Question

System.Convert has a really useful utility for converting datatypes from one type to another. In my project, I have many custom types. I want to convert command line arguments to these custom types (some of which are quite complex). It would be nice if these existed within System.Convert so I could just do something like this:

Convert.ToMyCustomType(args[1])

I’d like for this to show up in the Visual C# IDE as I type. I know that I could simply create a routine to convert types but I would like the type conversions to be handled in the same manner as what’s already built into the framework. Has anyone had success doing this in the past?

Answer 1

No, you can’t add them to the Convert class – I would suggest adding conversion methods to your actual types, such as:

MyCustomType.FromInt32(...)

and instance methods going the other way:

int x = myCustomType.ToInt32();

(Static factory methods are often better than adding lots of overloaded constructors, IMO. They allows various alternatives – including returning a null value where appropriate, or caching – and can make the calling code clearer.)

I would also strongly recommend that you don’t go overboard on the number of conversions you supply. Not many custom types really have a single natural conversion from all kinds of primitive types.