How to: Convert an Object to Another Type in Visual Basic 

You convert an Object variable to another data type by using a conversion keyword such as CType Function.

Example

The following example converts an Object variable to an Integer and a String.

Public Sub objectConversion(ByVal anObject As Object)
    Dim anInteger As Integer
    Dim aString As String
    anInteger = CType(anObject, Integer)
    aString = CType(anObject, String)
End Sub

If you know that the contents of an Object variable are of a particular data type, it is better to convert the variable to that data type. If you continue to use the Object variable, you incur either boxing and unboxing (for a value type) or late binding (for a reference type). These operations all take extra execution time and make your performance slower.

Compiling the Code

This example requires:

• A reference to the System namespace.

See Also

Reference

Data Type Summary (Visual Basic)
Type Conversion Functions
Object

Concepts

Widening and Narrowing Conversions
Implicit and Explicit Conversions
Value Changes During Conversions
Conversions Between Strings and Other Types
Array Conversions
Typeless Programming in Visual Basic

Other Resources

Type Conversions in Visual Basic
Structures: Your Own Data Types