How to Efficiently Parse C/C Data Structures from Byte Arrays in C#?
Jan 19, 2025 am 06:10 AMEfficiently Handling C/C Data Structures within C# Byte Arrays
Interoperability between C# and C/C often necessitates data structure conversion. This article addresses the common scenario of receiving data as a byte array and converting it into a usable C# struct.
Parsing Strategies for Byte Array Data Structures
The key to successfully parsing C/C structures from byte arrays in C# lies in these steps:
-
Matching C# Struct Definition: Create a C# struct mirroring the C/C structure's layout. Precisely define data types, sizes, and field offsets using attributes like
[StructLayout]
and[FieldOffset]
. -
Memory Pinning: Employ
GCHandle
to pin the byte array, preventing garbage collection from relocating it during the parsing process. -
Direct Memory Casting: Use
Marshal.PtrToStructure
to directly cast the pinned memory address to your defined C# struct. This offers superior performance compared to alternative methods. -
Memory Release: Crucially, release the pinned memory using
handle.Free()
to avoid memory leaks once the data is processed.
Illustrative Example: C to C# Struct Conversion
Let's consider a C struct (OldStuff
) and its equivalent C# struct (NewStuff
):
C Struct:
typedef struct OldStuff { CHAR Name[8]; UInt32 User; CHAR Location[8]; UInt32 TimeStamp; UInt32 Sequence; CHAR Tracking[16]; CHAR Filler[12]; } OldStuff;
C# Struct:
[StructLayout(LayoutKind.Explicit, Size = 56, Pack = 1)] public struct NewStuff { [MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.ByValTStr, SizeConst = 8)] [FieldOffset(0)] public string Name; [MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.U4)] [FieldOffset(8)] public uint User; [MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.ByValTStr, SizeConst = 8)] [FieldOffset(12)] public string Location; [MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.U4)] [FieldOffset(20)] public uint TimeStamp; [MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.U4)] [FieldOffset(24)] public uint Sequence; [MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.ByValTStr, SizeConst = 16)] [FieldOffset(28)] public string Tracking; // Filler is omitted in C# as it's not needed for data access. }
The following C# method demonstrates the byte array parsing:
public NewStuff ByteArrayToNewStuff(byte[] bytes) { GCHandle handle = GCHandle.Alloc(bytes, GCHandleType.Pinned); try { return (NewStuff)Marshal.PtrToStructure(handle.AddrOfPinnedObject(), typeof(NewStuff)); } finally { handle.Free(); } }
Performance Optimization
While BinaryReader
provides an alternative, Marshal.PtrToStructure
generally offers superior performance by directly casting the memory address, avoiding format interpretation overhead. This direct approach is particularly beneficial for large datasets.
By employing these techniques, developers can achieve efficient and performant parsing of C/C data structures embedded within C# byte arrays.
The above is the detailed content of How to Efficiently Parse C/C Data Structures from Byte Arrays in C#?. For more information, please follow other related articles on the PHP Chinese website!

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