Structs and Ref types

[Brette.Net]

Hey All,

This may be a simple one but I thought I would throw it out there
because I can't find an answer. Structures are value types as we know.
Thus they are stored on the stack. What happenes though, if you have a
struct that contains a ref type such as a string? Is the struct still
a value type? Or is it now stored in heap space?

Brette.Net

 

[Kevin Spencer]

The struct instance is stored in the stack. The reference type instance is
stored in the heap. The struct only contains a reference to the actual
instance.

--
HTH,

Kevin Spencer
Microsoft MVP

Printing Components, Email Components,
FTP Client Classes, Enhanced Data Controls, much more.
DSI PrintManager, Miradyne Component Libraries:
http://www.miradyne.net

 

[Jon Skeet [C# MVP]]

This may be a simple one but I thought I would throw it out there
because I can't find an answer. Structures are value types as we know.
Thus they are stored on the stack.

No - that's a myth. The struct will be stored on the stack *if* it's a
local variable, or an instance variable of another value on the stack.
If it's an instance variable of a class, the value will be on the
heap.

What happenes though, if you have a
struct that contains a ref type such as a string? Is the struct still
a value type? Or is it now stored in heap space?

The struct is still a value type, and it contains a reference.

See http://pobox.com/~skeet/csharp/memory.html

Jon

 

[Brette.Net]

No - that's a myth. The struct will be stored on the stack *if* it's a
local variable, or an instance variable of another value on the stack.
If it's an instance variable of a class, the value will be on the
heap.


The struct is still a value type, and it contains a reference.

Seehttp://pobox.com/~skeet/csharp/memory.html

Jon

Great that makes sense!

Brette.Net