Getting type from an object in C#

Question

What is wrong in this code? ..

public void gett(object dato, ref object ty)
{

    dato = 1;  // <- this compiles 
    Type t = typeof(dato); //<--- here i Got an error 
    if (t == typeof(int))
    {
         ty= 1

    }
    else 
    {
        ty=""
    }

}

I got an error "The type or namespace name 'dato' could not be found (are you missing a using directive or an assembly reference?) "

I want to put this VB .net code into c#

Sub getty(ByVal dato As Object, ByRef ty As Object)

        If IsDBNull(dato) Then


            Select Case ty.GetType.FullName

                Case GetType(Integer).FullName
                    ty = 0

                Case GetType(String).FullName
                    ty = ""

                Case GetType(Guid).FullName

                    ty = New Guid("00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000")
                Case GetType(DateTime).FullName
                    Dim da As DateTime = New DateTime(1900, 1, 1)

                    ty = da

                Case Else
                    ty = ""
            End Select

        Else
            ty = dato


        End If

    End Sub

Thanks

Answer 1

The typeof operator only works on types. Try dato.GetType() instead.

Answer 2

To expand upon Mark's answer, dato is not a type, it is a variable. typeof() works on the type (i.e. the class or struct, which in this case is object).

Indeed what you seek is runtime type identification, which you get with dato.GetType().