Marshaling – what is it and why do we need it?

Question

What is marshalling and why do we need it?

I find it hard to believe that I cannot send an int over the wire from C# to C and have to marshall it. Why c

Answer 1

.NET code(C#, VB) is called "managed" because it's "managed" by CLR (Common Language Runtime)

If you write code in C or C++ or assembler it is all called "unmanaged", since no CLR is involved. You are responsible for all memory allocation/de-allocation.

Marshaling is the process between managed code and unmanaged code; It is one of the most important services offered by the CLR.