get name of variable as string?

[Zytan]

Shot in the dark, since I know C# doesn't have macros, and thus can't
have a stringizer operator, but I know that you can get the name of
enums as strings, so maybe you can do the same with an ordinary
variable (like an int) somehow. Is it possible? int.ToString()
returns the value of the int as a string, not the name, so I am
thinking 'no'.

Zytan

[Bill Butler]

Re: get name of variable as string?

"Zytan" <zytanlithium@g mail.comwrote in message
news:1175215785 .890002.182370@ d57g2000hsg.goo glegroups.com.. .

Shot in the dark, since I know C# doesn't have macros, and thus can't
have a stringizer operator, but I know that you can get the name of
enums as strings, so maybe you can do the same with an ordinary
variable (like an int) somehow. Is it possible? int.ToString()
returns the value of the int as a string, not the name, so I am
thinking 'no'.
>

What are you attempting to do that you need this behavior?

[=?Utf-8?B?cm1hY2lhcw==?=]

RE: get name of variable as string?

What you want to do is called Reflection. Google "C# Reflection". Also take
a look at the System.Reflecti on namespace.

"Zytan" wrote:

Shot in the dark, since I know C# doesn't have macros, and thus can't
have a stringizer operator, but I know that you can get the name of
enums as strings, so maybe you can do the same with an ordinary
variable (like an int) somehow. Is it possible? int.ToString()
returns the value of the int as a string, not the name, so I am
thinking 'no'.
>
Zytan
>
>

[MBR]

Re: get name of variable as string?


"Bill Butler" <qwerty@asdf.co mwrote in message
news:xdZOh.1125 19$fo5.27979@tr nddc07...

"Zytan" <zytanlithium@g mail.comwrote in message
news:1175215785 .890002.182370@ d57g2000hsg.goo glegroups.com.. .

>Shot in the dark, since I know C# doesn't have macros, and thus can't
>have a stringizer operator, but I know that you can get the name of
>enums as strings, so maybe you can do the same with an ordinary
>variable (like an int) somehow. Is it possible? int.ToString()
>returns the value of the int as a string, not the name, so I am
>thinking 'no'.
>>

>
What are you attempting to do that you need this behavior?

There seem to be several postings a week here ostensibly about reflection,
when ordinary non-meta-level techniques are perfectly suitable.
It may not be the case here, but I blame Perl for all this name vs. named
confusion... (Always good to have something to blame :))




--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

[=?ISO-8859-1?Q?Arne_Vajh=F8j?=]

Re: get name of variable as string?

Zytan wrote:

Shot in the dark, since I know C# doesn't have macros, and thus can't
have a stringizer operator, but I know that you can get the name of
enums as strings, so maybe you can do the same with an ordinary
variable (like an int) somehow. Is it possible? int.ToString()
returns the value of the int as a string, not the name, so I am
thinking 'no'.

To my best knowledge C# does not have anything
similar to macro and stringifier operator.

What you can get for enums is the string representation
of the value not of the variable name.

Arne

[Nicholas Paldino [.NET/C# MVP]]

Re: get name of variable as string?

This isn't correct. There is a one-to-many relationship between a class
and the variables that can have a reference to it. That being said, you
can't figure out all the references (the CLR knows, but that info isn't
exposed to you) that are held on any class (or in any variable).


--
- Nicholas Paldino [.NET/C# MVP]
- mvp@spam.guard. caspershouse.co m

"rmacias" <rmacias@newsgr oup.nospamwrote in message
news:989ECD65-A698-4532-BC87-38A6DA04A3DD@mi crosoft.com...

What you want to do is called Reflection. Google "C# Reflection". Also
take
a look at the System.Reflecti on namespace.
>
"Zytan" wrote:
>

>Shot in the dark, since I know C# doesn't have macros, and thus can't
>have a stringizer operator, but I know that you can get the name of
>enums as strings, so maybe you can do the same with an ordinary
>variable (like an int) somehow. Is it possible? int.ToString()
>returns the value of the int as a string, not the name, so I am
>thinking 'no'.
>>
>Zytan
>>
>>

[=?ISO-8859-1?Q?G=F6ran_Andersson?=]

Re: get name of variable as string?

Zytan wrote:

Shot in the dark, since I know C# doesn't have macros, and thus can't
have a stringizer operator, but I know that you can get the name of
enums as strings, so maybe you can do the same with an ordinary
variable (like an int) somehow. Is it possible? int.ToString()
returns the value of the int as a string, not the name, so I am
thinking 'no'.
>
Zytan
>

I suppose that it might be possible to use reflection to get the name,
but why? What are you planning to use it for?

--
Göran Andersson
_____

http://www.guffa.com

[PhilipDaniels@foo.com]

Re: get name of variable as string?

