Draft: Add support for by-ref-like (ref struct) parameter types such as Span<T> and ReadOnlySpan<T>

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 Enhancements:
 - Two new generic method overloads `proxyGenerator.CreateClassProxy<TClass>([options], constructorArguments, interceptors)` (@backstromjoel, #636)
 - Allow specifying which attributes should always be copied to proxy class by adding attribute type to `AttributesToAlwaysReplicate`. Previously only non-inherited, with `Inherited=false`, attributes were copied. (@shoaibshakeel381, #633)
+- Support by-ref-like (`ref struct`) parameter types such as `Span<T>` and `ReadOnlySpan<T>` (@stakx, #664) 
 
 Bugfixes:
 - `ArgumentException`: "Could not find method overriding method" with overridden class method having generic by-ref parameter (@stakx, #657)

README.md

@@ -64,10 +64,12 @@ Symbol                              | .NET 4.6.2         | .NET Standard 2.x and
 ----------------------------------- | ------------------ | ----------------------------
 `FEATURE_APPDOMAIN`                 | :white_check_mark: | :no_entry_sign:
 `FEATURE_ASSEMBLYBUILDER_SAVE`      | :white_check_mark: | :no_entry_sign:
+`FEATURE_BYREFLIKE`                 | :no_entry_sign:    | :white_check_mark: (.NET Standard 2.0 excluded)
 `FEATURE_SERIALIZATION`             | :white_check_mark: | :no_entry_sign:
 `FEATURE_SYSTEM_CONFIGURATION`      | :white_check_mark: | :no_entry_sign:
 
 * `FEATURE_APPDOMAIN` - enables support for features that make use of an AppDomain in the host.
 * `FEATURE_ASSEMBLYBUILDER_SAVE` - enabled support for saving the dynamically generated proxy assembly.
+* `FEATURE_BYREFLIKE` - enables support for by-ref-like (`ref struct`) types such as `Span<T>` and `ReadOnlySpan<T>`.
 * `FEATURE_SERIALIZATION` - enables support for serialization of dynamic proxies and other types.
 * `FEATURE_SYSTEM_CONFIGURATION` - enables features that use System.Configuration and the ConfigurationManager.

buildscripts/common.props

@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@
 	<PropertyGroup>
 		<DiagnosticsConstants>DEBUG</DiagnosticsConstants>
 		<NetStandard20Constants>TRACE</NetStandard20Constants>
-		<NetStandard21Constants>TRACE</NetStandard21Constants>
+		<NetStandard21Constants>TRACE;FEATURE_BYREFLIKE</NetStandard21Constants>
 		<DesktopClrConstants>TRACE;FEATURE_APPDOMAIN;FEATURE_ASSEMBLYBUILDER_SAVE;FEATURE_SERIALIZATION;FEATURE_SYSTEM_CONFIGURATION</DesktopClrConstants>
 	</PropertyGroup>
 
@@ -89,7 +89,15 @@
 	<PropertyGroup Condition="'$(TargetFramework)|$(Configuration)'=='netcoreapp3.1|Release'">
 		<DefineConstants>$(NetStandard21Constants)</DefineConstants>
 	</PropertyGroup>
-
+
+	<PropertyGroup Condition="'$(TargetFramework)|$(Configuration)'=='net6.0|Debug'">
+		<DefineConstants>$(DiagnosticsConstants);$(NetStandard21Constants)</DefineConstants>
+	</PropertyGroup>
+
+	<PropertyGroup Condition="'$(TargetFramework)|$(Configuration)'=='net6.0|Release'">
+		<DefineConstants>$(NetStandard21Constants)</DefineConstants>
+	</PropertyGroup>
+
 	<ItemGroup>
 		<None Include="$(SolutionDir)docs\images\castle-logo.png" Pack="true" PackagePath=""/>
 	</ItemGroup>

