BASIC INSTINCTS: Reflection in Visual Basic .NET

摘要

In the May 2005 Basic Instincts column I wrote about the Microsoft~® .NET Framework support for custom attributes and attribute-based programming (see msdn.microsoft.com/msdnmag/is-sues/05/05/Basiclnstincts). I discussed how the inclusion of attributes in the .NET Framework programming model gives Microsoft and third-party developers a powerful way to extend the metadata that is compiled into assemblies. This extensibility opens up opportunities for designs that leverage attribute-based programming. The ability to programmatically inspect an assembly at run time is important for designing software based on custom attributes. It allows you to determine how your attributes have been applied and parameterized. This month I will focus on how you can use reflection to programmatically inspect an assembly at run time. I will also take some time to discuss other scenarios in which using reflection can be helpful.