pointers in c# code example

Example 1: function pointers in C#

delegate int Func1(string s);
delegate Func1 Func2(Func1 f);

// Function pointer equivalent without calling convention
delegate*<string, int>;
delegate*<delegate*<string, int>, delegate*<string, int>>;

// Function pointer equivalent with calling convention
delegate* managed<string, int>;
delegate*<delegate* managed<string, int>, delegate*<string, int>>;

Example 2: function pointers in C#

unsafe class Example {
    void Conversions() {
        delegate*<int, int, int> p1 = ...;
        delegate* managed<int, int, int> p2 = ...;
        delegate* unmanaged<int, int, int> p3 = ...;

        p1 = p2; // okay p1 and p2 have compatible signatures
        Console.WriteLine(p2 == p1); // True
        p2 = p3; // error: calling conventions are incompatible
    }
}

Example 3: function pointers in C#

pointer_type
    : ...
    | funcptr_type
    ;

funcptr_type
    : 'delegate' '*' calling_convention_specifier? '<' funcptr_parameter_list funcptr_return_type '>'
    ;

calling_convention_specifier
    : 'managed'
    | 'unmanaged' ('[' unmanaged_calling_convention ']')?
    ;

unmanaged_calling_convention
    : 'Cdecl'
    | 'Stdcall'
    | 'Thiscall'
    | 'Fastcall'
    | identifier (',' identifier)*
    ;

funptr_parameter_list
    : (funcptr_parameter ',')*
    ;

funcptr_parameter
    : funcptr_parameter_modifier? type
    ;

funcptr_return_type
    : funcptr_return_modifier? return_type
    ;

funcptr_parameter_modifier
    : 'ref'
    | 'out'
    | 'in'
    ;

funcptr_return_modifier
    : 'ref'
    | 'ref readonly'
    ;

Example 4: function pointers in C#

//This method has a managed calling convention. This is the same as leaving the managed keyword off.
delegate* managed<int, int>;

// This method will be invoked using whatever the default unmanaged calling convention on the runtime
// platform is. This is platform and architecture dependent and is determined by the CLR at runtime.
delegate* unmanaged<int, int>;

// This method will be invoked using the cdecl calling convention
// Cdecl maps to System.Runtime.CompilerServices.CallConvCdecl
delegate* unmanaged[Cdecl] <int, int>;

// This method will be invoked using the stdcall calling convention, and suppresses GC transition
// Stdcall maps to System.Runtime.CompilerServices.CallConvStdcall
// SuppressGCTransition maps to System.Runtime.CompilerServices.CallConvSuppressGCTransition
delegate* unmanaged[Stdcall, SuppressGCTransition] <int, int>;