How to: Use safe_cast and Boxing
Boxing in defined as a compiler-injected, user-defined conversion. Therefore, safe_cast can be used to box a value on the CLR heap.
The following sample shows boxing with simple and user defined value types. A safe_cast will box a value type variable that is on the native stack so it can be assigned to a variable on the garbage-collected heap.
Example
// safe_cast_boxing.cpp
// compile with: /clr
using namespace System;
interface struct I {};
value struct V : public I {
int m_x;
V(int i) : m_x(i) {}
};
int main() {
// box a value type
V v(100);
I^ i = safe_cast<I^>(v);
int x = 100;
V^ refv = safe_cast<V^>(v);
int^ refi = safe_cast<int^>(x);
}
The following sample shows that boxing has a higher priority over a user-defined conversion in a safe_cast operation:
// safe_cast_boxing_2.cpp
// compile with: /clr
static bool fRetval = true;
interface struct I {};
value struct V : public I {
int x;
V(int argx) {
x = argx;
}
static operator I^(V v) {
fRetval = false;
I^ pi = v;
return pi;
}
};
ref struct R {
R() {}
R(V^ pv) {}
};
int main() {
V v(10);
I^ pv = safe_cast<I^>(v); // boxing will occur, not UDC "operator I^"
}