ref/Castle.Core-net6.0.cs

@@ -2469,6 +2469,10 @@ public System.Type CreateInterfaceProxyTypeWithoutTarget(System.Type interfaceTo
     }
     [System.Serializable]
     public sealed class DynamicProxyException : System.Exception { }
+    public interface IByRefLikeConverterSelector
+    {
+        System.Type SelectConverterType(System.Reflection.MethodInfo method, int parameterPosition, System.Type parameterType);
+    }
     public interface IChangeProxyTarget
     {
         void ChangeInvocationTarget(object target);
@@ -2615,6 +2619,7 @@ public ProxyGenerationOptions() { }
         public ProxyGenerationOptions(Castle.DynamicProxy.IProxyGenerationHook hook) { }
         public System.Collections.Generic.IList<Castle.DynamicProxy.CustomAttributeInfo> AdditionalAttributes { get; }
         public System.Type BaseTypeForInterfaceProxy { get; set; }
+        public Castle.DynamicProxy.IByRefLikeConverterSelector ByRefLikeConverterSelector { get; set; }
         public bool HasMixins { get; }
         public Castle.DynamicProxy.IProxyGenerationHook Hook { get; set; }
         public Castle.DynamicProxy.MixinData MixinData { get; }

ref/Castle.Core-netstandard2.1.cs

@@ -2467,6 +2467,10 @@ public System.Type CreateInterfaceProxyTypeWithoutTarget(System.Type interfaceTo
     }
     [System.Serializable]
     public sealed class DynamicProxyException : System.Exception { }
+    public interface IByRefLikeConverterSelector
+    {
+        System.Type SelectConverterType(System.Reflection.MethodInfo method, int parameterPosition, System.Type parameterType);
+    }
     public interface IChangeProxyTarget
     {
         void ChangeInvocationTarget(object target);
@@ -2613,6 +2617,7 @@ public ProxyGenerationOptions() { }
         public ProxyGenerationOptions(Castle.DynamicProxy.IProxyGenerationHook hook) { }
         public System.Collections.Generic.IList<Castle.DynamicProxy.CustomAttributeInfo> AdditionalAttributes { get; }
         public System.Type BaseTypeForInterfaceProxy { get; set; }
+        public Castle.DynamicProxy.IByRefLikeConverterSelector ByRefLikeConverterSelector { get; set; }
         public bool HasMixins { get; }
         public Castle.DynamicProxy.IProxyGenerationHook Hook { get; set; }
         public Castle.DynamicProxy.MixinData MixinData { get; }

src/Castle.Core/DynamicProxy/Generators/BaseProxyGenerator.cs

@@ -131,7 +131,11 @@ protected virtual ClassEmitter BuildClassEmitter(string typeName, Type parentTyp
 			CheckNotGenericTypeDefinition(parentType, nameof(parentType));
 			CheckNotGenericTypeDefinitions(interfaces, nameof(interfaces));
 
+#if FEATURE_BYREFLIKE
+			return new ClassEmitter(Scope, typeName, parentType, interfaces) { ByRefLikeConverterSelector = ProxyGenerationOptions.ByRefLikeConverterSelector };
+#else
 			return new ClassEmitter(Scope, typeName, parentType, interfaces);
+#endif
 		}
 
 		protected void CheckNotGenericTypeDefinition(Type type, string argumentName)

src/Castle.Core/DynamicProxy/Generators/Emitters/ClassEmitter.cs

@@ -65,6 +65,10 @@ public ClassEmitter(TypeBuilder typeBuilder)
 		{
 		}
 
+#if FEATURE_BYREFLIKE
+		public IByRefLikeConverterSelector ByRefLikeConverterSelector { get; set; }
+#endif
+
 		public ModuleScope ModuleScope
 		{
 			get { return moduleScope; }

src/Castle.Core/DynamicProxy/Generators/Emitters/SimpleAST/ReferencesToObjectArrayExpression.cs

