Is there a way cast an object back to it original type without specifing every case?

Question

I have an array of different type objects and I use a BinaryWriter to convert each item to its binary equivalent so I can send the structure over the network.

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Answer 1

Have you considered using a BinaryFormatter instead of the BinaryWriter?

Advantages

• You can pass objects (i.e. anything), so it solves your casting problem.
• Automatic type management (actually writes type headers to the stream).
• Supports complex reference types as well.

Disadvantages

Uses Serialization internally, therefore:

• Probably slower.
• Byte stream gets larger (because of the type headers).
• You don't have control over the byte format, therefore not an option in interop scenarios.
• Potential version issues (compatibility between different assembly versions of the serialized type).
• Requires the serialization code access permission (relevant in partial trust scenarios).