Evaluate the best type to fit both of types http://stackoverflow.com/questions/14107683/evaluate-the-best-type-to-fit-both-of-types

gistfile1.cs

void Main()
{
    // FindBaseClassWith
    Assert.That(typeof(DeriviedLeft).FindBaseClassWith(typeof(DeriviedLeft)), Is.EqualTo(typeof(DeriviedLeft)));
    Assert.That(typeof(DeriviedLeft).FindBaseClassWith(typeof(SubDeriviedLeft)), Is.EqualTo(typeof(DeriviedLeft)));
    Assert.That(typeof(DeriviedLeft).FindBaseClassWith(typeof(DeriviedRight)), Is.EqualTo(typeof(object)));
    Assert.That(typeof(DeriviedLeft).FindBaseClassWith(typeof(object)), Is.EqualTo(typeof(object)));
    Assert.That(typeof(DeriviedLeft).FindBaseClassWith(typeof(Another)), Is.EqualTo(typeof(object)));
    Assert.That(typeof(DeriviedRight).FindBaseClassWith(typeof(DeriviedRight)), Is.EqualTo(typeof(DeriviedRight)));
    Assert.That(typeof(DeriviedRight).FindBaseClassWith(typeof(DeriviedLeft)), Is.EqualTo(typeof(object)));
    Assert.That(typeof(object).FindBaseClassWith(typeof(object)), Is.EqualTo(typeof(object)));
    Assert.That(typeof(DeriviedLeft).FindBaseClassWith(typeof(IDerivied)), Is.Null);
    Assert.That(typeof(IDerivied).FindBaseClassWith(typeof(IDerivied)), Is.Null);
    Assert.That(typeof(IDerivied).FindBaseClassWith(null), Is.Null);
    
    
    // FindInterfaceWith
    Assert.That(typeof(DeriviedLeft).FindInterfaceWith(typeof(DeriviedLeft)), Is.EqualTo(typeof(IDeriviedLeft)));
    Assert.That(typeof(DeriviedLeft).FindInterfaceWith(typeof(SubDeriviedLeft)), Is.EqualTo(typeof(IDeriviedLeft)));
    Assert.That(typeof(DeriviedLeft).FindInterfaceWith(typeof(DeriviedRight)), Is.EqualTo(typeof(IDerivied)));
    Assert.That(typeof(DeriviedLeft).FindInterfaceWith(typeof(object)), Is.Null);
    Assert.That(typeof(DeriviedLeft).FindInterfaceWith(typeof(Another)), Is.Null);
    Assert.That(typeof(DeriviedLeft).FindInterfaceWith(typeof(AnotherDisposable)), Is.EqualTo(typeof(IDisposable)));
    Assert.That(typeof(DeriviedRight).FindInterfaceWith(typeof(DeriviedRight)), Is.EqualTo(typeof(IDeriviedRight)));
    Assert.That(typeof(DeriviedRight).FindInterfaceWith(typeof(DeriviedLeft)), Is.EqualTo(typeof(IDerivied)));
    Assert.That(typeof(object).FindInterfaceWith(typeof(object)), Is.Null);
    Assert.That(typeof(object).FindInterfaceWith(null), Is.Null);
    Assert.That(typeof(char[]).FindInterfaceWith(typeof(string)), Is.SameAs(typeof(IEnumerable<char>)));
    Assert.That(typeof(string).FindInterfaceWith(typeof(char[])), Is.SameAs(typeof(IEnumerable<char>)));
    
    // FindEqualTypeWith 
    Assert.That(typeof(DeriviedLeft).FindEqualTypeWith(typeof(DeriviedLeft)), Is.SameAs(typeof(DeriviedLeft)));
    Assert.That(typeof(DeriviedLeft).FindEqualTypeWith(typeof(SubDeriviedLeft)), Is.EqualTo(typeof(DeriviedLeft)));
    Assert.That(typeof(DeriviedLeft).FindEqualTypeWith(typeof(DeriviedRight)), Is.EqualTo(typeof(IDerivied)));
    Assert.That(typeof(DeriviedLeft).FindEqualTypeWith(typeof(object)), Is.Null);
    Assert.That(typeof(DeriviedLeft).FindEqualTypeWith(typeof(Another)), Is.Null);
    Assert.That(typeof(DeriviedLeft).FindEqualTypeWith(typeof(AnotherDisposable)), Is.EqualTo(typeof(IDisposable)));
    Assert.That(typeof(SubDeriviedLeft).FindEqualTypeWith(typeof(DeriviedRight)), Is.EqualTo(typeof(IDerivied)));
    Assert.That(typeof(SubDeriviedLeft).FindEqualTypeWith(typeof(SecondSubDeriviedLeft)), Is.EqualTo(typeof(DeriviedLeft)));
    Assert.That(typeof(SubDeriviedLeft).FindEqualTypeWith(typeof(ThirdSubDeriviedLeft)), Is.EqualTo(typeof(DeriviedLeft)));
    Assert.That(typeof(DeriviedRight).FindEqualTypeWith(typeof(DeriviedRight)), Is.EqualTo(typeof(DeriviedRight)));
    Assert.That(typeof(DeriviedRight).FindEqualTypeWith(typeof(DeriviedLeft)), Is.EqualTo(typeof(IDerivied)));
    Assert.That(typeof(object).FindEqualTypeWith(typeof(object)), Is.Null);
    Assert.That(typeof(object).FindEqualTypeWith(null), Is.Null);
    
