Convert System.Array to string[]

user_99367 0
Viewed 61930

I have a System.Array that I need to convert to string[]. Is there a better way to do this than just looping through the array, calling ToString on each element, and saving to a string[]? The problem is I don't necessarily know the type of the elements until runtime.

system.array arrays .net c#
5 Answers

How about using LINQ?

string[] foo = someObjectArray.OfType<object>().Select(o => o.ToString()).ToArray();
Craig_Stuntz_77140

Is it just Array? Or is it (for example) object[]? If so:

object[] arr = ...
string[] strings = Array.ConvertAll<object, string>(arr, Convert.ToString);

Note than any 1-d array of reference-types should be castable to object[] (even if it is actually, for example, Foo[]), but value-types (such as int[]) can't be. So you could try:

Array a = ...
object[] arr = (object[]) a;
string[] strings = Array.ConvertAll<object, string>(arr, Convert.ToString);

But if it is something like int[], you'll have to loop manually.

Marc_Gravell_233540

You can use Array.ConvertAll, like this:

string[] strp = Array.ConvertAll<int, string>(arr, Convert.ToString);
user_5508860

Simple and basic approach;

Array personNames = Array.CreateInstance(typeof (string), 3);
// or Array personNames = new string[3];
personNames.SetValue("Ally", 0);
personNames.SetValue("Eloise", 1);
personNames.SetValue("John", 2);

string[] names = (string[]) personNames; 
// or string[] names = personNames as string[]

foreach (string name in names)
    Console.WriteLine(name);

Or just an another approach: You can use personNames.ToArray too:

string[] names = (string[]) personNames.ToArray(typeof (string));
user_29148600
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