Method extension for safely type convert

Recently I read good Russian post with many interesting extensions methods after then I remembered that I too have one good extension method “Safely type convert”. Idea of this method I got at last job.

We often write code like this:

``` int intValue; if (obj == null || !int.TryParse(obj.ToString(), out intValue)) intValue = 0; ```

This is method how to safely parse object to int. Of course will be good if we will create some unify method for safely casting.

I found that better way is to create extension methods and use them then follows:

``` int i; i = "1".To(); // i == 1 i = "1a".To(); // i == 0 (default value of int) i = "1a".To(10); // i == 10 (set as default value 10) i = "1".To(10); // i == 1 // ********** Nullable sample ************** int? j; j = "1".To(); // j == 1 j = "1a".To(); // j == null j = "1a".To(10); // j == 10 j = "1".To(10); // j == 1 ```

Realization of this approach:

``` public static class Parser { ///

/// Try cast value to type , /// if can't will return default() ///

/// /// /// public static T To(this object obj) { return To(obj, default(T)); } ///

/// Try cast value to type , /// if can't will return ///

/// /// /// /// public static T To(this object obj, T defaultValue) { if (obj == null) return defaultValue; if (obj is T) return (T) obj; Type type = typeof (T); // Place convert to reference types here if (type == typeof(string)) { return (T)(object)obj.ToString(); } Type underlyingType = Nullable.GetUnderlyingType(type); if (underlyingType != null) { return To(obj, defaultValue, underlyingType); } return To(obj, defaultValue, type); } private static T To(object obj, T defaultValue, Type type) { // Place convert to sructures types here if (type == typeof(int)) { int intValue; if (int.TryParse(obj.ToString(), out intValue)) return (T)(object)intValue; return defaultValue; } if (type == typeof(long)) { long intValue; if (long.TryParse(obj.ToString(), out intValue)) return (T)(object)intValue; return defaultValue; } if (type == typeof(bool)) { bool bValue; if (bool.TryParse(obj.ToString(), out bValue)) return (T)(object)bValue; return defaultValue; } if (type.IsEnum) { if (Enum.IsDefined(type, obj)) return (T)Enum.Parse(type, obj.ToString()); return defaultValue; } throw new NotSupportedException(string.Format("Couldn't parse to Type {0}", typeof(T))); } } ```

This realization isn’t full – this is small method part, I use it at my site engine. It can work with int, long, bool, string, enums (with Nullable type of this types too). I think that you can add types very easy for this method (don’t forget about culture).

Obviously this approach you can use just inside of developers group, because It is not obviously why this method can’t cast any type A to type B.