OutArrayOfStructs Sample 

This sample shows how to pass an array of structures that contains integers and strings as Out parameters to an unmanaged function. The sample source code is included in the Platform Invoke Technology Sample.

This sample demonstrates how to call a native function by using the Marshal class and by using unsafe code.

This sample uses a wrapper functions and platform invokes defined in PinvokeLib.dll, also provided in the source files. It uses the TestOutArrayOfStructs function and the MYSTRSTRUCT2 structure. The structure contains the following elements:

typedef struct _MYSTRSTRUCT2
{
   char* buffer;
   UINT size; 
} MYSTRSTRUCT2;

The MyStruct class contains a string object of ANSI characters. The CharSet field specifies ANSI format. MyUnsafeStruct, is a structure containing an IntPtr type instead of a string.

The LibWrap class contains the overloaded TestOutArrayOfStructs prototype method. If a method declares a pointer as a parameter, the class should be marked with the unsafe keyword. Because Visual Basic 2005 cannot use unsafe code, the overloaded method, unsafe modifier, and the MyUnsafeStruct structure are unnecessary.

The App class implements the UsingMarshal method, which performs all the tasks necessary to pass the array. The array is marked with the out (ByRef in Visual Basic) keyword to indicate that data passes from callee to caller. The implementation uses the following Marshal class methods:

• PtrToStructure to marshal data from the unmanaged buffer to a managed object.

• DestroyStructure to release the memory reserved for strings in the structure.

• FreeCoTaskMem to release the memory reserved for the array.

As previously mentioned, C# allows unsafe code and Visual Basic 2005 does not. In the C# sample, UsingUnsafe is an alternative method implementation that uses pointers instead of the Marshal class to pass back the array containing the MyUnsafeStruct structure.

Declaring Prototypes

' Declares a class member for each structure element.
< StructLayout( LayoutKind.Sequential, CharSet:=CharSet.Ansi )> _
Public Class MyStruct 
   Public buffer As String 
   Public someSize As Integer
End Class 'MyStruct

Public Class LibWrap
' Declares a managed prototype for the unmanaged function.
   Declare Sub TestOutArrayOfStructs Lib "..\\LIB\\PinvokeLib.dll" ( _
      ByRef arrSize As Integer, ByRef outArray As IntPtr )
End Class 'LibWrap

// Declares a class member for each structure element.
[ StructLayout( LayoutKind.Sequential, CharSet=CharSet.Ansi )]
public class MyStruct 
{
   public String buffer;
   public int size;
}
// Declares a structure with a pointer.
[ StructLayout( LayoutKind.Sequential )]
public struct MyUnsafeStruct 
{
   public IntPtr buffer;
   public int size;
}

public unsafe class LibWrap
{
   // Declares managed prototypes for the unmanaged function.
   [ DllImport( "..\\LIB\\PinvokeLib.dll" )]
   public static extern void TestOutArrayOfStructs( out int size, 
      out IntPtr outArray );
   [ DllImport( "..\\LIB\\PinvokeLib.dll" )]
   public static extern void TestOutArrayOfStructs( out int size, 
   MyUnsafeStruct** outArray );
}

Calling Functions

Public Class App
   Public Shared Sub Main()
      Console.WriteLine( ControlChars.CrLf & "Using marshal class" & _
ControlChars.CrLf )
      UsingMarshal()
      'Visual Basic 2005 cannot use unsafe code.
   End Sub 'Main
   
   Public Shared Sub UsingMarshal()   
      Dim arrSize As Integer
      Dim outArray As IntPtr
      LibWrap.TestOutArrayOfStructs( arrSize, outArray )
      Dim manArray(arrSize - 1) As MyStruct
      Dim current As IntPtr = outArray
      Dim i As Integer
      
      For i = 0 To arrSize - 1
      
         manArray(i) = New MyStruct()
         Marshal.PtrToStructure( current, manArray(i))
         
         Marshal.DestroyStructure( current, GetType( MyStruct )) 
         current = IntPtr.op_explicit( current.ToInt64() _
           + Marshal.SizeOf( manArray(i) ))
         
         Console.WriteLine( "Element {0}: {1} {2}", i, manArray(i)._
           buffer, manArray(i).someSize )
      Next i
      Marshal.FreeCoTaskMem( outArray )
   End Sub 'UsingMarshal
End Class 'App

public class App
{
   public static void Main()
   {
      Console.WriteLine( "\nUsing marshal class\n" );
      UsingMarshal();
      Console.WriteLine( "\nUsing unsafe code\n" );
      UsingUnsafe();
   }
   
   public static void UsingMarshal()   
   {
      int size;
      IntPtr outArray;
      LibWrap.TestOutArrayOfStructs( out size, out outArray );
      MyStruct[] manArray = new MyStruct[ size ];
      IntPtr current = outArray;
      for( int i = 0; i < size; i++ )
      {
         manArray[ i ] = new MyStruct();
         Marshal.PtrToStructure( current, manArray[ i ]);
         
         //Marshal.FreeCoTaskMem( (IntPtr)Marshal.ReadInt32( current ));
         Marshal.DestroyStructure( current, typeof(MyStruct) );
         current = (IntPtr)((long)current + 
            Marshal.SizeOf( manArray[ i ] ));
         
         Console.WriteLine( "Element {0}: {1} {2}", i, 
            manArray[ i ].buffer, manArray[ i ].size );
      }
      Marshal.FreeCoTaskMem( outArray );
   }
   
   public static unsafe void UsingUnsafe()
   {
      int size;
      MyUnsafeStruct* pResult;
      LibWrap.TestOutArrayOfStructs( out size, &pResult );
      MyUnsafeStruct* pCurrent = pResult;
      for( int i = 0; i < size; i++, pCurrent++ )
      {
         Console.WriteLine( "Element {0}: {1} {2}", i, 
            Marshal.PtrToStringAnsi( pCurrent->buffer ), pCurrent->size );
         Marshal.FreeCoTaskMem( pCurrent->buffer );
      }
      Marshal.FreeCoTaskMem( (IntPtr)pResult );
   }
}

See Also

Concepts

Marshaling Classes, Structures, and Unions
Platform Invoke Data Types
Creating Prototypes in Managed Code