ParamArrayAttribute Class

Definition

Namespace:

System

Assembly:

System.Runtime.dll

Source:

ParamArrayAttribute.cs

Indicates that a method will allow a variable number of arguments in its invocation. This class cannot be inherited.

public ref class ParamArrayAttribute sealed : Attribute

[System.AttributeUsage(System.AttributeTargets.Parameter, AllowMultiple=false, Inherited=true)]
public sealed class ParamArrayAttribute : Attribute

[<System.AttributeUsage(System.AttributeTargets.Parameter, AllowMultiple=false, Inherited=true)>]
type ParamArrayAttribute = class
    inherit Attribute

Public NotInheritable Class ParamArrayAttribute
Inherits Attribute

Inheritance

Object

Attribute

ParamArrayAttribute

Attributes

AttributeUsageAttribute

Examples

The following example defines a Temperature class that includes a Display method, which is intended to display one or more formatted temperature values. The method has a single parameter, formats, which is defined as a parameter array.

using System;

public class Temperature
{
   private decimal temp;

   public Temperature(decimal temperature)
   {
      this.temp = temperature;
   }

   public override string ToString()
   {
      return ToString("C");
   }

   public string ToString(string format)
   {
      if (String.IsNullOrEmpty(format))
         format = "G";

      switch (format.ToUpper())
      {
         case "G":
         case "C":
            return temp.ToString("N") + "  °C";
         case "F":
            return (9 * temp / 5 + 32).ToString("N") + "  °F";
         case "K":
            return (temp + 273.15m).ToString("N") + "  °K";
         default:
            throw new FormatException(String.Format("The '{0}' format specifier is not supported",
                                                    format));
      }
   }

   public void Display(params string []formats)
   {
      if (formats.Length == 0)
      {
         Console.WriteLine(this.ToString("G"));
      }
      else
      {
         foreach (string format in formats)
         {
            try {
               Console.WriteLine(this.ToString(format));
            }
            // If there is an exception, do nothing.
            catch { }
         }
      }
   }
}

open System

type Temperature(temperature) =
    override this.ToString() =
        this.ToString "C"

    member _.ToString(format) =
        let format = 
            if String.IsNullOrEmpty format then "G"
            else format

        match format.ToUpper() with
        | "G" | "C" ->
            $"{temperature:N}  °C"
        | "F" ->
            $"{9. * temperature / 5. + 32.:N}  °F"
        | "K" ->
            $"{temperature + 273.15:N}  °K"
        | _ ->
            raise (FormatException $"The '{format}' format specifier is not supported")

    member this.Display([<ParamArray>]formats: string[]) =
        if formats.Length = 0 then
            printfn $"""{this.ToString "G"}"""
        else
            for format in formats do
                try
                    printfn $"{this.ToString format}"
                // If there is an exception, do nothing.
                with _ -> ()

Public Class Temperature 
   Private temp As Decimal
   
   Public Sub New(temperature As Decimal)
      Me.temp = temperature
   End Sub
   
   Public Overrides Function ToString() As String
      Return ToString("C")
   End Function
   
   Public Overloads Function ToString(format As String) As String
      If String.IsNullOrEmpty(format) Then format = "G"
      
      Select Case format
         Case "G", "C"
            Return temp.ToString("N") + "  °C"
         Case "F"
            Return (9 * temp / 5 + 32).ToString("N") + "  °F"
         Case "K" 
            Return (temp + 273.15d).ToString("N") + "  °K" 
         Case Else
            Throw New FormatException(String.Format("The '{0}' format specifier is not supported", _
                                                    format))
      End Select                                                         
   End Function         
   
   Public Sub Display(<[ParamArray]()> formats() As String)
      If formats.Length = 0 Then
         Console.WriteLine(Me.ToString("G"))
      Else   
         For Each format As String In formats
            Try
               Console.WriteLine(Me.ToString(format))
            ' If there is an exception, do nothing.
            Catch
            End Try   
         Next
      End If
   End Sub
End Class

The following example illustrates three different calls to the Temperature.Display method. In the first, the method is passed an array of format strings. In the second, the method is passed four individual format strings as arguments. In the third, the method is called with no arguments. As the output from the example illustrates, the Visual Basic and C# compilers translate this into a call to the Display method with an empty string array.

public class Class1
{
   public static void Main()
   {
      Temperature temp1 = new Temperature(100);
      string[] formats = { "C", "G", "F", "K" };

      // Call Display method with a string array.
      Console.WriteLine("Calling Display with a string array:");
      temp1.Display(formats);
      Console.WriteLine();

      // Call Display method with individual string arguments.
      Console.WriteLine("Calling Display with individual arguments:");
      temp1.Display("C", "F", "K", "G");
      Console.WriteLine();

