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C# Pointer Types (Unsafe Context)

Pointer types in C# are used to work with memory addresses directly. However, they can only be used in an unsafe context. A pointer is declared using an asterisk (*), and the unsafe keyword must be used when working with them.

Key Concepts

  • Pointers are variables that store the memory address of another variable.
  • They can only be used in an unsafe block or method.
  • Pointers are primarily used for advanced memory manipulation.

Example of Using Pointers

Code Example

// Unsafe code block to use pointers
unsafe {
    int var = 20;
    // Declare a pointer to the variable
    int* p = &var; // Pointer stores the memory address of var
    
    // Output the memory address stored in the pointer
    Console.WriteLine((int)p); 
    
    // Output the value stored at the memory address
    Console.WriteLine(*p); 
}

Output:

(Memory address of the variable 'var') 20

Code Explanation: The pointer p stores the memory address of the variable var. The & symbol is used to get the address of the variable, and the * operator dereferences the pointer to access the value stored at that address. Both the memory address and the value are printed to the console.

Output Explanation: The first line prints the memory address of the variable var. The second line prints the value 20, which is the value stored at that memory address.

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