Copy Byte Array into Generic Type without Boxing

Question

I'm developing a C# class wherein I need to be able to take in a byte array and copy it to a generic variable of the same size. In C/C++ such a thing (the copying) would be easy, but in C# not so much.

MyClass<T>
{
  public T Value = default(T);

  public MyClass(byte[] bytes)
  {
    // how to copy `bytes` into `Value`?
  }
}

I'd prefer not to use boxing. Is there a way to do this using marshaling, reflection, or unmanaged/unsafe code?

---

I did find this other post, but the only suggested answer won't work because it uses boxing.

Answer 1

If you're using up-to-date .NET, you can use Span<T> (System.Buffers) for this:

class MyClass<T> where T : struct
{
    public T Value = default(T);

    public MyClass(byte[] bytes)
    {
        Value = MemoryMarshal.Cast<byte, T>(bytes)[0];
    }
}

You can also use unsafe in recent C# versions (for the T : unmanaged constraint):

class MyClass<T> where T : unmanaged
{
    public T Value = default(T);

    public unsafe MyClass(byte[] bytes)
    {
        fixed (byte* ptr = bytes)
        {
            Value = *(T*)ptr; // note: no out-of-range check here; dangerous
        }
    }
}

You can also do some things here using Unsafe.* methods (System.Runtime.CompilerServices.Unsafe); for example (note no constraints):

class MyClass<T>
{
    public T Value = default(T);

    public unsafe MyClass(byte[] bytes)
    {
        T local = default(T);
        fixed (byte* ptr = bytes)
        {
            Unsafe.Copy(ref local, ptr); // note: no out-of-range check here; dangerous
        }
        Value = local;
    }
}

If you want to check the out-of-range problem:

if (bytes.Length < Unsafe.SizeOf<T>())
    throw new InvalidOperationException("Not enough data, fool!");

or you can use sizeof(T) if you have the T : unmanaged constraint. You don't need this with the Span<T> solution (the first one), because the original Cast<byte, T> will yield a span of length zero in that scenario, and the [0] will throw appropriately.

---

I think this should work too!

public unsafe MyClass(byte[] bytes)
{
    Value = Unsafe.As<byte, T>(ref bytes[0]); // note: no out-of-range check here; dangerous
}

---

complete example (works on net462):

using System;
using System.Runtime.CompilerServices;


struct Foo
{
    public int x, y;
}
class MyClass<T>
{
    public T Value = default(T);

    public unsafe MyClass(byte[] bytes)
    {
        if (bytes.Length < Unsafe.SizeOf<T>())
            throw new InvalidOperationException("not enough data");
        Value = Unsafe.As<byte, T>(ref bytes[0]);
    }
}
static class P
{
    static void Main() {
        byte[] bytes = new byte[] { 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 };
        var obj = new MyClass<Foo>(bytes);
        var val = obj.Value;
        Console.WriteLine(val.x); // 67305985 = 0x04030201
        Console.WriteLine(val.y); // 134678021 = 0x08070605 
    }
}