How to: Overload Functions with Interior Pointers and Native Pointers (C++/CLI)

Functions can be overloaded depending on whether the parameter type is an interior pointer or a native pointer.

Important

This language feature is supported by the /clr compiler option, but not by the /ZW compiler option.

Example

Code

// interior_ptr_overload.cpp
// compile with: /clr
using namespace System;

// C++ class
struct S {
   int i;
};

// managed class
ref struct G {
   int i;
};

// can update unmanaged storage
void f( int* pi ) {
   *pi = 10;
   Console::WriteLine("in f( int* pi )");
}

// can update managed storage
void f( interior_ptr<int> pi ) {
   *pi = 10; 
   Console::WriteLine("in f( interior_ptr<int> pi )");
}

int main() {
   S *pS = new S;   // C++ heap
   G ^pG = gcnew G;   // common language runtime heap
   f( &pS->i );
   f( &pG->i );
};

Output

in f( int* pi )
in f( interior_ptr<int> pi )

See Also

Reference

interior_ptr (C++/CLI)