Update CType terminology from "Function" to "Operator" and move to Operators section (#48155)

* Initial plan

* Update CType terminology from Function to Operator in core documentation

Co-authored-by: BillWagner <[email protected]>

* Complete CType terminology updates in language reference and procedures

Co-authored-by: BillWagner <[email protected]>

* Move CType from Functions to Operators section and update all references

Co-authored-by: BillWagner <[email protected]>

* Fix relative references to CType operator within operators folder

Co-authored-by: BillWagner <[email protected]>

* Fix relative file links to CType operator in language reference files

Co-authored-by: BillWagner <[email protected]>

* Apply suggestions from code review

---------

Co-authored-by: copilot-swe-agent[bot] <[email protected]>
Co-authored-by: BillWagner <[email protected]>
Co-authored-by: Bill Wagner <[email protected]>

Author: Copilot

.openpublishing.redirection.visual-basic.json

@@ -1286,6 +1286,11 @@
         {
             "source_path_from_root": "/docs/visual-basic/sample-applications.md",
             "redirect_url": "/samples/browse/?languages=vb"
+        },
+        {
+            "source_path_from_root": "/docs/visual-basic/language-reference/functions/ctype-function.md",
+            "redirect_url": "/dotnet/visual-basic/language-reference/operators/ctype-operator",
+            "redirect_document_id": true
         }
     ]
 }

docs/framework/data/adonet/sql/linq/basic-data-types.md

@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ Because LINQ to SQL queries translate to Transact-SQL before they are executed o
 
 ## Casting  
 
- Implicit or explicit casts are enabled from a source CLR type to a target CLR type if there is a similar valid conversion within SQL Server. For more information about CLR casting, see [CType Function](../../../../../visual-basic/language-reference/functions/ctype-function.md) (Visual Basic) and [Type-testing and cast operators](../../../../../csharp/language-reference/operators/type-testing-and-cast.md). After conversion, casts change the behavior of operations performed on a CLR expression to match the behavior of other CLR expressions that naturally map to the destination type. Casts are also translatable in the context of inheritance mapping. Objects can be cast to more specific entity subtypes so that their subtype-specific data can be accessed.  
+ Implicit or explicit casts are enabled from a source CLR type to a target CLR type if there is a similar valid conversion within SQL Server. For more information about CLR casting, see [CType Function](../../../../../visual-basic/language-reference/operators/ctype-operator.md) (Visual Basic) and [Type-testing and cast operators](../../../../../csharp/language-reference/operators/type-testing-and-cast.md). After conversion, casts change the behavior of operations performed on a CLR expression to match the behavior of other CLR expressions that naturally map to the destination type. Casts are also translatable in the context of inheritance mapping. Objects can be cast to more specific entity subtypes so that their subtype-specific data can be accessed.  
 
 ## Equality Operators  
 

docs/visual-basic/language-reference/data-types/boolean-data-type.md

@@ -60,4 +60,4 @@ End If
 - [Conversion Summary](../keywords/conversion-summary.md)
 - [Efficient Use of Data Types](../../programming-guide/language-features/data-types/efficient-use-of-data-types.md)
 - [Troubleshooting Data Types](../../programming-guide/language-features/data-types/troubleshooting-data-types.md)
-- [CType Function](../functions/ctype-function.md)
+- [CType Operator](../operators/ctype-operator.md)

docs/visual-basic/language-reference/error-messages/latebound-overload-resolution-cannot-be-applied.md

@@ -65,4 +65,4 @@ Each of the preceding lines of code explicitly casts the `Object` variable `o1`
 
 - [Procedure Overloading](../../programming-guide/language-features/procedures/procedure-overloading.md)
 - [Overload Resolution](../../programming-guide/language-features/procedures/overload-resolution.md)
-- [CType Function](../functions/ctype-function.md)
+- [CType Operator](../operators/ctype-operator.md)

docs/visual-basic/language-reference/functions/conversion-functions.md

@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ ms.assetid: 8a8fb553-a8ac-424e-8103-26eea25eaa71
 - [CShort Function](type-conversion-functions.md)
 - [CSng Function](type-conversion-functions.md)
 - [CStr Function](type-conversion-functions.md)
-- [CType Function](ctype-function.md)
+- [CType Operator](../operators/ctype-operator.md)
 - [CUInt Function](type-conversion-functions.md)
 - [CULng Function](type-conversion-functions.md)
 - [CUShort Function](type-conversion-functions.md)

docs/visual-basic/language-reference/functions/index.md

@@ -24,8 +24,6 @@ The topics in this section contain tables of the Visual Basic run-time member fu
 
  [Type Conversion Functions](type-conversion-functions.md)  
 
- [CType Function](ctype-function.md)  
-  
 ## Related Sections  
 
  [Visual Basic Language Reference](../index.md)  

docs/visual-basic/language-reference/functions/type-conversion-functions.md

@@ -188,9 +188,9 @@ Dim i3 As Integer = CInt(Math.Round(s))        ' Result: 174
 
      If you need to convert to or from a string representation of a value in a format other than the one specified by your locale, you cannot use the Visual Basic type conversion functions. To do this, use the `ToString(IFormatProvider)` and `Parse(String, IFormatProvider)` methods of that value's type. For example, use <xref:System.Double.Parse%2A?displayProperty=nameWithType> when converting a string to a `Double`, and use <xref:System.Double.ToString%2A?displayProperty=nameWithType> when converting a value of type `Double` to a string.
 
