Convert String to Type in C#

If I receive a string that contains the name of a class and I want to convert this string to a real type (the one in the string), how can I do this?

I tried

Type.GetType("System.Int32")

for example, it appears to work.

But when I try with my own object, it always returns null ...

I have no idea what will be in the string in advance so it's my only source for converting it to its real type.

Type.GetType("NameSpace.MyClasse");

Any idea?

You can only use just the name of the type (with its namespace, of course) if the type is in mscorlib or the calling assembly. Otherwise, you've got to include the assembly name as well:

Type type = Type.GetType("Namespace.MyClass, MyAssembly");

If the assembly is strongly named, you've got to include all that information too. See the documentation for Type.GetType(string) for more information.

Alternatively, if you have a reference to the assembly already (e.g. through a well-known type) you can use Assembly.GetType:

Assembly asm = typeof(SomeKnownType).Assembly;
Type type = asm.GetType(namespaceQualifiedTypeName);

Try:

Type type = Type.GetType(inputString); //target type
object o = Activator.CreateInstance(type); // an instance of target type
YourType your = (YourType)o;

Jon Skeet is right as usually :)

Update: You can specify assembly containing target type in various ways, as Jon mentioned, or:

YourType your = (YourType)Activator.CreateInstance("AssemblyName", "NameSpace.MyClass");

If you really want to get the type by name you may use the following:

System.AppDomain.CurrentDomain.GetAssemblies().SelectMany(x => x.GetTypes()).First(x => x.Name == "theassembly");

Note that you can improve the performance of this drastically the more information you have about the type you're trying to load.

use following LoadType method to use System.Reflection to load all registered(GAC) and referenced assemblies and check for typeName

public Type[] LoadType(string typeName)
{
    return LoadType(typeName, true);
}

public Type[] LoadType(string typeName, bool referenced)
{
    return LoadType(typeName, referenced, true);
}

private Type[] LoadType(string typeName, bool referenced, bool gac)
{
    //check for problematic work
    if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(typeName) || !referenced && !gac)
        return new Type[] { };

    Assembly currentAssembly = Assembly.GetExecutingAssembly();

    List<string> assemblyFullnames = new List<string>();
    List<Type> types = new List<Type>();

    if (referenced)
    {            //Check refrenced assemblies
        foreach (AssemblyName assemblyName in currentAssembly.GetReferencedAssemblies())
        {
            //Load method resolve refrenced loaded assembly
            Assembly assembly = Assembly.Load(assemblyName.FullName);

            //Check if type is exists in assembly
            var type = assembly.GetType(typeName, false, true);

            if (type != null && !assemblyFullnames.Contains(assembly.FullName))
            {
                types.Add(type);
                assemblyFullnames.Add(assembly.FullName);
            }
        }
    }

    if (gac)
    {
        //GAC files
        string gacPath = Environment.GetFolderPath(System.Environment.SpecialFolder.Windows) + "\\assembly";
        var files = GetGlobalAssemblyCacheFiles(gacPath);
        foreach (string file in files)
        {
            try
            {
                //reflection only
                Assembly assembly = Assembly.ReflectionOnlyLoadFrom(file);

                //Check if type is exists in assembly
                var type = assembly.GetType(typeName, false, true);

                if (type != null && !assemblyFullnames.Contains(assembly.FullName))
                {
                    types.Add(type);
                    assemblyFullnames.Add(assembly.FullName);
                }
            }
            catch
            {
                //your custom handling
            }
        }
    }

    return types.ToArray();
}

public static string[] GetGlobalAssemblyCacheFiles(string path)
{
    List<string> files = new List<string>();

    DirectoryInfo di = new DirectoryInfo(path);

    foreach (FileInfo fi in di.GetFiles("*.dll"))
    {
        files.Add(fi.FullName);
    }

    foreach (DirectoryInfo diChild in di.GetDirectories())
    {
        var files2 = GetGlobalAssemblyCacheFiles(diChild.FullName);
        files.AddRange(files2);
    }

    return files.ToArray();
}