    Assert.That(typeof(List<string>).FindEqualTypeWith(typeof(HashSet<string>)), Is.SameAs(typeof(ICollection<string>)));
    Assert.That(typeof(List<string>).FindEqualTypeWith(typeof(LinkedList<string>)), Is.SameAs(typeof(ICollection<string>)));
    Assert.That(typeof(string[]).FindEqualTypeWith(typeof(LinkedList<string>)), Is.SameAs(typeof(ICollection<string>)));
    Assert.That(typeof(string[]).FindEqualTypeWith(typeof(string)), Is.SameAs(typeof(ICloneable)));
    Assert.That(typeof(int).FindEqualTypeWith(typeof(string)), Is.SameAs(typeof(IComparable)));
    
    Assert.That(typeof(string).FindEqualTypeWith(typeof(IConvertible)), Is.SameAs(typeof(IConvertible)));
    Assert.That(typeof(IConvertible).FindEqualTypeWith(typeof(string)), Is.SameAs(typeof(IConvertible)));
    Assert.That(typeof(ICollection).FindEqualTypeWith(typeof(Array)), Is.SameAs(typeof(ICollection)));
    Assert.That(typeof(Array).FindEqualTypeWith(typeof(ICollection)), Is.SameAs(typeof(ICollection)));
    Assert.That(typeof(Array).FindEqualTypeWith(typeof(string)), Is.SameAs(typeof(ICloneable)));
    Assert.That(typeof(string).FindEqualTypeWith(typeof(Array)), Is.SameAs(typeof(ICloneable)));
    Assert.That(typeof(char[]).FindEqualTypeWith(typeof(string)), Is.SameAs(typeof(IEnumerable<char>)));
    Assert.That(typeof(string).FindEqualTypeWith(typeof(char[])), Is.SameAs(typeof(IEnumerable<char>)));
}

public interface IBase { }
public interface IDerivied : IBase { }
public interface IDeriviedLeft : IDerivied, IDisposable { }
public interface IDeriviedRight : IDerivied { }
public interface ISomething { }

public class DeriviedLeft : IDeriviedLeft
{
    public void Dispose() { }
}
public class SubDeriviedLeft : DeriviedLeft { }
public class SecondSubDeriviedLeft : DeriviedLeft { }
public class ThirdSubDeriviedLeft : DeriviedLeft, ISomething { }
public class DeriviedRight : IDeriviedRight { }
public class Another { }
public class AnotherDisposable : IDisposable
{
    public void Dispose() { }
}

}

public static class TypeHelper
{
    // provide common base class or implemented interface
    public static Type FindEqualTypeWith(this Type typeLeft, Type typeRight)
    {
        if(typeLeft == null || typeRight == null) return null;

        var commonBaseClass = typeLeft.FindBaseClassWith(typeRight) ?? typeof(object);
        
        return commonBaseClass.Equals(typeof(object))
                ? typeLeft.FindInterfaceWith(typeRight)
                : commonBaseClass;
    }

    // searching for common base class (either concrete or abstract)
    public static Type FindBaseClassWith(this Type typeLeft, Type typeRight)
    {
        if(typeLeft == null || typeRight == null) return null;

        return typeLeft
                .GetClassHierarchy()
                .Intersect(typeRight.GetClassHierarchy())
                .FirstOrDefault(type => !type.IsInterface);
    }
    
    // searching for common implemented interface
    // it's possible for one class to implement multiple interfaces, 
    // in this case return first common based interface
    public static Type FindInterfaceWith(this Type typeLeft, Type typeRight)
    {
        if(typeLeft == null || typeRight == null) return null;
    
        return typeLeft
                .GetInterfaceHierarchy()
                .Intersect(typeRight.GetInterfaceHierarchy())
                .FirstOrDefault();   
    }

    // iterate on interface hierarhy
    public static IEnumerable<Type> GetInterfaceHierarchy(this Type type)
    {
        if(type.IsInterface) return new [] { type }.AsEnumerable();
    
        return type
                .GetInterfaces()
                .OrderByDescending(current => current.GetInterfaces().Count())
                .AsEnumerable();
    }

    // interate on class hierarhy
    public static IEnumerable<Type> GetClassHierarchy(this Type type)
    {
        if(type == null) yield break;
        
        Type typeInHierarchy = type;
        
        do
        {
            yield return typeInHierarchy;
            typeInHierarchy = typeInHierarchy.BaseType;
        }
        while(typeInHierarchy != null && !typeInHierarchy.IsInterface);
    }

Fix for type1=typeof(String), type2=typeof(IConvertable) or type1=typeof(ICollection) and type2=typeof(Array).

string vs. IConvertible → IConvertible
ICollection vs. Array → ICollection

Refactoring

Fix GetInterfaceHierarchy