How Can I See Source Code Of C# Built In Methods

Question

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For example:

C#

Convert.ToInt32()

this method converts the value to int, is it possible to see the source code of this method which is written by microsoft.

Thanks to all for your response, I need to add more details to my question.

I can get the souce code of any method on microsoft site.
But how i can see the methods which are internally implemented

for ex:
How i can find the source code of methods which i don't know to which class they belong
i.e

C#

int i='x';

here char 'x' is implicitly converted to i. The i gets the ASCII value of x.
Where i can find its implementation

Hope you understand the question.

Posted 19-Aug-15 3:58am

Member 9129971

Updated 19-Aug-15 4:48am

v3

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Comments

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 19-Aug-15 10:18am

First of all, I would avoid using this very method. Use int.Parse, int.TryParse instead.
—SA

CHill60 19-Aug-15 10:19am

Virtual 5!

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 19-Aug-15 10:24am

Thank you, but I also answered the question ;-)
—SA

Mario Z 19-Aug-15 10:21am

I agree, but nevertheless that method will basically just call the Int32.Parse itself with a current culture info.

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 19-Aug-15 10:23am

Sure.
—SA

Member 9129971 19-Aug-15 10:55am

You are right , convert has overhead of extra if branch, But my question is not related to its use, plz see my edit

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 19-Aug-15 11:13am

All right, but at the moment of writing your comment, you already had two answers. Are you going to accept them formally?
—SA

Philippe Mori 19-Aug-15 12:54pm

Open the executable file in a tool like Reflector to see what code is generated by a simple statement.

2 solutions

Solution 2

Yes, you can get access to the source code of .NET libraries. Please see: http://referencesource.microsoft.com[^].

See also my comment to the question. Instead of Convert, use parsing methods like int.Parse and int.TryParse. Convert class is useful in number of other cases.

—SA

Posted 19-Aug-15 4:21am

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov

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Mario Z · Accepted Answer · 2015-08-19T04:16:00

Solution 1

Yes it is possible, you can find the method here[^].
Also you can use the following VS extension to do this inside a VS as well:
Ref12[^]

Posted 19-Aug-15 4:16am

Mario Z

Comments

CHill60 19-Aug-15 10:19am

Beat me to it! 5'd

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 19-Aug-15 10:23am

5ed.
—SA

Member 9129971 19-Aug-15 10:32am

Ok but how can i find the source code of methods which i dont know to which class they belong. For example
int i='x';
here character is automatically converted to int, no error generated , ASII value goes to i.
So where i can find the implementation for this, in which Class,Assembly?

Mario Z 19-Aug-15 10:58am

First regarding any method, what you can do is add that VS extension that I linked above and then right click on the desired method and click "Go To Definition".
Also another thing that you can actually do is step through .NET's methods while you are debugging, see here how to enable this.

But regarding your specific example ("int i='x';"), this is not a method but rather an implicit conversion operator, you would have to view this with roslyn.

Member 9129971 21-Aug-15 6:26am

I guess you mean that after installing roslyn and enabling .net source debug .I would be able to debug the implementation of this implicit conversion operator by adding breakpoint over it.I have followed these two links and now added breakpoint to see if it goes to implementation but its not working ,i can't figure out where i am going wrong.

Mario Z 21-Aug-15 7:05am

No, that only works for .NET's source code and does not require the compiler, aka Roslyn. What you can do with Roslyn is analyse what Roslyn generates from the provided statement. Note that there is no C# code for this statement, it has a direct MSIL correlation.

But when I think about it a much, much simpler approach would be to go with the suggestion provided by the Philippe Mori in the comments above. Use some reflector tool in order to see the generated IL code of that statement, that will show you its internal implementation.