Using Generics to return a literal string or from Dictionary

Question

I think I outsmarted myself this time. Feel free to edit the title also I could not think of a good one.

I am reading from a file and then in that file will be a string

Answer 1

The line

if (typeof(T) is string)

will always return false sine the typeof operator gives a Type object. You should replace it with

if (T is string)

In addition you should look at the Convert.ChangeType method. It may be of help here.