C# in-place cast `int[]` array to `byte[]` array

Question

I have an array of some type (short[], int[], or similar base type). I want to send it through a stream, so I need it to be byte[]. The standard solution seems to be creating a new byte[] array, and use BitConverter. The problem with this approach is performance and memory usage - it requires allocating all new memory, copying into the new memory, and then writing the byte[] to the stream.

I very much want to use the original backing memory of the int[] array as a byte[] array so I can send it in-place. I am willing to enforce the requirement that the sending and receiving system must be the same endianness, for the sake of this very obvious and very significant performance difference.

Is there some way to treat an array of int[] or similar, as a byte[] in-place?

If Span<T> isn't available, remember that if you are writing to a stream, you don't have to convert the entire array at once, you can do it chunk by chunk. It won't save you processing cycles but it won't cost you much in memory — Flydog57
– Flydog57, Commented Dec 5, 2021 at 16:08

Oleh Nechytailo · Accepted Answer · 2021-12-05 15:34:35Z

5

If you can use Span<T> (.net core 3+):

void Send(int[] data)
{
    ReadOnlySpan<byte> byteRef = MemoryMarshal.AsBytes(data.AsSpan());
    _stream.Write(byteRef);
}

edited Dec 5, 2021 at 15:34

answered Dec 5, 2021 at 15:28

Oleh Nechytailo

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2 Comments

Edward Ned Harvey Over a year ago

This is great news, thanks for the reply! I am now reading up on Span<T> and I will need to figure out how to convert back, at the receiver end, from byte[] to int[]. If you happen to post that before I find it, it would be appreciated.

Edward Ned Harvey Over a year ago

On the receiving end, simply create another int[], and a Span<byte> from it, and _stream.Read() into the span. Easy peasy. :-D

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