      // Call parameterless Display method.
      Console.WriteLine("Calling Display with an implicit parameter array:");
      temp1.Display();
   }
}
// The example displays the following output:
//       Calling Display with a string array:
//       100.00  °C
//       100.00  °C
//       212.00  °F
//       373.15  °K
//
//       Calling Display with individual arguments:
//       100.00  °C
//       212.00  °F
//       373.15  °K
//       100.00  °C
//
//       Calling Display with an implicit parameter array:
//       100.00  °C

let temp1 = Temperature 100.
let formats = [| "C"; "G"; "F"; "K" |]

// Call Display method with a string array.
printfn "Calling Display with a string array:"
temp1.Display formats

// Call Display method with individual string arguments.
printfn "\nCalling Display with individual arguments:"
temp1.Display("C", "F", "K", "G")

// Call parameterless Display method.
printfn "\nCalling Display with an implicit parameter array:"
temp1.Display()
// The example displays the following output:
//       Calling Display with a string array:
//       100.00  °C
//       100.00  °C
//       212.00  °F
//       373.15  °K
//
//       Calling Display with individual arguments:
//       100.00  °C
//       212.00  °F
//       373.15  °K
//       100.00  °C
//
//       Calling Display with an implicit parameter array:
//       100.00  °C

Public Module Example
   Public Sub Main()
      Dim temp1 As New Temperature(100)
      Dim formats() As String = { "C", "G", "F", "K" } 

      ' Call Display method with a string array.
      Console.WriteLine("Calling Display with a string array:")
      temp1.Display(formats)
      Console.WriteLine()
      
      ' Call Display method with individual string arguments.
      Console.WriteLine("Calling Display with individual arguments:")
      temp1.Display("C", "F", "K", "G")
      Console.WriteLine()
      
      ' Call parameterless Display method.
      Console.WriteLine("Calling Display with an implicit parameter array:")
      temp1.Display()
   End Sub
End Module
' The example displays the following output:
'       Calling Display with a string array:
'       100.00  °C
'       100.00  °C
'       212.00  °F
'       373.15  °K
'       
'       Calling Display with individual arguments:
'       100.00  °C
'       212.00  °F
'       373.15  °K
'       100.00  °C
'       
'       Calling Display with an implicit parameter array:
'       100.00  °C

Remarks

The ParamArrayAttribute indicates that a method parameter is a parameter array. A parameter array allows the specification of an unknown number of arguments. A parameter array must be the last parameter in a formal parameter list, and it must be a single-dimension array. When the method is called, a parameter array permits arguments to a method to be specified in either of two ways:

• As a single expression of a type that is implicitly convertible to the parameter array type. The parameter array functions as a value parameter.

• As zero or more arguments, where each argument is an expression of a type that is implicitly convertible to the type of the parameter array element.

The example in the next section illustrates both calling conventions.

Note

Typically, the ParamArrayAttribute is not used directly in code. Instead, individual language keywords, such as ParamArray in Visual Basic and params in C#, are used as wrappers for the ParamArrayAttribute class. Some languages, such as C#, may even require the use of the language keyword and prohibit the use of ParamArrayAttribute.

During overload resolution, when compilers that support parameter arrays encounter a method overload that does not exist but has one fewer parameter than an overload that includes a parameter array, they will replace the method with the overload that includes the parameter array. For example, a call to the String.Split() instance method (which does not exist in the String class) is resolved as a call to the String.Split(Char[]) method. The compiler will also pass an empty array of the required type to the method. This means that the method must always be prepared to handle an array whose length is zero when it processes the elements in the parameter array. The example provides an illustration.

For more information about using attributes, see Attributes.

Constructors

ParamArrayAttribute()

Initializes a new instance of the ParamArrayAttribute class with default properties.

Properties

TypeId

When implemented in a derived class, gets a unique identifier for this Attribute. (Inherited from Attribute)

Methods

Equals(Object)	Returns a value that indicates whether this instance is equal to a specified object. (Inherited from Attribute)
GetHashCode()	Returns the hash code for this instance. (Inherited from Attribute)
GetType()	Gets the Type of the current instance. (Inherited from Object)
IsDefaultAttribute()	When overridden in a derived class, indicates whether the value of this instance is the default value for the derived class. (Inherited from Attribute)
Match(Object)	When overridden in a derived class, returns a value that indicates whether this instance equals a specified object. (Inherited from Attribute)
MemberwiseClone()	Creates a shallow copy of the current Object. (Inherited from Object)
ToString()	Returns a string that represents the current object. (Inherited from Object)

See also

• Attribute
• Extending Metadata Using Attributes