Consuming Generics (C++/CLI)

Generics authored in one .NET (or UWP) language may be used in other languages. Unlike templates, a generic in a compiled assembly still remains generic. Thus, one may instantiate the generic type in a different assembly and even in a different language than the assembly in which the generic type was defined.

Example: Generic class defined in C#

This example shows a generic class defined in C#.

// consuming_generics_from_other_NET_languages.cs
// compile with: /target:library
// a C# program
public class CircularList<ItemType> {
   class ListNode    {
      public ItemType m_item;
      public ListNode next;
      public ListNode(ItemType item) {
         m_item = item;
      }
   }

   ListNode first, last;

   public CircularList() {}

   public void Add(ItemType item) {
      ListNode newnode = new ListNode(item);
      if (first == null) {
         first = last = newnode;
         first.next = newnode;
         last.next = first;
      }
      else {
         newnode.next = first;
         first = newnode;
         last.next = first;
      }
   }

   public void Remove(ItemType item) {
      ListNode iter = first;
      if (first.m_item.Equals( item )) {
         first =
         last.next = first.next;
      }
      for ( ; iter != last ; iter = iter.next )
         if (iter.next.m_item.Equals( item )) {
              if (iter.next == last)
                  last = iter;
              iter.next = iter.next.next;
              return;
          }
   }

   public void PrintAll() {
      ListNode iter = first;
      do {
         System.Console.WriteLine( iter.m_item );
         iter = iter.next;
      } while (iter != last);
   }
}

Example: Consume assembly authored in C#

This example consumes the assembly authored in C#.

// consuming_generics_from_other_NET_languages_2.cpp
// compile with: /clr
#using <consuming_generics_from_other_NET_languages.dll>
using namespace System;
class NativeClass {};
ref class MgdClass {};

int main() {
   CircularList<int>^ circ1 = gcnew CircularList<int>();
   CircularList<MgdClass^>^ circ2 = gcnew CircularList<MgdClass^>();

   for (int i = 0 ; i < 100 ; i += 10)
      circ1->Add(i);
   circ1->Remove(50);
   circ1->PrintAll();
}

The example produces this output:

90
80
70
60
40
30
20
10

See also

Generics