How Can I Constrain Generic Types in .NET to Only Accept Numeric Types?

Restricting .NET Generics to Numeric Types

.NET generics provide type flexibility, but often require type constraints. A frequent need is to limit generic type arguments to numeric types like Int16, Int32, Int64, UInt16, UInt32, and UInt64.

The Solution with .NET 7

While earlier versions lacked a direct solution, .NET 7 introduces INumber<T> (in System.Numerics) as the most comprehensive interface for all numeric types. For integer types specifically, IBinaryInteger<T> is available.

Code Example: Integer Function

This example demonstrates an IntegerFunction using IBinaryInteger<T>:

<code class="language-csharp">static bool IntegerFunction<T>(T value) where T : IBinaryInteger<T>
{
    return value > T.Zero;
}</code>

Usage:

<code class="language-csharp">Console.WriteLine(IntegerFunction(5));         // True
Console.WriteLine(IntegerFunction((sbyte)-5)); // False
Console.WriteLine(IntegerFunction((ulong)5));  // True</code>

Pre-.NET 7 Approaches

Before .NET 7, achieving this constraint was more challenging. Methods like using a factory pattern with a Calculator<T> class were suggested, but these resulted in less elegant and less extensible code.

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