TypeBuilder.MakeByRefType Method

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Returns a Type object that represents the current type when passed as a ref parameter (ByRef in Visual Basic).

Namespace:  System.Reflection.Emit
Assembly:  mscorlib (in mscorlib.dll)

Syntax

'Declaration
Public Overrides Function MakeByRefType As Type

public override Type MakeByRefType()

Return Value

Type: System.Type
The current type when passed as a ref parameter (ByRef in Visual Basic).

Remarks

The MakeByRefType method provides a way to generate ref types (ByRef in Visual Basic) for parameter lists.

Note:
Using Microsoft intermediate language (MSIL) syntax, if the current TypeBuilder represents MyType, then the type returned by this method would be MyType&.

Examples

The following example creates a dynamic module, an abstract type named Sample, and an abstract method named TestMethod. TestMethod takes a ref parameter (ByRef in Visual Basic) of type Sample, a pointer to type Sample, and an array of type Sample. It returns a two-dimensional array of type Sample.

Note:
To run this example, see Building Examples That Use a Demo Method and a TextBlock Control.

Imports System.Reflection
Imports System.Reflection.Emit

Public Class Example

   Public Shared Sub Demo(ByVal outputBlock As System.Windows.Controls.TextBlock)

      ' Define a dynamic assembly to contain the sample type. In Silverlight,
      ' a dynamic assembly contains exactly one module.
      '
      Dim myDomain As AppDomain = AppDomain.CurrentDomain
      Dim myAsmName As New AssemblyName("MakeXxxTypeExample")
      Dim myAssembly As AssemblyBuilder = myDomain.DefineDynamicAssembly( _
          myAsmName, _
          AssemblyBuilderAccess.Run)
      Dim myModule As ModuleBuilder = myAssembly.DefineDynamicModule( _
          myAsmName.Name)

      ' Define the sample type.
      Dim myType As TypeBuilder = myModule.DefineType( _
          "Sample", _
          TypeAttributes.Public Or TypeAttributes.Abstract)

      ' Define a method that takes a ByRef argument of type Sample,
      ' a pointer to type Sample, and an array of Sample objects. The
      ' method returns a two-dimensional array of Sample objects.
      '
      ' To create this method, you need Type objects that represent the
      ' parameter types and the return type. Use the MakeByRefType, 
      ' MakePointerType, and MakeArrayType methods to create the Type
      ' objects.
      '
      Dim byRefMyType As Type = myType.MakeByRefType
      Dim pointerMyType As Type = myType.MakePointerType
      Dim arrayMyType As Type = myType.MakeArrayType
      Dim twoDimArrayMyType As Type = myType.MakeArrayType(2)

      ' Create the array of parameter types.
      Dim parameterTypes() As Type = _
          {byRefMyType, pointerMyType, arrayMyType}

      ' Define the abstract Test method.
      '
      Dim myMethodBuilder As MethodBuilder = myType.DefineMethod( _
          "TestMethod", _
          MethodAttributes.Abstract Or MethodAttributes.Virtual _
              Or MethodAttributes.Public, _
          twoDimArrayMyType, _
          parameterTypes)

      ' Create the type.
      '
      Dim t As Type = myType.CreateType()

      outputBlock.Text &= "TestMethod takes:" & vbLf
      outputBlock.Text &= "    A ByRef parameter of type Sample." & vbLf
      outputBlock.Text &= "    A pointer to a Sample." & vbLf
      outputBlock.Text &= "    A one-dimensional array of Sample objects." & vbLf
      outputBlock.Text &= "TestMethod returns: A one-dimensional array of Sample objects." & vbLf &vbLf

      outputBlock.Text &= t.GetMethod("TestMethod").ToString()

   End Sub
End Class

' This code produces the following output:
'
'TestMethod takes:" & vbLf
'    A ByRef parameter of type Sample.
'    A pointer to a Sample.
'    A one-dimensional array of Sample objects.
'TestMethod returns: A one-dimensional array of Sample objects.
'
'Sample[,] TestMethod(Sample ByRef, Sample*, Sample[])

using System;
using System.Reflection;
using System.Reflection.Emit;
//using Microsoft.VisualBasic;

public class Example
{
   public static void Demo(System.Windows.Controls.TextBlock outputBlock)
   {
      // Define a dynamic assembly to contain the sample type. In Silverlight,
      // a dynamic assembly contains exactly one module.
      //
      AppDomain myDomain = AppDomain.CurrentDomain;
      AssemblyName myAsmName = new AssemblyName("MakeXxxTypeExample");
      AssemblyBuilder myAssembly = myDomain.DefineDynamicAssembly(
          myAsmName,
          AssemblyBuilderAccess.Run);
      ModuleBuilder myModule = myAssembly.DefineDynamicModule(myAsmName.Name);

      // Define the sample type.
      TypeBuilder myType = myModule.DefineType(
          "Sample",
          TypeAttributes.Public | TypeAttributes.Abstract);

      // Define a method that takes a ref argument of type Sample,
      // a pointer to type Sample, and an array of Sample objects. The
      // method returns a two-dimensional array of Sample objects.
      //
      // To create this method, you need Type objects that represent the
      // parameter types and the return type. Use the MakeByRefType, 
      // MakePointerType, and MakeArrayType methods to create the Type
      // objects.
      //
      Type byRefMyType = myType.MakeByRefType();
      Type pointerMyType = myType.MakePointerType();
      Type arrayMyType = myType.MakeArrayType();
      Type twoDimArrayMyType = myType.MakeArrayType(2);

      // Create the array of parameter types.
      Type[] parameterTypes = { byRefMyType, pointerMyType, arrayMyType };

      // Define the abstract Test method. After you have compiled
      // and run this code example code, you can use ildasm.exe 
      // to open MakeXxxTypeExample.dll, examine the Sample type,
      // and verify the parameter types and return type of the
      // TestMethod method.
      //
      MethodBuilder myMethodBuilder = myType.DefineMethod(
          "TestMethod",
          MethodAttributes.Abstract | MethodAttributes.Virtual
              | MethodAttributes.Public,
          twoDimArrayMyType,
          parameterTypes);

      // Create the type.
      //
      Type t = myType.CreateType();

      outputBlock.Text += "TestMethod takes:\n";
      outputBlock.Text += "    A ref parameter of type Sample.\n";
      outputBlock.Text += "    A pointer to a Sample.\n";
      outputBlock.Text += "    A one-dimensional array of Sample objects.\n";
      outputBlock.Text += "TestMethod returns: A one-dimensional array of Sample objects.\n\n";

      outputBlock.Text += t.GetMethod("TestMethod").ToString();
   }
}

/* This code produces the following output:

TestMethod takes:" & vbLf
    A ByRef parameter of type Sample.
    A pointer to a Sample.
    A one-dimensional array of Sample objects.
TestMethod returns: A one-dimensional array of Sample objects.

Sample[,] TestMethod(Sample ByRef, Sample*, Sample[])
 */

Version Information

Silverlight

Supported in: 5, 4, 3

Platforms

For a list of the operating systems and browsers that are supported by Silverlight, see Supported Operating Systems and Browsers.

See Also

Reference

TypeBuilder Class

System.Reflection.Emit Namespace

MakeArrayType

MakePointerType