C# Determine the type of a generic list -

i have c# method need pass various lists into. type of lists different often. method in different dll , cannot know class objects contained in lists (no references, no using statements). method needs read each of members of each of items in list , build , return string based off of that.

my question how can metadata for these various objects @ compiletime / runtime? reflection that?

also, once metadata, how use use variables?

thank you

edit: using following:

public string getdata(list<user> list){ //...     list<rowdata> rows = new list<rowdata>();     foreach (user item in list)     {         rowdata row = new rowdata();         row.id = count++;         row.cell = new string[3];         row.cell[0] = item.id.tostring();         row.cell[1] = item.name;         row.cell[2] = item.age.tostring();          rows.add(row);      } //...     return new javascriptserializer().serialize(rows.toarray()); 

right specific. want replace generics can pass items other "user"

.gettype() type , can lot of descriptions type.

you can discover members of instances have using reflection

please precise want more ?

edit : here way, try making extenstion method better

public static list<rowdata> todatatable<t>(ienumerable<t> source) {     system.reflection.propertyinfo[] properties = typeof(t).getproperties();     list<rowdata> rows = new list<jqgridrow>();       foreach (var item in source)     {         rowdata row = new rowdata();         row.cells = new string[properties.length];         int i=0;         foreach (var prop in properties)         {                row.cells[i] = prop.getvalue(item, null);i++;         }        rows.add(row);     }     return rows; }