Creating my own Data Type?

Is there anyway i can create my own data type based on an Integer, basicly I want to change the way the bits are stored.

eg)

00000000 00000000 00000001 00001111

Normally this would represent 2^0+2^1+2^2+2^3+2^8 = 135

I want the DataType to Interpert that as this:

00000000 00011111 2^0+2^1+2^2+2^3+2^4 = 31

I dont really need help with the math, I have implemented this as a class i *think* it would be easier to use if a implemented as a data type.

Any examples on how to define your own data type?

VB Code:

Public Type NewType
    NewTypeVal1 As String
End Type
 
Dim new_type As NewType
new_type.NewTypeVal1 = "Hello World!"

Phreak

Actually type is what it was called in VB6 now its Structure:

VB Code:

Public Structure NewType
        Public NewTypeVal1 As String
    End Structure
 
    Dim new_type As NewType
    new_type.NewTypeVal1 = "Hello World!"

Either a structure or class is how to make your own data types.

So do i do something like this?

VB Code:

Option Explicit On 
Option Strict On
 
Public Class cNewDataType
    Inherits System.Type
 
    Public Overrides ReadOnly Property [Assembly]() As System.Reflection.Assembly
        Get
 
        End Get
    End Property
 
    Public Overrides ReadOnly Property AssemblyQualifiedName() As String
        Get
 
        End Get
    End Property
 
    Public Overrides ReadOnly Property BaseType() As System.Type
        Get
 
        End Get
    End Property
 
    Public Overrides ReadOnly Property FullName() As String
        Get
 
        End Get
    End Property
 
    Protected Overrides Function GetAttributeFlagsImpl() As System.Reflection.TypeAttributes
 
    End Function
 
    Protected Overrides Function GetConstructorImpl(ByVal bindingAttr As System.Reflection.BindingFlags, ByVal binder As System.Reflection.Binder, ByVal callConvention As System.Reflection.CallingConventions, ByVal types() As System.Type, ByVal modifiers() As System.Reflection.ParameterModifier) As System.Reflection.ConstructorInfo
 
    End Function
 
    Public Overloads Overrides Function GetConstructors(ByVal bindingAttr As System.Reflection.BindingFlags) As System.Reflection.ConstructorInfo()
 
    End Function
 
    Public Overloads Overrides Function GetCustomAttributes(ByVal inherit As Boolean) As Object()
 
    End Function
 
    Public Overloads Overrides Function GetCustomAttributes(ByVal attributeType As System.Type, ByVal inherit As Boolean) As Object()
 
    End Function
 
    Public Overrides Function GetElementType() As System.Type
 
    End Function
 
    Public Overloads Overrides Function GetEvent(ByVal name As String, ByVal bindingAttr As System.Reflection.BindingFlags) As System.Reflection.EventInfo
 
    End Function
 
    Public Overloads Overrides Function GetEvents(ByVal bindingAttr As System.Reflection.BindingFlags) As System.Reflection.EventInfo()
 
    End Function
 
    Public Overloads Overrides Function GetField(ByVal name As String, ByVal bindingAttr As System.Reflection.BindingFlags) As System.Reflection.FieldInfo
 
    End Function
 
    Public Overloads Overrides Function GetFields(ByVal bindingAttr As System.Reflection.BindingFlags) As System.Reflection.FieldInfo()
 
    End Function
 
    Public Overloads Overrides Function GetInterface(ByVal name As String, ByVal ignoreCase As Boolean) As System.Type
 
    End Function
 
    Public Overrides Function GetInterfaces() As System.Type()
 
    End Function
 
    Public Overloads Overrides Function GetMembers(ByVal bindingAttr As System.Reflection.BindingFlags) As System.Reflection.MemberInfo()
 
    End Function
 
    Protected Overrides Function GetMethodImpl(ByVal name As String, ByVal bindingAttr As System.Reflection.BindingFlags, ByVal binder As System.Reflection.Binder, ByVal callConvention As System.Reflection.CallingConventions, ByVal types() As System.Type, ByVal modifiers() As System.Reflection.ParameterModifier) As System.Reflection.MethodInfo
 
    End Function
 
    Public Overloads Overrides Function GetMethods(ByVal bindingAttr As System.Reflection.BindingFlags) As System.Reflection.MethodInfo()
 
    End Function
 
    Public Overloads Overrides Function GetNestedType(ByVal name As String, ByVal bindingAttr As System.Reflection.BindingFlags) As System.Type
 
    End Function
 
    Public Overloads Overrides Function GetNestedTypes(ByVal bindingAttr As System.Reflection.BindingFlags) As System.Type()
 
    End Function
 
    Public Overloads Overrides Function GetProperties(ByVal bindingAttr As System.Reflection.BindingFlags) As System.Reflection.PropertyInfo()
 
    End Function
 
    Protected Overrides Function GetPropertyImpl(ByVal name As String, ByVal bindingAttr As System.Reflection.BindingFlags, ByVal binder As System.Reflection.Binder, ByVal returnType As System.Type, ByVal types() As System.Type, ByVal modifiers() As System.Reflection.ParameterModifier) As System.Reflection.PropertyInfo
 
    End Function
 
    Public Overrides ReadOnly Property GUID() As System.Guid
        Get
 
        End Get
    End Property
 
    Protected Overrides Function HasElementTypeImpl() As Boolean
 
    End Function
 
    Public Overloads Overrides Function InvokeMember(ByVal name As String, ByVal invokeAttr As System.Reflection.BindingFlags, ByVal binder As System.Reflection.Binder, ByVal target As Object, ByVal args() As Object, ByVal modifiers() As System.Reflection.ParameterModifier, ByVal culture As System.Globalization.CultureInfo, ByVal namedParameters() As String) As Object
 
    End Function
 
    Protected Overrides Function IsArrayImpl() As Boolean
 
    End Function
 
    Protected Overrides Function IsByRefImpl() As Boolean
 
    End Function
 
    Protected Overrides Function IsCOMObjectImpl() As Boolean
 
    End Function
 
    Public Overrides Function IsDefined(ByVal attributeType As System.Type, ByVal inherit As Boolean) As Boolean
 
    End Function
 
    Protected Overrides Function IsPointerImpl() As Boolean
 
    End Function
 
    Protected Overrides Function IsPrimitiveImpl() As Boolean
 
    End Function
 
    Public Overrides ReadOnly Property [Module]() As System.Reflection.Module
        Get
 
        End Get
    End Property
 
    Public Overrides ReadOnly Property Name() As String
        Get
 
        End Get
    End Property
 
    Public Overrides ReadOnly Property [Namespace]() As String
        Get
 
        End Get
    End Property
 
    Public Overrides ReadOnly Property TypeHandle() As System.RuntimeTypeHandle
        Get
 
        End Get
    End Property
 
    Public Overrides ReadOnly Property UnderlyingSystemType() As System.Type
        Get
 
        End Get
    End Property
End Class

Not really there you are inheriting from Type but a type class object will be made for you when you make a normal object. It'd be more like this:

VB Code:

Public Class IntegerEx
 
    Private _value As Byte
 
    Public Property Value() As Integer
        Get
            'convert yor value to an integer
            Return Integer.Parse(_value.ToString)
        End Get
        Set(ByVal Value As Integer)
            'convert actual integer to your data
            _value = CType(Value, Byte)
        End Set
    End Property
 
End Class
 
'syntax
        Dim ie As New IntegerEx
        ie.Value = 1
        MsgBox(ie.Value)