Convert the name of a type - to a type

Hi there,

How can I use a string parameter for a method and convert this to a type. I am using reflection to retrieve items within an enumeration:

Dim fi As FieldInfo() = GetType(VehicleContractType).GetFields

Currently I am creatnig a separate method for each enumeration in order to retrieve it's values.

What I would like to do is pass the name of the enumeration as a parameter to the method and cast this as a type.

Any ideas?

Thanks,

Ben

Re: Convert the name of a type - to a type

Try:

Type.GetType("MyClass")

Re: Convert the name of a type - to a type

This is what I tried:

Public Shared Function GetEnumTypes(ByVal enumName As String) As List(Of EnumObject)
            Dim recordset As New List(Of EnumObject)
            Dim s As Type = Type.GetType(enumName)
            Dim fi As FieldInfo() = s.GetFields
            For Each f As FieldInfo In fi
                If Not f.IsSpecialName AndAlso Not (f.Name.ToLower = "notset") Then
                    Dim myValue As Integer = CType(f.GetValue(0), Integer)
                    recordset.Add(New EnumObject(myValue, f.Name))
                End If
            Next
            Return recordset
        End Function

But "s" returns nothing. I am passing in the name of the enumeration. An example below:

        Dim enums As List(Of EnumObject) = EnumObject.GetEnumTypes("VehicleStatusType")
        For Each en As EnumObject In enums
            lbl1.Text &= en.Name
        Next

Thanks,

Ben

Re: Convert the name of a type - to a type

If I understand what you are trying to do, you want to use GetType to load the type of an Enum. Try including the name of the assembly. Here is an example of an assembly named "Test"

public Enum food
    pizza
    chocolate
End Enum

Public Class Form1

    Private Sub Form1_Load(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles MyBase.Load

        Dim foodType As Type = Type.GetType("Test.food")

    End Sub

End Class

Re: Convert the name of a type - to a type

I was not including the namespace.

It works now using Type.GetType so thank you.

Ben