of serializer of object to/from collection of strings.
Does someone know class that can get string and destination type and return object of specified type as a result.
I think this functionality must exists but I do not know where because this kind of functionality should be used in XmlSerializer and PropertyGrid.
Unforunatelly I have no access to sources of these classes  and cannot see how it is implemented.
I would not like to write my own concertion class.

Answer 1

To see how XmlSerializer or PropertyGrid works, you should get a copy of Lutz Roeder's Reflector for .Net.

 

http://www.aisto.com/roeder/dotnet/

 

 

 

Answer 2

There is no code there

Answer 3

Can you give more of an example of what you are looking for?  From what I gather you want to take a string, concatonate it with another type, and then return a different type.  For the most part I would use the Convert function.  However if I am mistaken a bit more description would help in figuring out this issue.

Answer 4

I need something like

object ConvertFromString(string sourceString, Type destinationType)

Convert require either IConvertable interface or converting to static type (i.e. ToInt, ToDouble and so on). I need dynamic conversion from string.

Answer 5

If you already know what the different varaitey of types you are going to convert to you can create a class or function that is just a large switch statement to all the possible types you want to convert to.  I know this isn't probably what you are looking for but it is all I can think of right now.

Answer 6

How about using Activator.CreateInstance ?

Code Snippet

namespace Activation
{
    class Program
    {
        static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            Type t = Type.GetType("Activation.Person");
            Person person = (Person)Activator.CreateInstance(t);

             Console.Write("{0}Press any key to continue...", Environment.NewLine);
            Console.ReadKey();
        }
    }

    class Person
    {
    }
}

Anyway, since you're talking about serialization i'm thinking that you want something like:

Code Snippet

public class SimpleSerializer<T>
{
  public String Serialize(T o)
  {
    using (MemoryStream m = new MemoryStream())
    {
      XmlSerializer s = new XmlSerializer(o.GetType());
      s.Serialize(m, o);
      return Encoding.UTF8.GetString(m.ToArray());
    }
  }

  public T Deserialize(String xml)
  {
    using (MemoryStream m = new MemoryStream(Encoding.UTF8.GetBytes(xml)))
    {
      XmlSerializer s = new XmlSerializer(typeof(T));
      return (T)s.Deserialize(m);
    }
  }
}

Answer 7

>If you already know what the different varaitey of types you are going to convert to you can create a class or function that is just a large switch statement to all the possible types you want to convert to.  I know this isn't probably what you are looking for but it is all I can think of right now.

I've already done this. But I wonder if any .NET build-in mechanism to do this.

Answer 8

Men, you save my life :) thank's

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