How to store a collection of classes of the type 'Class<T>' without a defining T type

c#

Solution

Typically you'd create a non-generic base class (or interface) for the generic type:

abstract class MyClass // Or interface
{
    // Anything useful but non-generic here
}

class MyClass<T> : MyClass
{
    // Anything using T
}

Then you can just create a `List<MyClass>`. Of course to get at any of the members within `MyClass<T>` you'll need to know the right `T` to cast to, but I think that's unavoidable.

Of course this doesn't help much if you don't control `MyClass<T>` and it doesn't provide a useful base class - but there's nothing in C# to help you with this situation.

Problem

I've run into a little difficulty and I'm not sure how best to solve this issue. I wrote a class that expects data type to be specified upon the creation of a new instance. Much like in the same way as the `System.Collections.Generic.List<T>` class that stores a number of items of a specified type. However my class doesn't has the same or similar function as the `List<T>` class does. Upon creation of a new instance of my class, for example: ``` string phrase = "Some string type data."; MyClass<string> data = new MyClass<string>( () => phrase ); ``` Afterwards my class would provide a number of methods that would give a result regardless of the type of data being imparted into `MyClass<T>` (where `T` is the data type). Doesn't matter if it is string, bool, int, or any kind. I've tested my class and it works as expected, now how can I store a number of elements of `MyClass` but each element with different imparted data type, inside a collection class such as `List<>`. Let me exemplify (code will contain syntax errors since I'm not sure how to write correctly): ``` // My intent... Not sure how to do it. string phrase = "Some string data type."; int number = 23; bool boolData = false; List<MyClass<T>> list = new List<MyClass<T>>(); list.Add( new MyClass<string>( () => phrase ) ); list.Add( new MyClass<int>( () => number ) ); list.add( new MyClass<bool>( () => boolData ) ); ``` As you see I don't know how to store a number of element of MyClass with different imparted data types, if they were all the same imparted data type, I wouldn't be having this issue. For example: ``` // How it should be done. But not what I need. string phrase1 = "Hello Phrase 1."; string phrase2 = "Hello Phrase 2."; List<MyClass<string>> list = new List<MyClass<string>>(); list.Add(new MyClass<string>( () => phrase1) ); list.Add(new MyClass<string>( () => phrase2) ); ``` If this was what I wanted to accomplish, I wouldn't have a problem, but since I want to accomplish what I exemplified before this last example, I'm just not sure how to best do it. Basically thats my issue, I've provided a few basic examples because I believe my question might be a bit odd, and to be honest my terminology wouldn't not be adequate I think. This is probably quite simple for some of you. My thanks for your help.

Original source