Dynamically invoking any function by passing function name as string

Question

Hello,

How do I automate the process of getting an instance created and its function executed dynamically?

Thanks

Edit: Need an option to pass parameters too. Thanks

Answer 1

Do you just want to call a parameterless constructor to create the instance? Is the type specified as a string as well, or can you make it a generic method? For example:

// All error checking omitted. In particular, check the results
// of Type.GetType, and make sure you call it with a fully qualified
// type name, including the assembly if it's not in mscorlib or
// the current assembly. The method has to be a public instance
// method with no parameters. (Use BindingFlags with GetMethod
// to change this.)
public void Invoke(string typeName, string methodName)
{
    Type type = Type.GetType(type);
    object instance = Activator.CreateInstance(type);
    MethodInfo method = type.GetMethod(methodName);
    method.Invoke(instance, null);
}

or

public void Invoke<T>(string methodName) where T : new()
{
    T instance = new T();
    MethodInfo method = typeof(T).GetMethod(methodName);
    method.Invoke(instance, null);
}

Answer 2

Assuming that the method you want to invoke does not take any parameters:

public void InvokeMethod(Type type, string methodName)
{
    object instance = Activator.CreateInstance(type);
    MethodInfo method = type.GetMethod(methodName, BindingFlags.Instance | BindingFlags.NonPublic | BindingFlags.Public);

    method.Invoke(instance, null);
}

Answer 3

I think your problem is little too generic here, I am providing a solution with certain assumptions here.

Assumption: you have a typeName (string), methodName (string), and a parameter (of SomeType).

public static void InvokeMethod(string typeName, string methodName, SomeType objSomeType) {
      Type type = Type.GetType(typeName);
      if(type==null) {
        return;
      }
      object instance = Activator.CreateInstance(type); //Type must have a parameter-less contructor, or no contructor.   
      MethodInfo methodInfo =type.GetMethod(methodName, BindingFlags.Instance | BindingFlags.Public);
      if(methodInfo==null) {
        return;
      }
      methodInfo.Invoke(instance, new[] { objSomeType });  
    }

let me know know if my assumptions are wrong.

Answer 4

To invoke a constructor, Activator.CreateInstance will do the trick. It has a bunch of overloads to make your life easier.

If your constructor is parameterless:

object instance = Activator.CreateInstance(type)

If you need parameters:

object instance =  Activator.CreateInstance(type, param1, param2)

To invoke, a method, once you have the Type object you can call GetMethod to get the method, and then Invoke (with or without parameters) to invoke it. Should you need it, Invoke will also give you the return value of the function you're calling (or null if its a void method),

For a slightly more detailed sample (paste into a console app and go):

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;
using System.Text;
using System.IO;
using System.Reflection;

namespace Test
{
    public static class Invoker
    {
        public static object CreateAndInvoke(string typeName, object[] constructorArgs, string methodName, object[] methodArgs)
        {
            Type type = Type.GetType(typeName);
            object instance = Activator.CreateInstance(type, constructorArgs);

            MethodInfo method = type.GetMethod(methodName);
            return method.Invoke(instance, methodArgs);
        }
    }

    class Program
    {
        static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            // Default constructor, void method
            Invoker.CreateAndInvoke("Test.Tester", null, "TestMethod", null);

            // Constructor that takes a parameter
            Invoker.CreateAndInvoke("Test.Tester", new[] { "constructorParam" }, "TestMethodUsingValueFromConstructorAndArgs", new object[] { "moo", false });

            // Constructor that takes a parameter, invokes a method with a return value
            string result = (string)Invoker.CreateAndInvoke("Test.Tester", new object[] { "constructorValue" }, "GetContstructorValue", null);
            Console.WriteLine("Expect [constructorValue], got:" + result);

            Console.ReadKey(true);
        }
    }

    public class Tester
    {
        public string _testField;

        public Tester()
        {
        }

        public Tester(string arg)
        {
            _testField = arg;
        }

        public void TestMethod()
        {
            Console.WriteLine("Called TestMethod");
        }

        public void TestMethodWithArg(string arg)
        {
            Console.WriteLine("Called TestMethodWithArg: " + arg);
        }

        public void TestMethodUsingValueFromConstructorAndArgs(string arg, bool arg2)
        {
            Console.WriteLine("Called TestMethodUsingValueFromConstructorAndArg " + arg + " " + arg2 + " " + _testField);
        }

        public string GetContstructorValue()
        {
            return _testField;
        }
    }
}