On 29 Mar 2007 17:49:45 -0700, "Zytan" <zytanlithium@g mail.comwrote:

>Shot in the dark, since I know C# doesn't have macros, and thus can't
>have a stringizer operator, but I know that you can get the name of
>enums as strings, so maybe you can do the same with an ordinary
>variable (like an int) somehow. Is it possible? int.ToString()
>returns the value of the int as a string, not the name, so I am
>thinking 'no'.
>
>Zytan

In general, no, see Nicholas' response.

A few further points:

1. It is possible to figure out the name of the fields in a type using
Reflection by calling the Type.GetFields( ) method. That's because
these names form a part of the assembly's metadata. That's very
different from figuring out the name of an instance of the type though
- indeed an instance may not even have a name, it might be living as
an element in a dictionary for example.

2. It is not possible to figure out the name of a local variable
because their names are not compiled into the assembly's metadata.


However, both Reflector and ILDASM *can* get the names of local
variables if the PDB file is available. (Don't even go there, you
don't want to do this!)



--
Philip Daniels

[Zytan]

Re: get name of variable as string?

What are you attempting to do that you need this behavior?

Two things:

1. I want a function like Write(i) which will contstruct the string "i
= 45.", where 45 is the value that i is. This is for debugging, and
saves typing WriteLine("i = "+i); With macros and a stringizing
operator, this can be easily, but C# does not support this.

2. I want to get the name of a class. Again for debugging. I have a
WriteLine method that will state who called it by going up the call
stack: caller -writeline. But, I have wrappers for this WriteLine
method, again to save typing (this is debugging, remember, so I like
to speed things up), and this wrapper exists between the caller and
the ending function: caller -wrapper -writeline. So, you can see
that I have to know how far back up the callstack to go. If I had the
class name, I could go until I am out of the class, and get 'caller'
every time.

Zytan

[Zytan]

Re: get name of variable as string?

To my best knowledge C# does not have anything

similar to macro and stringifier operator.

No, it doesn't, as I stated, I know this. But, I thought maybe
there's another way.

What you can get for enums is the string representation
of the value not of the variable name.

I meant that it returns a string that is equivalent to what you type
in code. I didn't mean to imply it returns the hidden integer that
exists inside (that you don't have access to unless you explicitly
type cast it). Thus, the value returned is exactly the 'value' you
must type in code (not the hidden value that, for the most part, you
shouldn't ever see or use). This is precisely what I want for a
variable of type int. I want "i" from a variable "int i;", just as I
get "Google" from "MyEnum.Goo gle"

Zytan

[Zytan]

Re: get name of variable as string?

This isn't correct. There is a one-to-many relationship between a class

and the variables that can have a reference to it. That being said, you
can't figure out all the references (the CLR knows, but that info isn't
exposed to you) that are held on any class (or in any variable).

What isn't correct? Sorry, Nicholas, I don't follow you at all. I am
not looking for references, or multiple references, and I don't care
about any of the internals. I just want to get a string "i" if my
variable is named "i", regardless of what class or function or inner
loop it is declared in. I know it's probably impossible. Like I
said, just a shot in the dark, just in case.

Zytan

[Zytan]

Re: get name of variable as string?

I suppose that it might be possible to use reflection to get the name,

but why? What are you planning to use it for?

Ah, reflection, I know so little about this. I want it for debugging
purposes, to quickly write out a variable and its value, instead of
labouriously typing in WriteLine("i = "+i); each time. Please see
more detailed answer to your question in an another reply.

Zytan

[Zytan]

Re: get name of variable as string?

In general, no, see Nicholas' response.

Thought so.

A few further points:
>
1. It is possible to figure out the name of the fields in a type using
Reflection by calling the Type.GetFields( ) method. That's because
these names form a part of the assembly's metadata. That's very
different from figuring out the name of an instance of the type though
- indeed an instance may not even have a name, it might be living as
an element in a dictionary for example.

Right. And I want information on the instance. I don't even really
care about the type itself (as long as it supports ToString(), which
all types do).

2. It is not possible to figure out the name of a local variable
because their names are not compiled into the assembly's metadata.

Ok.

However, both Reflector and ILDASM *can* get the names of local
variables if the PDB file is available. (Don't even go there, you
don't want to do this!)

Well, it's just for debugging, so I may want to go there. It's
nothing that'll exist in production code. But, I think you're warning
me that this is a seriously complex solution to a simple matter.
However, if I solved it, I could throw it into a black box and lock it
and never open it again.

Thanks for your reply,

Zytan

[Zytan]

Re: get name of variable as string?

2. I want to get the name of a class.

this.Name works for instance classes. I need it for a static class.

Zytan

[Zytan]

Re: get name of variable as string?

2. I want to get the name of a class.

>
this.Name works for instance classes. I need it for a static class.

Solution:

System.Diagnost ics.StackTrace callStack = new
System.Diagnost ics.StackTrace( );
System.Diagnost ics.StackFrame frame = callStack.GetFr ame(0);
System.Reflecti on.MethodBase method = frame.GetMethod ();
string name = method.Declarin gType.Name;

Zytan