Pass a function pointer from C++ to be called by C# - Arguments of functions include a wide char string (LPCWSTR)

Question

I am writing a C# library to be used by native C++ application. I am using C++/CLI as the Interoperability mechanisim.

I require to pass a callback function from C++

Answer 1

See the little-known UnmanagedFunctionPointer attribute, which is like DllImport for delegates, if you'd like to use CharSet or whatnot.

Answer 2

GetDelegateForFunctionPointer will work, but you need to add a [MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.LPWStr)] attribute to the parameter in your delegate declaration in order for String to get converted into wchar_t*:

delegate void MyDelegate([MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.LPWStr)] string foo)

IntPtr func = ...;
MyDelegate del = (MyDelegate)Marshal.GetDelegateForFunctionPointer(func,
                                 typeof(MyDelegate));

To pass a modifiable string, give a StringBuilder. You need to explicitly reserve space for the unmanaged function to work with:

delegate void MyDelegate([MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.LPWStr)] StringBuilder foo)

StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder(64); // reserve 64 characters.

del(sb);