What is the difference between myCustomer.GetType() and typeof(Customer) in C#?

Question

I\'ve seen both done in some code I\'m maintaining, but don\'t know the difference. Is there one?

let me add that myCustomer is an instance of Customer

Answer 1

typeof(foo) is converted into a constant during compiletime. foo.GetType() happens at runtime.

typeof(foo) also converts directly into a constant of its type (ie foo), so doing this would fail:

public class foo
{
}

public class bar : foo
{
}

bar myBar = new bar();

// Would fail, even though bar is a child of foo.
if (myBar.getType == typeof(foo))

// However this Would work
if (myBar is foo)