System.IntPtr Structure

Summary

A platform-specific type that is used to represent a pointer or a handle.

C# Syntax:

[Serializable] public struct IntPtr : ISerializable

This type is safe for multithreaded operations.

The IntPtr type is designed to be an integer whose size is platform-specific. That is, an instance of this type is expected to be 32-bits on 32-bit hardware and operating systems, and 64-bits on 64-bit hardware and operating systems.

The IntPtr type can be used by languages that support pointers, and as a common means of referring to data between languages that do and do not support pointers.

IntPtr objects can also be used to hold handles. For example, instances of IntPtr are used extensively in the FileStream class to hold file handles.

The IntPtr type is CLS-compliant, while the UIntPtr type is not. Only the IntPtr type is used in the common language runtime. The UIntPtr type is provided mostly to maintain architectural symmetry with the IntPtr type.

This type implements the ISerializable interface.

System Namespace | UIntPtr

System.IntPtr Member List:

Public Constructors

ctor #1	Overloaded: .ctor(int value) Initializes a new instance of IntPtr using the specified 32-bit pointer or handle.
ctor #2	Overloaded: .ctor(long value) Initializes a new instance of IntPtr using the specified 64-bit pointer.
ctor #3	Overloaded: .ctor(void* value) Initializes a new instance of IntPtr using the specified pointer to an unspecified type.

Public Fields

Zero	A read-only field that represents a pointer or handle that has been initialized to zero.

Public Properties

Size	Read-only Gets the size of this instance.

Public Methods

Equals	Overridden: Returns a value indicating whether this instance is equal to a specified object.
GetHashCode	Overridden: Returns the hash code for this instance.
GetType (inherited from System.Object)	See base class member description: System.Object.GetType Derived from System.Object, the primary base class for all objects.
ToInt32	Converts the value of this instance to a 32-bit signed integer.
ToInt64	Converts the value of this instance to a 64-bit signed integer.
ToPointer	Converts the value of this instance to a pointer to an unspecified type.
ToString	Overloaded: ToString() Overridden: Converts the numeric value of this instance to its equivalent string representation.
ToString	Overloaded: ToString(string format)

Public Operators and Type Conversions

op_Equality	Determines whether two specified instances of IntPtr are equal.
op_Explicit (convert System.Int32 to System.IntPtr)	Overloaded: op_Explicit(int value) Converts the value of a 32-bit signed integer to an IntPtr.
op_Explicit (convert System.Int64 to System.IntPtr)	Overloaded: op_Explicit(long value) Converts the value of a 64-bit signed integer to an IntPtr.
op_Explicit (convert System.IntPtr to System.Int32)	Overloaded: op_Explicit(IntPtr value) Converts the value of the specified IntPtr to a 32-bit signed integer.
op_Explicit (convert System.IntPtr to System.Int64)	Overloaded: op_Explicit(IntPtr value) Converts the value of the specified IntPtr to a 64-bit signed integer.
op_Explicit (convert System.IntPtr to System.Void*)	Overloaded: op_Explicit(IntPtr value) Converts the value of the specified IntPtr to a pointer to an unspecified type.
op_Explicit (convert System.Void* to System.IntPtr)	Overloaded: op_Explicit(void* value) Converts the specified pointer to an unspecified type to an IntPtr.
op_Inequality	Determines whether two specified instances of IntPtr are not equal.

Protected Methods

Finalize (inherited from System.Object)	See base class member description: System.Object.Finalize Derived from System.Object, the primary base class for all objects.
MemberwiseClone (inherited from System.Object)	See base class member description: System.Object.MemberwiseClone Derived from System.Object, the primary base class for all objects.

Hierarchy:

• System.Object
• System.ValueType
• System.IntPtr

System.IntPtr Member Details

Summary

Initializes a new instance of IntPtr using the specified 32-bit pointer or handle.

C# Syntax:

public IntPtr(    int value );

value

A pointer or handle contained in a 32-bit signed integer.

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Summary

Initializes a new instance of IntPtr using the specified 64-bit pointer.

C# Syntax:

public IntPtr(    long value );

value

A pointer or handle contained in a 64-bit signed integer.

Exceptions

Exception Type	Condition
OverflowException	On a 32-bit platform, value is too large to represent as an IntPtr.

An exception is only thrown if the value of value requires more bits than the current platform supports.

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Summary

Initializes a new instance of IntPtr using the specified pointer to an unspecified type.

This member is not CLS Compliant

C# Syntax:

[CLSCompliant(false)] unsafe public IntPtr(    void* value );

value

A pointer to an unspecified type.

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Summary

A read-only field that represents a pointer or handle that has been initialized to zero.

C# Syntax:

public static readonly IntPtr Zero;

The value of this field is not equivalent to null. Use this field to efficiently determine whether an instance of IntPtr has been set to a value other than zero.

