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Marshal Members

.NET Framework 3.5

Provides a collection of methods for allocating unmanaged memory, copying unmanaged memory blocks, and converting managed to unmanaged types, as well as other miscellaneous methods used when interacting with unmanaged code.

The Marshal type exposes the following members.

Methods

	Name	Description
	AddRef	Increments the reference count on the specified interface.
	AllocCoTaskMem	Allocates a block of memory of specified size from the COM task memory allocator.
	AllocHGlobal	Overloaded. Allocates a block of memory using LocalAlloc.
	BindToMoniker	Gets an interface pointer identified by the specified moniker.
	ChangeWrapperHandleStrength	Changes the strength of a COM callable wrapper's (CCW) handle on the object it contains.
	Copy	Overloaded. Copies data from a managed array to an unmanaged memory pointer, or from an unmanaged memory pointer to a managed array.
	CreateAggregatedObject	Aggregates a managed object with the specified COM object.
	CreateWrapperOfType	Wraps the specified COM object in an object of the specified type.
	DestroyStructure	Frees all substructures pointed to by the specified unmanaged memory block.
	FinalReleaseComObject	Releases all references to a runtime callable wrapper (RCW) by setting the reference count of the supplied RCW to 0.
	FreeBSTR	Frees a BSTR using SysFreeString.
	FreeCoTaskMem	Frees a block of memory allocated by the unmanaged COM task memory allocator with Marshal.AllocCoTaskMem.
	FreeHGlobal	Frees memory previously allocated from the unmanaged memory of the process with AllocHGlobal.
	GenerateGuidForType	Returns the globally unique identifier (GUID) for the specified type, or generates a GUID using the algorithm used by the Type Library Exporter (Tlbexp.exe).
	GenerateProgIdForType	Returns a programmatic identifier (ProgID) for the specified type.
	GetActiveObject	Obtains a running instance of the specified object from the Running Object Table (ROT).
	GetComInterfaceForObject	Returns an interface pointer that represents the specified interface for an object.
	GetComInterfaceForObjectInContext	Returns an interface pointer that represents the specified interface for an object, if the caller is in the same context as that object.
	GetComObjectData	Gets data referenced by the specified key from the specified COM object.
	GetComSlotForMethodInfo	Gets the virtual function table (VTBL) slot for a specified System.Reflection.MemberInfo when exposed to COM.
	GetDelegateForFunctionPointer	Converts an unmanaged function pointer to a delegate.
	GetEndComSlot	Gets the last slot in the virtual function table (VTBL) of a type when exposed to COM.
	GetExceptionCode	Retrieves a code that identifies the type of the exception that occurred.
	GetExceptionForHR	Overloaded. Converts an HRESULT error code to a corresponding Exception object.
	GetExceptionPointers	Retrieves a computer-independent description of an exception, and information about the state that existed for the thread when the exception occurred.
	GetFunctionPointerForDelegate	Converts a delegate into a function pointer callable from unmanaged code.
	GetHINSTANCE	Returns the instance handle (HINSTANCE) for the specified module.
	GetHRForException	Converts the specified exception to an HRESULT.
	GetHRForLastWin32Error	Returns the HRESULT corresponding to the last error incurred by Win32 code executed using Marshal.
	GetIDispatchForObject	Returns an IDispatch interface from a managed object.
	GetIDispatchForObjectInContext	Returns an IDispatch interface pointer from a managed object, if the caller is in the same context as that object.
	GetITypeInfoForType	Returns an ITypeInfo interface from a managed type.
	GetIUnknownForObject	Returns an IUnknown interface from a managed object.
	GetIUnknownForObjectInContext	Returns an IUnknown interface from a managed object, if the caller is in the same context as that object.
	GetLastWin32Error	Returns the error code returned by the last unmanaged function called using platform invoke that has the DllImportAttribute.SetLastError flag set.
	GetManagedThunkForUnmanagedMethodPtr	Obsolete. Gets a pointer to a thunk that marshals a call from managed to unmanaged code.
	GetMethodInfoForComSlot	Retrieves MethodInfo for the specified virtual function table (VTBL) slot.
	GetNativeVariantForObject	Converts an object to a COM VARIANT.
	GetObjectForIUnknown	Returns an instance of a type that represents a COM object by a pointer to its IUnknown interface.
	GetObjectForNativeVariant	Converts a COM VARIANT to an object.
	GetObjectsForNativeVariants	Converts an array of COM VARIANTs to an array of objects.
	GetStartComSlot	Gets the first slot in the virtual function table (VTBL) that contains user defined methods.
	GetThreadFromFiberCookie	Obsolete. Converts a fiber cookie into the corresponding System.Threading.Thread instance.
	GetTypedObjectForIUnknown	Returns a managed object of a specified type that represents a COM object.
	GetTypeForITypeInfo	Converts an ITypeInfo into a managed Type object.
	GetTypeInfoName	Overloaded. Retrieves the name of the type represented by an ITypeInfo.
	GetTypeLibGuid	Overloaded. Retrieves the library identifier (LIBID) of a type library.
	GetTypeLibGuidForAssembly	Retrieves the library identifier (LIBID) that is assigned to a type library when it was exported from the specified assembly.
	GetTypeLibLcid	Overloaded. Retrieves the LCID of a type library.
	GetTypeLibName	Overloaded. Retrieves the name of a type library.
	GetTypeLibVersionForAssembly	Retrieves the version number of a type library that will be exported from the specified assembly.
	GetUniqueObjectForIUnknown	Creates a unique runtime callable wrapper (RCW) object for a given IUnknown.
	GetUnmanagedThunkForManagedMethodPtr	Obsolete. Gets a pointer to a thunk that marshals a call from unmanaged to managed code.
