extension method to parse a string as a given type using that type's public static Parse method if available

MBS.Framework/StringExtensions.cs

@@ -20,5 +20,89 @@ namespace MBS.Framework
 			}
 			return retval;
 		}
+
+		/// <summary>
+		/// Parses the given <paramref name="value" /> with the specified <paramref name="type" />'s public static Parse(<see cref="String" />) method. If no such method exists,
+		/// returns <paramref name="value" />.
+		/// </summary>
+		/// <returns>The <see cref="Object" /> parsed from the given <paramref name="value" />.</returns>
+		/// <param name="value">The value to attempt to parse.</param>
+		/// <param name="type">Type.</param>
+		public static object Parse(this string value, Type type)
+		{
+			return Parse(value, type, value);
+		}
+		/// <summary>
+		/// Parses the given <paramref name="value" /> with the specified <paramref name="type" />'s public static Parse(<see cref="String" />) method. If no such method exists,
+		/// returns <paramref name="defaultValue" />.
+		/// </summary>
+		/// <returns>The parse.</returns>
+		/// <param name="value">Value.</param>
+		/// <param name="type">Type.</param>
+		/// <param name="defaultValue">Default value.</param>
+		public static object Parse(this string value, Type type, object defaultValue)
+		{
+			System.Reflection.MethodInfo miParse = type.GetMethod("Parse", System.Reflection.BindingFlags.Public | System.Reflection.BindingFlags.Static, null, System.Reflection.CallingConventions.Any, new Type[] { typeof(string) }, null);
+			if (miParse != null)
+			{
+				// the given type implements a public static Parse(String) method, so use it
+				return miParse.Invoke(null, new object[] { value });
+			}
+			return defaultValue;
+		}
+		public static T Parse<T>(this string value)
+		{
+			return (T)Parse(value, typeof(T));
+		}
+
+
+		/// <summary>
+		/// Parses the given <paramref name="value" /> with the specified <paramref name="type" />'s public static Parse(<see cref="String" />) method. If no such method exists,
+		/// returns <paramref name="value" />.
+		/// </summary>
+		/// <returns>The <see cref="Object" /> parsed from the given <paramref name="value" />.</returns>
+		/// <param name="value">The value to attempt to parse.</param>
+		/// <param name="type">Type.</param>
+		public static bool TryParse(this string value, Type type, out object output)
+		{
+			return TryParse(value, type, value, out output);
+		}
+		/// <summary>
+		/// Parses the given <paramref name="value" /> with the specified <paramref name="type" />'s public static Parse(<see cref="String" />) method. If no such method exists,
+		/// returns <paramref name="defaultValue" />.
+		/// </summary>
+		/// <returns>The parse.</returns>
+		/// <param name="value">Value.</param>
+		/// <param name="type">Type.</param>
+		/// <param name="defaultValue">Default value.</param>
+		public static bool TryParse(this string value, Type type, object defaultValue, out object output)
+		{
+			System.Reflection.MethodInfo miParse = type.GetMethod("TryParse", System.Reflection.BindingFlags.Public | System.Reflection.BindingFlags.Static, null, System.Reflection.CallingConventions.Any, new Type[] { typeof(string), type }, null);
+			if (miParse != null)
+			{
+				// the given type implements a public static Parse(String) method, so use it
+				object retval = null;
+				bool ret = (bool)miParse.Invoke(null, new object[] { value, retval });
+				if (ret)
+				{
+					output = retval;
+					return ret;
+				}
+			}
+			output = null;
+			return false;
+		}
+		public static bool TryParse<T>(this string value, out T output)
+		{
+			object retval = null;
+			bool ret = TryParse(value, typeof(T), out retval);
+			if (ret)
+			{
+				output = (T)retval;
+				return ret;
+			}
+			output = default(T);
+			return false;
+		}
 	}
 }