Invalid cast from 'System.Int32' to 'System.Nullable`1[[System.Int32, mscorlib]]

For above I could simply write int? nVal = val

Actually, you can't do that either. There is no implicit conversion from object to Nullable<int>. But there is an implicit conversion from int to Nullable<int> so you can write this:

int? unVal = (int)val;

You can use Nullable.GetUnderlyingType method.

Returns the underlying type argument of the specified nullable type.

A generic type definition is a type declaration, such as Nullable, that contains a type parameter list, and the type parameter list declares one or more type parameters. A closed generic type is a type declaration where a particular type is specified for a type parameter.

Type t = typeof(int?); //will get this dynamically
Type u = Nullable.GetUnderlyingType(t);
object val = 5; //will get this dynamically
object nVal = Convert.ChangeType(val, u);// nVal will be 5

Here's a DEMO.

You have to use Nullable.GetUnderlyingType to get underlying type of Nullable.

This is the method I use to overcome limitation of ChangeType for Nullable

public static T ChangeType<T>(object value)
{
var t = typeof(T);


if (t.IsGenericType && t.GetGenericTypeDefinition().Equals(typeof(Nullable<>)))
{
if (value == null)
{
return default(T);
}


t = Nullable.GetUnderlyingType(t);
}


return (T)Convert.ChangeType(value, t);
}

non generic method:

public static object ChangeType(object value, Type conversion)
{
var t = conversion;


if (t.IsGenericType && t.GetGenericTypeDefinition().Equals(typeof(Nullable<>)))
{
if (value == null)
{
return null;
}


t = Nullable.GetUnderlyingType(t);
}


return Convert.ChangeType(value, t);
}

I think I should explain why the function does not work:

1- The line that throw the exception is as follows:

throw new InvalidCastException(Environment.GetResourceString("InvalidCast_FromTo", new object[]
{
value.GetType().FullName,
targetType.FullName
}));

in fact the function search in the array Convert.ConvertTypes after that it see if the targer is an Enum and when nothing is found it throw the exception above.

2- the Convert.ConvertTypes is initialized as:

Convert.ConvertTypes = new RuntimeType[]
{
(RuntimeType)typeof(Empty),
(RuntimeType)typeof(object),
(RuntimeType)typeof(DBNull),
(RuntimeType)typeof(bool),
(RuntimeType)typeof(char),
(RuntimeType)typeof(sbyte),
(RuntimeType)typeof(byte),
(RuntimeType)typeof(short),
(RuntimeType)typeof(ushort),
(RuntimeType)typeof(int),
(RuntimeType)typeof(uint),
(RuntimeType)typeof(long),
(RuntimeType)typeof(ulong),
(RuntimeType)typeof(float),
(RuntimeType)typeof(double),
(RuntimeType)typeof(decimal),
(RuntimeType)typeof(DateTime),
(RuntimeType)typeof(object),
(RuntimeType)typeof(string)
};

So since the int? is not in the ConvertTypes array and not an Enum the exception is thrown.

So to resume, for the function Convert.ChnageType to work you have:

1. The object to be converted is IConvertible

2. The target type is within the ConvertTypes and not Empty nor DBNull (There is an explict test on those two with throw exception)

This behaviour is because int (and all other default types) uses Convert.DefaultToType as IConvertibale.ToType implementation. and here is the code of theDefaultToTypeextracted using ILSpy

internal static object DefaultToType(IConvertible value, Type targetType, IFormatProvider provider)
{
if (targetType == null)
{
throw new ArgumentNullException("targetType");
}
RuntimeType left = targetType as RuntimeType;
if (left != null)
{
if (value.GetType() == targetType)
{
return value;
}
if (left == Convert.ConvertTypes[3])
{
return value.ToBoolean(provider);
}
if (left == Convert.ConvertTypes[4])
{
return value.ToChar(provider);
}
if (left == Convert.ConvertTypes[5])
{
return value.ToSByte(provider);
}
if (left == Convert.ConvertTypes[6])
{
return value.ToByte(provider);
}
if (left == Convert.ConvertTypes[7])
{
return value.ToInt16(provider);
}
if (left == Convert.ConvertTypes[8])
{
return value.ToUInt16(provider);
}
if (left == Convert.ConvertTypes[9])
{
return value.ToInt32(provider);
}
if (left == Convert.ConvertTypes[10])
{
return value.ToUInt32(provider);
}
if (left == Convert.ConvertTypes[11])
{
return value.ToInt64(provider);
}
if (left == Convert.ConvertTypes[12])
{
return value.ToUInt64(provider);
}
if (left == Convert.ConvertTypes[13])
{
return value.ToSingle(provider);
}
if (left == Convert.ConvertTypes[14])
{
return value.ToDouble(provider);
}
if (left == Convert.ConvertTypes[15])
{
return value.ToDecimal(provider);
}
if (left == Convert.ConvertTypes[16])
{
return value.ToDateTime(provider);
}
if (left == Convert.ConvertTypes[18])
{
return value.ToString(provider);
}
if (left == Convert.ConvertTypes[1])
{
return value;
}
if (left == Convert.EnumType)
{
return (Enum)value;
}
if (left == Convert.ConvertTypes[2])
{
throw new InvalidCastException(Environment.GetResourceString("InvalidCast_DBNull"));
}
if (left == Convert.ConvertTypes[0])
{
throw new InvalidCastException(Environment.GetResourceString("InvalidCast_Empty"));
}
}
throw new InvalidCastException(Environment.GetResourceString("InvalidCast_FromTo", new object[]
{
value.GetType().FullName,
targetType.FullName
}));
}

in other hand the cast is implemented by Nullable class itself and the definition is:

public static implicit operator T?(T value)
{
return new T?(value);
}
public static explicit operator T(T? value)
{
return value.Value;
}