Microsoft® Visual Basic® 2010 Developer’s Handbook

Chapter 12. Typecasting and Boxing Value Types

In this chapter:
Converting Primitive Types
Converting to and from Strings
Casting Reference Types by Using DirectCast
Boxing Value Types
Changing the Values of Interface-Boxed Value Types

In many cases, you’ll need to convert variables of one type into different types. This process is called Typecasting (as in giving it a role to play), and it includes:

• The physical conversion of a concrete value into another type—data is processed, analyzed, and saved at a different location.

• Assigning an object variable to a different object variable of a different but derived type (a type that’s based on the first variable’s class). For example, an object variable of the parent class FirstClass can be set to reference ...