C# 4.0 How-To

Chapter 24. Reflection and Creating Plugins

IN THIS CHAPTER

• Enumerate Types in an Assembly

• Add a Custom Attribute

• Instantiate a Class Dynamically

• Invoke a Method on a Dynamically Instantiated Class

• Implement a Plugin Architecture

Reflection is generally all about getting information about code. However, using the reflection APIs, you can dynamically execute code you load from an arbitrary assembly, giving you an easy way to implement a plugin architecture in your app.

Enumerate Types in an Assembly

Scenario/Problem: You want to dynamically discover the types present in a .NET assembly.

Solution: Reflection is most commonly used for discovery, and nearly everything in .NET is discoverable.

This snippet of code populates a System.Windows.Forms.TreeView ...