@@ -18,14 +18,28 @@ namespace Castle.DynamicProxy.Generators.Emitters.SimpleAST
 	using System.Reflection;
 	using System.Reflection.Emit;
 
+	using Castle.DynamicProxy.Tokens;
+
 	internal class ReferencesToObjectArrayExpression : IExpression
 	{
 		private readonly TypeReference[] args;
 
+#if FEATURE_BYREFLIKE
+		private readonly MethodInfo proxiedMethod;
+		private readonly IByRefLikeConverterSelector byRefLikeConverterSelector;
+
+		public ReferencesToObjectArrayExpression(MethodInfo proxiedMethod, IByRefLikeConverterSelector byRefLikeConverterSelector, params TypeReference[] args)
+		{
+			this.proxiedMethod = proxiedMethod;
+			this.byRefLikeConverterSelector = byRefLikeConverterSelector;
+			this.args = args;
+		}
+#else
 		public ReferencesToObjectArrayExpression(params TypeReference[] args)
 		{
 			this.args = args;
 		}
+#endif
 
 		public void Emit(ILGenerator gen)
 		{
@@ -42,6 +56,37 @@ public void Emit(ILGenerator gen)
 
 				var reference = args[i];
 
+#if FEATURE_BYREFLIKE
+				if (reference.Type.IsByRefLike)
+				{
+					var converterType = byRefLikeConverterSelector?.SelectConverterType(proxiedMethod, i, reference.Type);
+					if (converterType != null)
+					{
+						// instantiate the by-ref-like value converter:
+						gen.Emit(OpCodes.Ldtoken, converterType);
+						gen.Emit(OpCodes.Call, TypeMethods.GetTypeFromHandle);
+						gen.EmitCall(OpCodes.Call, ActivatorMethods.CreateInstance, null);
+
+						// invoke it:
+						var boxMethodOnConverter = converterType.GetMethod("Box");
+						// (TODO: isn't there a nicer way to figure out whether or not the argument was passed by-ref,
+						// and then ensure that we end up with the argument's address on the evaluation stack?)
+						var argumentReference = (ArgumentReference)(reference is IndirectReference ? reference.OwnerReference : reference);
+						gen.Emit(argumentReference.Type.IsByRef ? OpCodes.Ldarg_S : OpCodes.Ldarga_S, argumentReference.Position);
+						gen.EmitCall(OpCodes.Callvirt, boxMethodOnConverter, null);
+					}
+					else
+					{
+						// no by-ref-like value converter is available, fall back to substituting the argument value with `null`
+						// because the logic further down would attempt to box it (which isn't allowed for by-ref-like values):
+						gen.Emit(OpCodes.Ldnull);
+					}
+
+					gen.Emit(OpCodes.Stelem_Ref);
+					continue;
+				}
+#endif
+
 				ArgumentsUtil.EmitLoadOwnerAndReference(reference, gen);
 
 				if (reference.Type.IsByRef)

src/Castle.Core/DynamicProxy/Generators/MethodWithInvocationGenerator.cs

@@ -221,7 +221,11 @@ private IExpression[] GetCtorArguments(ClassEmitter @class, IExpression proxiedM
 				SelfReference.Self,
 				methodInterceptors ?? interceptors,
 				proxiedMethodTokenExpression,
+#if FEATURE_BYREFLIKE
+				new ReferencesToObjectArrayExpression(MethodToOverride, @class.ByRefLikeConverterSelector, dereferencedArguments)
+#else
 				new ReferencesToObjectArrayExpression(dereferencedArguments)
+#endif
 			};
 		}
 

