All .NET compilers produce metadata about the types defined in the modules they produce. This metadata is packaged along with the module (modules in turn are packaged together in assemblies) and can be accessed by a mechanism called reflection. The System.Reflection namespace contains classes that can be used to interrogate the types for a module/assembly. http://www.c-sharpcorner.com/UploadFile/harishankar2005/Reflectionin.NET12032005045926AM/Reflectionin.NET.aspx http://www.c-sharpcorner.com/uploadfile/keesari_anjaiah/reflection-in-net/default.aspx