System.Runtime.InteropServices.OutAttribute Class

Summary

Indicates that data should be marshaled from callee back to caller.

C# Syntax:

[AttributeUsage(AttributeTargets.Parameter)] public sealed class OutAttribute : Attribute

You can apply this attribute to parameters.

This attribute only applies in COM interop and platform invoke scenarios.

The InAttribute and OutAttribute are optional. In the absence of explicit settings, the common language runtime assumes that all arguments passed by reference are passed in / out and that all other non reference parameters are in. The only exception is the StringBuilder class, which is always assumed to be in / out. The InAttribute and OutAttribute are particularly useful when applied to arrays and formatted, non blittable types. Since these types require copying during marshaling, you can use InAttribute and OutAttribute to reduce unnecessary copies.

For more information on the effect of OutAttribute on marshaling behavior, see the conceptual topic at MSDN: directionalattributes.

using System;
using System.Runtime.InteropServices;

namespace MyModule
{
	// If you do not have a type library for an interface
	// you can redeclare it using ComImportAttribute.

	// This is how the interface would look in an idl file.

	//[
	//object,
	//uuid("73EB4AF8-BE9C-4b49-B3A4-24F4FF657B26"),
	//dual,	helpstring("IMyStorage Interface"),
	//pointer_default(unique)
	//]
	//interface IMyStorage : IDispatch
	//{
	//	[id(1)]
	//	HRESULT GetItem([in] BSTR bstrName, [out, retval] IDispatch ** ppItem);
	//	[id(2)]
	//	HRESULT GetItems([in] BSTR bstrLocation, [out] SAFEARRAY(VARIANT)* pItems);
	//	[id(3)]
	//	HRESULT GetItemDescriptions([in] BSTR bstrLocation, [out] SAFEARRAY(VARIANT) ** ppItems);
	//	[id(4), propget]
	//	HRESULT get_IsEmpty([out, retval] BOOL * pfEmpty);
	//};

	// This is the managed declaration.

	[ComImport]
	[Guid("73EB4AF8-BE9C-4b49-B3A4-24F4FF657B26")]
	public interface IMyStorage  
	{
		[DispId(1)]
		[return : MarshalAs( UnmanagedType.Interface )]
		Object GetItem( [In, MarshalAs( UnmanagedType.BStr )] String bstrName );

		[DispId(2)]
		void GetItems( [In, MarshalAs( UnmanagedType.BStr )] String bstrLocation, 
			[Out, MarshalAs( UnmanagedType.SafeArray, 
					  SafeArraySubType = VarEnum.VT_VARIANT )] out Object[] Items );
                
                
		[DispId(3)]
		void GetItemDescriptions( [In] String bstrLocation, 
			[In, Out, MarshalAs( UnmanagedType.SafeArray )] ref Object[] varDescriptions );

		bool IsEmpty 
		{
			[DispId(4)]
			[return : MarshalAs( UnmanagedType.VariantBool )]
			get;
		}
	}
}

    

System.Runtime.InteropServices Namespace

System.Runtime.InteropServices.OutAttribute Member List:

Public Constructors

ctor #1

Default constructor. This constructor is called by derived class constructors to initialize state in this type. Initializes a new instance of the OutAttribute class.

Public Properties

TypeId (inherited from System.Attribute)

Read-only See base class member description: System.Attribute.TypeId When implemented in a derived class, gets a unique identifier for this Attribute.

Public Methods

Equals (inherited from System.Object)	See base class member description: System.Object.Equals Derived from System.Object, the primary base class for all objects.
GetHashCode (inherited from System.Attribute)	See base class member description: System.Attribute.GetHashCode Returns the hash code for this instance.
GetType (inherited from System.Object)	See base class member description: System.Object.GetType Derived from System.Object, the primary base class for all objects.
IsDefaultAttribute (inherited from System.Attribute)	See base class member description: System.Attribute.IsDefaultAttribute When overridden in a derived class, returns an indication whether the value of this instance is the default value for the derived class.
Match (inherited from System.Attribute)	See base class member description: System.Attribute.Match When overridden in a derived class, returns a value indicating whether this instance equals a specified object.
ToString (inherited from System.Object)	See base class member description: System.Object.ToString Derived from System.Object, the primary base class for all objects.

Protected Methods

Finalize (inherited from System.Object)	See base class member description: System.Object.Finalize Derived from System.Object, the primary base class for all objects.
MemberwiseClone (inherited from System.Object)	See base class member description: System.Object.MemberwiseClone Derived from System.Object, the primary base class for all objects.

Hierarchy:

• System.Object
• System.Attribute
• System.Runtime.InteropServices.OutAttribute

System.Runtime.InteropServices.OutAttribute Member Details

Summary

Initializes a new instance of the OutAttribute class.

Default constructor. This constructor is called by derived class constructors to initialize state in this type.

C# Syntax:

public OutAttribute();

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Inherited
See base class member description: System.Attribute.TypeId

Summary

When implemented in a derived class, gets a unique identifier for this Attribute.

C# Syntax:

public virtual object TypeId {get;}

As implemented, this identifier is merely the Type of the attribute. However, it is intended that the unique identifier be used to identify two attributes of the same type.

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Inherited
See base class member description: System.Object.Equals

C# Syntax:

public virtual bool Equals(    object obj );

For more information on members inherited from System.Object click on the link above.

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Inherited
See base class member description: System.Object.Finalize

C# Syntax:

~OutAttribute();

For more information on members inherited from System.Object click on the link above.

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Inherited
See base class member description: System.Attribute.GetHashCode

Summary

Returns the hash code for this instance.

C# Syntax:

public override int GetHashCode();

Return Value:

A 32-bit signed integer hash code.

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Inherited
See base class member description: System.Object.GetType

C# Syntax:

public Type GetType();

For more information on members inherited from System.Object click on the link above.

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Inherited
See base class member description: System.Attribute.IsDefaultAttribute

Summary

When overridden in a derived class, returns an indication whether the value of this instance is the default value for the derived class.

C# Syntax:

public virtual bool IsDefaultAttribute();

Return Value:

true if this instance is the default attribute for the class; otherwise, false.

The default implementation of this class returns false, and must be implemented in the derived class to be useful to that class.

The implementation of this method in a derived class compares the value of this instance to a standard, default value obtained by some means, then returns a Boolean value that indicates whether the value of this instance is equal to the standard. The standard value is typically coded as a constant in the implementation, or stored programmatically in a field used by the implementation.

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Inherited
See base class member description: System.Attribute.Match

Summary

When overridden in a derived class, returns a value indicating whether this instance equals a specified object.

C# Syntax:

public virtual bool Match(    object obj );

obj

An Object to compare with this instance of Attribute.

Return Value:

true if this instance equals obj; otherwise, false.

This method determines if one Attribute equals another. Its default implementation is the same as Attribute.Equals, which performs a value and reference comparison. Override this method to implement support for attribute values, such as flags or bitfields, that consist of components that are meaningful in themselves. For example, consider an attribute whose value is a binary field divided into a bitfield of flags. Two instances of this attribute have one flag in set in common while all the other flags differ. The Equal method cannot determine that the two instances have the same flag set, but the Match method can.

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Inherited
See base class member description: System.Object.MemberwiseClone

C# Syntax:

protected object MemberwiseClone();

For more information on members inherited from System.Object click on the link above.

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Inherited
See base class member description: System.Object.ToString

C# Syntax:

public virtual string ToString();

For more information on members inherited from System.Object click on the link above.

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