Normally, when a conversion (implicit or explicit) occurs, the original value is read from its current memory location, and then the new value is assigned. For example, to convert a Short to a Long, the system reads the two bytes of Short data and writes them to the appropriate bytes for the Long variable. However, under Visual Basic, if a value type needs to be managed as an object, then the system performs an intermediate step. This intermediate step involves taking the value on the stack and copying it to the heap, a process referred to as boxing. As noted earlier, the Object class is implemented as a reference type, so the system needs to convert value types into reference types for them to be objects. This doesn’t cause any problems or require any special programming, because boxing isn’t something you declare or directly control, but it does affect performance.
If you’re copying the data for a single value type, this is not a significant cost, but if you’re processing an array that contains thousands of values, the time spent moving between a value type and a temporary reference type can be significant.
Fortunately, there are ways to limit the amount of boxing that occurs. One method that works well is to create a class based on the value type you need to work with. This might seem counterintuitive at first because it costs more to create a class. The key is how often you reuse the data contained in the class. By repeatedly using the object to interact with other objects, you avoid creating a temporary boxed object.
Examples in two important areas will help illustrate boxing. The first involves the use of arrays. When an array is created, the portion of the class that tracks the element of the array is created as a reference object, but each element of the array is created directly. Thus, an array of integers consists of the array object and a set of integer value types. When you update one of these values with another integer value, no boxing is involved:
Dim arrInt(20) as Integer
Dim intMyValue as Integer = 1
arrInt(0) = 0
arrInt(1) = intMyValue
Neither of these assignments of an integer value into the integer array that was defined previously requires boxing. In each case, the array object identifies which value on the stack needs to be referenced, and the value is assigned to that value type. The point here is that just because you have referenced an object doesn’t mean you are going to box a value. The boxing occurs only when the values being assigned are being transitioned from value types to reference types:
Dim strBldr as New System.Text.StringBuilder()
Dim mySortedList as New System.Collections.SortedList()
Dim count as Integer
For count = 1 to 100
strBldr.Append(count)
mySortedList.Add(count, count)
Next
The preceding snippet illustrates two separate calls to object interfaces. One call requires boxing of the value intCount, while the other does not. Nothing in the code indicates which call is which, but the Append method of StringBuilder has been overridden to include a version that accepts an integer, while the Add method of the SortedList collection expects two objects. Although the integer values can be recognized by the system as objects, doing so requires the runtime library to box these values so that they can be added to the sorted list.
The key to boxing isn’t that you are working with objects as part of an action, but that you are passing a value to a parameter that expects an object, or you are taking an object and converting it to a value type. However, boxing does not occur when you call a method on a value type. There is no conversion to an object, so if you need to assign an integer to a string using the ToString method, there is no boxing of the integer value as part of the creation of the string. Conversely, you are explicitly creating a new string object, so the cost is similar.
Source of Information : Wrox Professional Visual Basic 2008
If you’re copying the data for a single value type, this is not a significant cost, but if you’re processing an array that contains thousands of values, the time spent moving between a value type and a temporary reference type can be significant.
Fortunately, there are ways to limit the amount of boxing that occurs. One method that works well is to create a class based on the value type you need to work with. This might seem counterintuitive at first because it costs more to create a class. The key is how often you reuse the data contained in the class. By repeatedly using the object to interact with other objects, you avoid creating a temporary boxed object.
Examples in two important areas will help illustrate boxing. The first involves the use of arrays. When an array is created, the portion of the class that tracks the element of the array is created as a reference object, but each element of the array is created directly. Thus, an array of integers consists of the array object and a set of integer value types. When you update one of these values with another integer value, no boxing is involved:
Dim arrInt(20) as Integer
Dim intMyValue as Integer = 1
arrInt(0) = 0
arrInt(1) = intMyValue
Neither of these assignments of an integer value into the integer array that was defined previously requires boxing. In each case, the array object identifies which value on the stack needs to be referenced, and the value is assigned to that value type. The point here is that just because you have referenced an object doesn’t mean you are going to box a value. The boxing occurs only when the values being assigned are being transitioned from value types to reference types:
Dim strBldr as New System.Text.StringBuilder()
Dim mySortedList as New System.Collections.SortedList()
Dim count as Integer
For count = 1 to 100
strBldr.Append(count)
mySortedList.Add(count, count)
Next
The preceding snippet illustrates two separate calls to object interfaces. One call requires boxing of the value intCount, while the other does not. Nothing in the code indicates which call is which, but the Append method of StringBuilder has been overridden to include a version that accepts an integer, while the Add method of the SortedList collection expects two objects. Although the integer values can be recognized by the system as objects, doing so requires the runtime library to box these values so that they can be added to the sorted list.
The key to boxing isn’t that you are working with objects as part of an action, but that you are passing a value to a parameter that expects an object, or you are taking an object and converting it to a value type. However, boxing does not occur when you call a method on a value type. There is no conversion to an object, so if you need to assign an integer to a string using the ToString method, there is no boxing of the integer value as part of the creation of the string. Conversely, you are explicitly creating a new string object, so the cost is similar.
Source of Information : Wrox Professional Visual Basic 2008
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