Get current class at runtime in a static method?

Question

How can I get the type (not a name string, but a type itself) of the current class, in a static method of an abstract class?

using System.Reflection; // I'll need it, right?

public abstract class AbstractClass {

    private static void Method() {

        // I want to get CurrentClass type here

    }

}

public class CurrentClass : AbstractClass {

    public void DoStuff() {

        Method(); // Here I'm calling it

    }

}

This question is very similar to this one:

How to get the current class name at runtime?

However, I want to get this information from inside the static method.

Take a look at this: [GetType in static method](http://stackoverflow.com/questions/7839691/gettype-in-static-method) — Zbigniew, Apr 20 '13 at 13:15

User 12345678 · Accepted Answer · 2013-04-20T13:25:27.250

3

public abstract class AbstractClass
{
    protected static void Method<T>() where T : AbstractClass
    {
        Type t = typeof (T);

    }
}

public class CurrentClass : AbstractClass
{

    public void DoStuff()
    {
        Method<CurrentClass>(); // Here I'm calling it
    }

}

You can gain access to the derived type from the static method simply by passing the type as a generic type argument to the base class.

edited Apr 20 '13 at 13:25

answered Apr 20 '13 at 13:19

User 12345678

7,714
2
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46

Yeah, I've figured to use generics myself in the meantime. – Max Yankov Apr 20 '13 at 13:23
2

If you use generics like that, consider what will happen if you've got `ExtendedClass : CurrentClass`: `Method` will get `CurrentClass`, not `ExtendedClass`. – Tim S. Apr 20 '13 at 13:31

score 1 · Answer 2 · answered Apr 20 '13 at 13:25

I think you will have to either pass it in like the other suggestion or create a stack frame, I believe if you put an entire stack trace together though it can be expensive.

See http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/system.diagnostics.stacktrace.aspx

Mehmet Ataş · Answer 3 · 2013-04-20T13:37:43.137

if you are calling this static method only from derived classes you can use 'System.Diagnostics.StackTrace' like

abstract class A
{
    public abstract string F();
    protected static string S()
    {
        var st = new StackTrace();
        // this is what you are asking for
        var callingType = st.GetFrame(1).GetMethod().DeclaringType;
        return callingType.Name;
    }
}

class B : A
{
    public override string F()
    {
        return S(); // returns "B"
    }
}

class C : A
{
    public override string F()
    {
        return S();  // returns "C"
    }
}

Tim S. · Answer 4 · 2013-04-20T13:34:27.233

The method can't be static if you're going to call it without passing in a type. You can do this:

public abstract class AbstractClass {
    protected void Method() {
        var t = GetType(); // it's CurrentClass
    }
}

If you also need it to be accessible from a static context, you can add an overload, even a generic overload, e.g.:

public abstract class AbstractClass {
    protected static void Method<T>() {
        Method(typeof(T));
    }
    protected static void Method(Type t) {
        // put your logic here
    }
    protected void Method() {
        Method(GetType());
    }
}

Get current class at runtime in a static method?

4 Answers4