C# - Class Type as Parameter in methods

Question

I'm using SQLite.cs wrapper for helping me with the database and I have this method for create XML from a table, that is working fine.

public void GenerateInvoiceXML(string filePath) {
        var invoices = app.db.Table<Invoice>().ToList();

        XmlSerializer serializer = new XmlSerializer( typeof(List<Invoice>) );
        TextWriter writer = new StreamWriter(filePath);

        serializer.Serialize(writer,invoices);
        writer.Close();

}

All tables that I have are defined like this:

[Serializable]  
public class Invoice
{

    [PrimaryKey, AutoIncrement]
    public int Id { get; set; }
    public string Supplier {get; set;}
    public string Date {get; set;}
    public string PaymentMethod {get; set;}
    public string Notes {get; set;}

    public Invoice(int newID)
    {
        Id = newID;
    }
    public  Invoice()
    {

    }
}

But I want to change this method for something like this:

public void GenerateInvoiceXML(string filePath, Type table) {
        var dataForXML = app.db.Table<table>().ToList();

        XmlSerializer serializer = new XmlSerializer( typeof(List<table>) );
        TextWriter writer = new StreamWriter(filePath);

        serializer.Serialize(writer,dataForXML);
        writer.Close();     
}

Does anybody have an idea how to do it?

Kind Regards,
Claudio

Andrew Hare · Accepted Answer · 2011-01-11 00:35:51Z

6

Try this:

public void GenerateInvoiceXML<TTable>(string filePath) {
    var dataForXML = app.db.Table<TTable>().ToList();

    XmlSerializer serializer = new XmlSerializer( typeof(List<TTable>) );
    TextWriter writer = new StreamWriter(filePath);

    serializer.Serialize(writer,dataForXML);
    writer.Close();     
}

In order to pass a generic type argument you must be able to specify it a compile time - in order to do this you must make your GenerateInvoiceXML method generic as I have shown above.

answered Jan 11, 2011 at 0:35

Andrew Hare

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3 Comments

Reed Copsey Over a year ago

+1: If app.db.Table<T> has any constraints (which is likely), you'll also need to add those constraints to this method as well.

Claudio Over a year ago

thanks a lot. Do you know any site/reference about this that I could read something more? I'm having a lot of problems with this and I don't even know how to search for it.

Andrew Hare Over a year ago

The best description/discussion I have ever read on C# generics in Jon Skeet's C# In Depth: amazon.com/C-Depth-Second-Jon-Skeet/dp/1935182471. Unfortunately I am not aware of any free/online equivalents - buy this book, you won't regret it.

ShahidAzim · Accepted Answer · 2011-01-11 00:39:18Z

2

You can try this:

public void GenerateXML<T>(string filePath)
{
    var dataForXML = app.db.Table<T>().ToList();
    XmlSerializer serializer = new XmlSerializer( typeof(List<T>) );
    TextWriter writer = new StreamWriter(filePath);
    serializer.Serialize(writer,dataForXML);
    writer.Close();
}

answered Jan 11, 2011 at 0:39

ShahidAzim

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