	IsComObject	Indicates whether a specified object represents a COM object.
	IsTypeVisibleFromCom	Indicates whether a type is visible to COM clients.
	NumParamBytes	Calculates the number of bytes in unmanaged memory that are required to hold the parameters for the specified method.
	OffsetOf	Returns the field offset of the unmanaged form of the managed class.
	Prelink	Executes one-time method setup tasks without calling the method.
	PrelinkAll	Performs a pre-link check for all methods on a class.
	PtrToStringAnsi	Overloaded. Allocates a managed String and copies all or part of an unmanaged ANSI string into it.
	PtrToStringAuto	Overloaded. Allocates a managed String and copies a specified number of characters from an unmanaged string into it.
	PtrToStringBSTR	Allocates a managed String and copies a BSTR string stored in unmanaged memory into it.
	PtrToStringUni	Overloaded. Allocates a managed String and copies a specified number of characters from an unmanaged Unicode string into it.
	PtrToStructure	Overloaded. Marshals data from an unmanaged block of memory to a managed object.
	QueryInterface	Requests a pointer to a specified interface from a COM object.
	ReadByte	Overloaded. Reads a single byte from an unmanaged pointer. Reading from unaligned memory locations is supported.
	ReadInt16	Overloaded. Reads a 16-bit signed integer from unmanaged memory. Reading from unaligned memory locations is supported.
	ReadInt32	Overloaded. Reads a 32-bit signed integer from unmanaged memory. Reading from unaligned memory locations is supported.
	ReadInt64	Overloaded. Reads a 64-bit signed integer from unmanaged memory. Reading from unaligned memory locations is supported.
	ReadIntPtr	Overloaded. Reads a processor native sized integer from unmanaged memory. Reading from unaligned memory locations is supported.
	ReAllocCoTaskMem	Resizes a block of memory previously allocated with AllocCoTaskMem.
	ReAllocHGlobal	Resizes a block of memory previously allocated with AllocHGlobal.
	Release	Decrements the reference count on the specified interface.
	ReleaseComObject	Decrements the reference count of the supplied runtime callable wrapper.
	ReleaseThreadCache	Obsolete. Releases the thread cache.
	SecureStringToBSTR	Allocates a BSTR and copies the contents of a managed SecureString object into it.
	SecureStringToCoTaskMemAnsi	Copies the contents of a managed SecureString object to a block of memory allocated from the unmanaged COM task allocator.
	SecureStringToCoTaskMemUnicode	Copies the contents of a managed SecureString object to a block of memory allocated from the unmanaged COM task allocator.
	SecureStringToGlobalAllocAnsi	Copies the contents of a managed SecureString into unmanaged memory, converting into ANSI format as it copies.
	SecureStringToGlobalAllocUnicode	Copies the contents of a managed SecureString object into unmanaged memory.
	SetComObjectData	Sets data referenced by the specified key in the specified COM object.
	SizeOf	Overloaded. Returns the unmanaged size, in bytes, of a class using Marshal.
	StringToBSTR	Allocates a BSTR and copies the contents of a managed String into it.
	StringToCoTaskMemAnsi	Copies the contents of a managed String to a block of memory allocated from the unmanaged COM task allocator.
	StringToCoTaskMemAuto	Copies the contents of a managed String to a block of memory allocated from the unmanaged COM task allocator.
	StringToCoTaskMemUni	Copies the contents of a managed String to a block of memory allocated from the unmanaged COM task allocator.
	StringToHGlobalAnsi	Copies the contents of a managed String into unmanaged memory, converting into ANSI format as it copies.
	StringToHGlobalAuto	Copies the contents of a managed String into unmanaged memory, converting into ANSI format if required.
	StringToHGlobalUni	Copies the contents of a managed String into unmanaged memory.
	StructureToPtr	Marshals data from a managed object to an unmanaged block of memory.
	ThrowExceptionForHR	Overloaded. Throws an exception with a specific failure HRESULT value.
	UnsafeAddrOfPinnedArrayElement	Gets the address of the element at the specified index inside the specified array.
	WriteByte	Overloaded. Writes a single byte value to unmanaged memory.
	WriteInt16	Overloaded. Writes a 16-bit signed integer value to unmanaged memory. Writing to unaligned memory locations is supported.
	WriteInt32	Overloaded. Writes a 32-bit signed integer value to unmanaged memory. Writing to unaligned memory locations is supported.
	WriteInt64	Overloaded. Writes a 64-bit signed integer value to unmanaged memory. Writing to unaligned memory locations is supported.
	WriteIntPtr	Overloaded. Writes a processor native sized integer value to unmanaged memory. Writing to unaligned memory locations is supported.
	ZeroFreeBSTR	Frees a BSTR pointer that was allocated using the SecureStringToBSTR method.
	ZeroFreeCoTaskMemAnsi	Frees an unmanaged string pointer that was allocated using the SecureStringToCoTaskMemAnsi method.
	ZeroFreeCoTaskMemUnicode	Frees an unmanaged string pointer that was allocated using the SecureStringToCoTaskMemUnicode method.
	ZeroFreeGlobalAllocAnsi	Frees an unmanaged string pointer that was allocated using the SecureStringToGlobalAllocAnsi method.
	ZeroFreeGlobalAllocUnicode	Frees an unmanaged string pointer that was allocated using the SecureStringToGlobalAllocUnicode method.

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Fields

	Name	Description
	SystemDefaultCharSize	Represents the default character size on the system; the default is 2 for Unicode systems and 1 for ANSI systems. This field is read-only.
	SystemMaxDBCSCharSize	Represents the maximum size of a double byte character set (DBCS) size, in bytes, for the current operating system. This field is read-only.

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Reference

Marshal Class

System.Runtime.InteropServices Namespace

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