UnmanagedMemory

A .NET library for safe and efficient allocation and management of unmanaged memory, with a modern, idiomatic API. Designed for high-performance scenarios where direct memory control is required.

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Features

• Safe Unmanaged Memory Allocation: Allocate, free, and work with unmanaged memory using familiar .NET patterns.
• Span Support: Expose unmanaged memory as Span<T> for fast, safe access.
• LINQ Integration: Use LINQ queries directly on unmanaged memory buffers.
• Disposal Pattern: Implements IDisposable for deterministic cleanup.
• Unsafe Operations: Allows advanced scenarios with pointers when needed.
• .NET Standard 2.1+: Broad compatibility across .NET platforms.

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Getting Started

Installation

Install via NuGet:

dotnet add package UnmanagedMemory

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Basic Usage

using UnmanagedMemory;

// Allocate unmanaged memory for 10 integers
using var memory = new UnsafeMemory<int>(10);

// Fill the memory with a value
memory.AsSpan().Fill(25);

// Set a specific element
memory[9] = 20;

// LINQ query on the buffer
var filtered = memory.Where(x => x > 20);
Console.WriteLine($"[{string.Join(", ", filtered)}]");

// Access raw pointer (unsafe context)
unsafe
{
    var ptr = memory.AsUnsafePointer();
}

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API Overview

UnsafeMemory<T>

A disposable wrapper for a block of unmanaged memory.

• new UnsafeMemory<T>(int length): Allocates memory for length elements.
• Span<T> AsSpan(): Access the memory as a span.
• T this[int index]: Indexer for element access.
• Implements IEnumerable<T> for LINQ support.

Unmanaged

Static helpers for raw memory allocation.

• IntPtr Malloc(int bytes): Allocates a block of unmanaged memory.
• void Free(ref IntPtr ptr): Frees unmanaged memory and nulls the pointer.

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Example

using var memory = new UnsafeMemory<float>(100);
memory.AsSpan().Fill(3.14f);

foreach (var value in memory.Where(x => x > 3.0f))
    Console.WriteLine(value);

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NativeStringBuilder

using var nativeBuilder = new NativeStringBuilder();

nativeBuilder
    .Append("Hello")
    .Append(',')
    .Append(" ")
    .Append("World")
    .Append('!');

var txt = nativeBuilder.ToString();

FileUtility

using UnsafeMemory<byte> bytes = await FileUtility.ReadAllBytesAsync("/path/to/file");

// Use the bytes.

Requirements

• .NET Standard 2.1 or later (.NET Core 3.0+, .NET 5+, .NET 6+, .NET 7+, .NET 8+, .NET 9+)

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License

MIT © BosonWare, Technologies

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Links

• GitHub Repository
• NuGet Package

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Release Notes

Refactor memory management and enhance UnsafeMemory API

• Replaces MemoryUtils with improved memory management functionality
• Adds memory expansion capabilities and safer pointer handling
• Improves debug support with DebuggerTypeProxy
• Enhances span operations with new AsSpan overloads
• Adds explicit operators for Span conversion
• Updates documentation for clarity and completeness

Breaking changes:

• This Version contains no breaking changes.