-## CType Function
+## CType Operator
 
-The [CType Function](ctype-function.md) takes a second argument, `typename`, and coerces `expression` to `typename`, where `typename` can be any data type, structure, class, or interface to which there exists a valid conversion.
+The [CType Operator](../operators/ctype-operator.md) takes a second argument, `typename`, and coerces `expression` to `typename`, where `typename` can be any data type, structure, class, or interface to which there exists a valid conversion.
 
 For a comparison of `CType` with the other type conversion keywords, see [DirectCast Operator](../operators/directcast-operator.md) and [TryCast Operator](../operators/trycast-operator.md).
 

docs/visual-basic/language-reference/keywords/conversion-summary.md

@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ Visual Basic language keywords and run-time library members are organized by pur
 |Convert date to serial number.|<xref:Microsoft.VisualBasic.DateAndTime.DateSerial%2A>, <xref:Microsoft.VisualBasic.DateAndTime.DateValue%2A>|  
 |Convert decimal number to other bases.|<xref:Microsoft.VisualBasic.Conversion.Hex%2A>, <xref:Microsoft.VisualBasic.Conversion.Oct%2A>|  
 |Convert number to string.|<xref:Microsoft.VisualBasic.Strings.Format%2A>, <xref:Microsoft.VisualBasic.Conversion.Str%2A>|  
-|Convert one data type to another.|[CBool](../functions/type-conversion-functions.md), [CByte](../functions/type-conversion-functions.md), [CDate](../functions/type-conversion-functions.md), [CDbl](../functions/type-conversion-functions.md), [CDec](../functions/type-conversion-functions.md), [CInt](../functions/type-conversion-functions.md), [CLng](../functions/type-conversion-functions.md), [CSng](../functions/type-conversion-functions.md), [CShort](../functions/type-conversion-functions.md), [CStr](../functions/type-conversion-functions.md), [CType](../functions/ctype-function.md), <xref:Microsoft.VisualBasic.Conversion.Fix%2A>, <xref:Microsoft.VisualBasic.Conversion.Int%2A>|  
+|Convert one data type to another.|[CBool](../functions/type-conversion-functions.md), [CByte](../functions/type-conversion-functions.md), [CDate](../functions/type-conversion-functions.md), [CDbl](../functions/type-conversion-functions.md), [CDec](../functions/type-conversion-functions.md), [CInt](../functions/type-conversion-functions.md), [CLng](../functions/type-conversion-functions.md), [CSng](../functions/type-conversion-functions.md), [CShort](../functions/type-conversion-functions.md), [CStr](../functions/type-conversion-functions.md), [CType](../operators/ctype-operator.md), <xref:Microsoft.VisualBasic.Conversion.Fix%2A>, <xref:Microsoft.VisualBasic.Conversion.Int%2A>|  
 |Convert date to day, month, weekday, or year.|<xref:Microsoft.VisualBasic.DateAndTime.Day%2A>, <xref:Microsoft.VisualBasic.DateAndTime.Month%2A>, <xref:Microsoft.VisualBasic.DateAndTime.Weekday%2A>, <xref:Microsoft.VisualBasic.DateAndTime.Year%2A>|  
 |Convert time to hour, minute, or second.|<xref:Microsoft.VisualBasic.DateAndTime.Hour%2A>, <xref:Microsoft.VisualBasic.DateAndTime.Minute%2A>, <xref:Microsoft.VisualBasic.DateAndTime.Second%2A>|  
 |Convert string to ASCII value.|<xref:Microsoft.VisualBasic.Strings.Asc%2A>, <xref:Microsoft.VisualBasic.Strings.AscW%2A>|  

docs/visual-basic/language-reference/modifiers/narrowing.md

@@ -34,5 +34,5 @@ Indicates that a conversion operator (`CType`) converts a class or structure to
 - [Widening](widening.md)
 - [Widening and Narrowing Conversions](../../programming-guide/language-features/data-types/widening-and-narrowing-conversions.md)
 - [How to: Define an Operator](../../programming-guide/language-features/procedures/how-to-define-an-operator.md)
-- [CType Function](../functions/ctype-function.md)
+- [CType Operator](../operators/ctype-operator.md)
 - [Option Strict Statement](../statements/option-strict-statement.md)

docs/visual-basic/language-reference/modifiers/widening.md

@@ -36,6 +36,6 @@ Indicates that a conversion operator (`CType`) converts a class or structure to
 - [Narrowing](narrowing.md)
 - [Widening and Narrowing Conversions](../../programming-guide/language-features/data-types/widening-and-narrowing-conversions.md)
 - [How to: Define an Operator](../../programming-guide/language-features/procedures/how-to-define-an-operator.md)
-- [CType Function](../functions/ctype-function.md)
+- [CType Operator](../operators/ctype-operator.md)
 - [Option Strict Statement](../statements/option-strict-statement.md)
 - [How to: Define a Conversion Operator](../../programming-guide/language-features/procedures/how-to-define-a-conversion-operator.md)