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Module.GetType Method (String)

Returns the specified type, performing a case-sensitive search.

Namespace:  System.Reflection
Assembly:  mscorlib (in mscorlib.dll)

public virtual Type GetType(
	string className


Type: System.String
The name of the type to locate. The name must be fully qualified with the namespace.

Return Value

Type: System.Type
The given type, if the type is in this module; otherwise, null.


className is null.


The class initializers are invoked and an exception is thrown.


className is a zero-length string.


className requires a dependent assembly that could not be found.


className requires a dependent assembly that was found but could not be loaded.


The current assembly was loaded into the reflection-only context, and className requires a dependent assembly that was not preloaded.


className requires a dependent assembly, but the file is not a valid assembly.


className requires a dependent assembly which was compiled for a version of the runtime later than the currently loaded version.


If the type has been forwarded to another assembly, it is still returned by this method.

A type can be retrieved from a specific module using Module.GetType. Calling Module.GetType on the module that contains the manifest will not search the entire assembly. To retrieve a type from an assembly, regardless of which module it is in, you must call Assembly.GetType.

Platform Notes

Silverlight for Windows Phone Silverlight for Windows Phone

 GetType does not throw ArgumentException when an empty string is passed as className. Instead, it returns null.

The following example gets a type in the currently executing module.

using System;
using System.Reflection;

class Example
    public static void Demo(System.Windows.Controls.TextBlock outputBlock)
        Module[] moduleArray;

        moduleArray = Assembly.GetExecutingAssembly().GetModules();

        Module myModule = moduleArray[0];

        Type myType;

        myType = myModule.GetType("Example");
        outputBlock.Text += String.Format("Found type: {0}\n", myType.ToString());

/* This example produces output similar to the following:

Found type: Example


Supported in: 5, 4, 3

Silverlight for Windows Phone

Supported in: Windows Phone OS 7.1, Windows Phone OS 7.0

XNA Framework

Supported in: Xbox 360, Windows Phone OS 7.0


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