CODEWITHSUNDEEP
c#arraysstreamdisposememorystream
user5057257
user5057257

Reputation:

C# - Effect of returning byte array of memory stream just before disposing stream?

I am using a memory stream like this: 

public static byte[] myMethod()
{
    using(MemoryStream stream = new MemoryStream())
    {
       //some processing here.
       return stream.toArray();
    }
}

I am assigning the returned byte array in the caller method like this:

public static void callerMethod()
{
    byte[] myData = myMethod();
   //Some processing on data array here
}

Is the returned byte array passed by reference or by value? If the returned array is by reference does that mean at any time I may have myData in the callerMethod array to be null at any time while I am still processing the data?

Upvotes: 3

Views: 2252

Answers (2)

Pyr0technicien
Pyr0technicien

Reputation: 83

This will be a reference, but you data will be store somewhere in your memory. So When "myMethod" will return, stream will be closed but your array will still contain the data. The only way you array could be null would be that your stream doesn't contain any data.

Upvotes: 0

René Vogt
René Vogt

Reputation: 43876

Is the returned byte array passed by reference or by value?

An array is an instance of an Array class, so it is always a reference and no value. ToArray reads the values from the stream and stores them in a newly instantiated array object.

does that mean at any time I may have ... null

No. As explained above, you return a new array instance containing the values read from the stream. There is no chance that your local variable myData will be set to null again while you work with it.

Upvotes: 4

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