src/Castle.Core/DynamicProxy/IByRefLikeConverterSelector.cs

@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+// Copyright 2004-2023 Castle Project - http://www.castleproject.org/
+//
+// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+// you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+// You may obtain a copy of the License at
+//
+//     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+//
+// Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+// distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+// WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+// See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+// limitations under the License.
+
+#if FEATURE_BYREFLIKE
+
+namespace Castle.DynamicProxy
+{
+	using System;
+	using System.Reflection;
+
+	/// <summary>
+	///   Provides an extension point that allows proxies to convert by-ref-like argument values
+	///   on a per method parameter basis.
+	/// </summary>
+	public interface IByRefLikeConverterSelector
+	{
+		/// <summary>
+		///   Selects the converter that should be used to convert by-ref-like argument values of the given method parameter.
+		/// </summary>
+		/// <param name="method">The method that will be intercepted.</param>
+		/// <param name="parameterPosition">The zero-based index of the method parameter for which an argument value is to be converted.</param>
+		/// <param name="parameterType">The type of the method parameter for which an argument value is to be converted.</param>
+		/// <returns>The type of converter that should be used to convert argument values of the given method parameter.</returns>
+		Type SelectConverterType(MethodInfo method, int parameterPosition, Type parameterType);
+	}
+}
+
+#endif

src/Castle.Core/DynamicProxy/ProxyGenerationOptions.cs

@@ -126,6 +126,21 @@ public void GetObjectData(SerializationInfo info, StreamingContext context)
 		/// </summary>
 		public IInterceptorSelector Selector { get; set; }
 
+#if FEATURE_BYREFLIKE
+		/// <summary>
+		///   Gets or sets the <see cref="IByRefLikeConverterSelector"/> that should be used by created proxies
+		///   to determine how to convert argument values of by-ref-like types when transferring them
+		///   into &amp; out of the <see cref="IInvocation.Arguments"/> array during interception.
+		///   If set to <see langword="null"/> (which is the default), created proxies will represent by-ref-like
+		///   arguments as <see langword="null"/> in <see cref="IInvocation.Arguments"/>.
+		///   <para>
+		///     You should not modify this property once this <see cref="ProxyGenerationOptions"/> instance
+		///     has been used to create a proxy.
+		///   </para>
+		/// </summary>
+		public IByRefLikeConverterSelector ByRefLikeConverterSelector { get; set; }
+#endif
+
 		/// <summary>
 		///   Gets or sets the class type from which generated interface proxy types will be derived.
 		///   Defaults to <c><see langword="typeof"/>(<see langword="object"/>)</c>.
@@ -269,6 +284,12 @@ public override bool Equals(object obj)
 			{
 				return false;
 			}
+#if FEATURE_BYREFLIKE
+			if (!Equals(ByRefLikeConverterSelector == null, proxyGenerationOptions.ByRefLikeConverterSelector == null))
+			{
+				return false;
+			}
+#endif
 			if (!Equals(MixinData, proxyGenerationOptions.MixinData))
 			{
 				return false;
@@ -291,6 +312,9 @@ public override int GetHashCode()
 
 			var result = Hook != null ? Hook.GetType().GetHashCode() : 0;
 			result = 29*result + (Selector != null ? 1 : 0);
+#if FEATURE_BYREFLIKE
+			result = 29*result + (ByRefLikeConverterSelector != null ? 1 : 0);
+#endif
 			result = 29*result + MixinData.GetHashCode();
 			result = 29*result + (BaseTypeForInterfaceProxy != null ? BaseTypeForInterfaceProxy.GetHashCode() : 0);
 			result = 29*result + GetAdditionalAttributesHashCode();

src/Castle.Core/DynamicProxy/Tokens/ActivatorMethods.cs

@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+// Copyright 2004-2023 Castle Project - http://www.castleproject.org/
+//
+// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+// you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+// You may obtain a copy of the License at
+//
+//     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+//
+// Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+// distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+// WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+// See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+// limitations under the License.
+
+namespace Castle.DynamicProxy.Tokens
+{
+	using System;
+	using System.Reflection;
+
+	internal class ActivatorMethods
+	{
+		public static readonly MethodInfo CreateInstance = typeof(Activator).GetMethod("CreateInstance", new[] { typeof(Type) });
+	}
+}