c# - Get the type name

Question

How i can get full right name of generic type?

For example: This code

typeof(List<string>).Name

return

List`1

instead of

List<string>

How to get a right name?

typeof(List<string>).ToString()

returns System.Collections.Generic.List`1[System.String] but i want to get initial name:

List<string>

Is it real?

Answer 1

Use the FullName property.

typeof(List<string>).FullName

That will give you the namespace + class + type parameters.

What you are asking for is a C# specific syntax. As far as .NET is concerned, this is proper:

System.Collections.Generic.List`1[System.String]

So to get what you want, you'd have to write a function to build it the way you want it. Perhaps like so:

static string GetCSharpRepresentation( Type t, bool trimArgCount ) {
    if( t.IsGenericType ) {
        var genericArgs = t.GetGenericArguments().ToList();

        return GetCSharpRepresentation( t, trimArgCount, genericArgs );
    }

    return t.Name;
}

static string GetCSharpRepresentation( Type t, bool trimArgCount, List<Type> availableArguments ) {
    if( t.IsGenericType ) {
        string value = t.Name;
        if( trimArgCount && value.IndexOf("`") > -1 ) {
            value = value.Substring( 0, value.IndexOf( "`" ) );
        }

        if( t.DeclaringType != null ) {
            // This is a nested type, build the nesting type first
            value = GetCSharpRepresentation( t.DeclaringType, trimArgCount, availableArguments ) + "+" + value;
        }

        // Build the type arguments (if any)
        string argString = "";
        var thisTypeArgs = t.GetGenericArguments();
        for( int i = 0; i < thisTypeArgs.Length && availableArguments.Count > 0; i++ ) {
            if( i != 0 ) argString += ", ";

            argString += GetCSharpRepresentation( availableArguments[0], trimArgCount );
            availableArguments.RemoveAt( 0 );
        }

        // If there are type arguments, add them with < >
        if( argString.Length > 0 ) {
            value += "<" + argString + ">";
        }

        return value;
    }

    return t.Name;
}

For these types (with true as 2nd param):

typeof( List<string> ) )
typeof( List<Dictionary<int, string>> )

It returns:

List<String>
List<Dictionary<Int32, String>>

In general though, I'd bet you probably don't need to have the C# representation of your code and perhaps if you do, some format better than the C# syntax would be more appropriate.