C# Generics : how to use x.MaxValue / x.MinValue (int, float, double) in a generic class

Question

I\'m using the WPF Extended Toolkit ( http://wpftoolkit.codeplex.com/ ).

It has a nice NumericUpDown control that I\'d like to use, but internally it uses doubles -

Answer 1

As this is also useful in Testing scenarios:

You may use extension methods, such that in C#6 (introducing nameof) you could write:

public static class TypeExtension
{
    public static T MinValue(this Type self)
    {
        return (T)self.GetField(nameof(MinValue)).GetRawConstantValue();
    }

    public static T MaxValue(this Type self)
    {
        return (T)self.GetField(nameof(MaxValue)).GetRawConstantValue();
    }

}

and invoke through some admittedly ugly syntax:

var intMinValue = typeof(int).MinValue();

which in your generic method would be

var typeMinValue = typeof(T).MinValue();

Note, that I am not certain that all primitive types declare their Min/Max values as constants. Use GetValue instead.