For example, assume the variable, ip, is an instance of IntPtr. You can determine if it has been set by comparing it to the value returned by a constructor, for example: " if ip != new IntPtr(0)... ". However, invoking a constructor to get an unintialized pointer is inefficient. It is better to code either " if ip != IntPtr.Zero... ", or " if !IntPtr.Zero.Equals(ip)... ".

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Summary

Gets the size of this instance.

C# Syntax:

public static int Size {get;}

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Summary

Returns a value indicating whether this instance is equal to a specified object.

C# Syntax:

public override bool Equals(    object obj );

obj

An object to compare with this instance or null.

Return Value:

true if obj is an instance of IntPtr and equals the value of this instance; otherwise, false.

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Inherited
See base class member description: System.Object.Finalize

C# Syntax:

~IntPtr();

For more information on members inherited from System.Object click on the link above.

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Summary

Returns the hash code for this instance.

C# Syntax:

public override int GetHashCode();

Return Value:

A 32-bit signed integer hash code.

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Inherited
See base class member description: System.Object.GetType

C# Syntax:

public Type GetType();

For more information on members inherited from System.Object click on the link above.

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Inherited
See base class member description: System.Object.MemberwiseClone

C# Syntax:

protected object MemberwiseClone();

For more information on members inherited from System.Object click on the link above.

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Summary

Determines whether two specified instances of IntPtr are equal.

C# Syntax:

public static bool operator ==(    IntPtr value1,    IntPtr value2 );

value1

An IntPtr.

value2

An IntPtr.

Return Value:

true if value1 equals value2; otherwise, false.

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Summary

Converts the value of a 32-bit signed integer to an IntPtr.

C# Syntax:

public static operator explicit IntPtr(    int value );

value

A 32-bit signed integer.

Return Value:

A new instance of IntPtr initialized to value.

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Summary

Converts the value of a 64-bit signed integer to an IntPtr.

C# Syntax:

public static operator explicit IntPtr(    long value );

value

A 64-bit signed integer.

Return Value:

A new instance of IntPtr initialized to value.

Exceptions

Exception Type	Condition
OverflowException	On a 32-bit platform, value is too large to represent as an IntPtr.

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Summary

Converts the value of the specified IntPtr to a 32-bit signed integer.

C# Syntax:

public static operator explicit int(    IntPtr value );

value

An IntPtr.

Return Value:

The contents of value.

Exceptions

Exception Type	Condition
OverflowException	On a 64-bit platform, the value of value is too large to represent as a 32-bit signed integer.

An exception is only thrown if the value of value requires more bits than the current platform supports.

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Summary

Converts the value of the specified IntPtr to a 64-bit signed integer.

C# Syntax:

public static operator explicit long(    IntPtr value );

value

An IntPtr.

Return Value:

The contents of value.

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Summary

Converts the value of the specified IntPtr to a pointer to an unspecified type.

This member is not CLS Compliant

C# Syntax:

[CLSCompliant(false)] unsafe public static operator explicit void*(    IntPtr value );

value

An IntPtr.

Return Value:

The contents of value.

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Summary

Converts the specified pointer to an unspecified type to an IntPtr.

This member is not CLS Compliant

C# Syntax:

[CLSCompliant(false)] unsafe public static operator explicit IntPtr(    void* value );

value

A pointer to an unspecified type.

Return Value:

A new instance of IntPtr initialized to value.

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Summary

Determines whether two specified instances of IntPtr are not equal.

C# Syntax:

public static bool operator !=(    IntPtr value1,    IntPtr value2 );

value1

An IntPtr.

value2

An IntPtr.

Return Value:

true if value1 does not equal value2; otherwise, false.

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Summary

Converts the value of this instance to a 32-bit signed integer.

C# Syntax:

public int ToInt32();

Return Value:

A 32-bit signed integer equal to the value of this instance.

Exceptions

Exception Type	Condition
OverflowException	On a 64-bit platform, the value of this instance is too large to represent as a 32-bit signed integer.

An exception is only thrown if the value of value requires more bits than the current platform supports.

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Summary

Converts the value of this instance to a 64-bit signed integer.

C# Syntax:

public long ToInt64();

Return Value:

A 64-bit signed integer equal to the value of this instance.

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Summary

Converts the value of this instance to a pointer to an unspecified type.

This member is not CLS Compliant

C# Syntax:

[CLSCompliant(false)] unsafe public void* ToPointer();

Return Value:

A pointer to Void; that is, a pointer to memory containing data of an unspecified type.

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Summary

Converts the numeric value of this instance to its equivalent string representation.

C# Syntax:

public override string ToString();

Return Value:

The string representation of the value of this instance.

If the value of the IntPtr.Size property for this instance is 4, then this method is equivalent to Int32.ToString; otherwise, this method is equivalent to Int64.ToString.

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C# Syntax:

public string ToString(    string format );

format

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