calling method in static generic class without specifying type

Question

Consider the following code, I want to do something like this, this doesn't work but this is what I want

class Program
{
    static void Main(string[] args)
    {
        TestClass.Test("something");
    }
}

public static class TestClass<T>
{
    public static void Test(T something) { }
}

The code below will work but I have like 20 generic methods in the same class and they are repeating their constraints over and over again.

public static class TestClass
{
    public static void Test<T>(T something) { }
}

I don't want to do this because I don't want the people who use my code specifies string as the type, because "something" is already a string

 TestClass<string>.Test("something");

To explain my question in another way round, I want to pull the same generic type and constraints from like 20 methods in the same class, I don't want them to repeat over and over, and I don't want user to specify the type when they use my methods, the parameter they pass in will supply the type.

Thanks!

@EhsanSajjad Are you sure? Using the generic type 'Rextester.TestClass<T>' requires 1 type arguments — Jamiec
– Jamiec, Commented Apr 22, 2016 at 10:34
Are all the types that might be passed in TestClass<string>.Test("something"); call, known to you? — Bharat Gupta
– Bharat Gupta, Commented Apr 22, 2016 at 10:38
Why are you unable to move the type parameter off of the class and down to the methods? — Amy B
– Amy B, Commented Apr 22, 2016 at 10:43
@DavidB there are like 20 methods that uses the following generic type, am I supposed to rewrite it 20 times just to make the method caller no need to specify type? If I change the constraint I need to change 20 times? — Lee Song
– Lee Song, Commented Apr 25, 2016 at 1:08

Jamiec · Accepted Answer · 2016-04-22 10:35:16Z

1

If you specify the generic on the class itself, you need to specify it, as you noted in your question - this would work:

TestClass<string>.Test("something")

If you want the compiler to infer it, you need to put it on the method instead:

public static class TestClass
{
    public static void Test<T>(T something) { }
}

TestClass.Test("something");// T is infered.

Live example: http://rextester.com/VOF10456

answered Apr 22, 2016 at 10:35

Jamiec

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Comments

MakePeaceGreatAgain · Accepted Answer · 2016-04-22 10:37:35Z

1

If I understand you correctly you need this:

public static void Test<T>(T myValue) {. ..}

Then call it like this:

TestClass.Test("DoSomething");

Which will automatically infer the type string for you, you won´t need to specify it within the type-parameter.

answered Apr 22, 2016 at 10:37

MakePeaceGreatAgain

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