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NativeScript provides the interop module for working with native C types, pointers, pointer arithmetic and memory.

Using interop

Creating a pointer

The Pointer type allows you to represent a void*.

Using the constructor

To create a new pointer with the given offset, use the constructor:

ts
const interop1 = new interop.Pointer(34)

Creating a pointer by adding an offset from an existing pointer

ts
const interop2 = interop1.add(4)

Creating a pointer by removing an offset to an existing pointer

ts
const interop3 = interop1.subtract(3)

interop API

Pointer.toNumber()

ts
pointerInstance.toNumber()

Converts the value of a Pointer instance to a number.


adopt

ts
interop.adopt(ptr: Pointer): AdoptedPointer

Makes the specified pointer adopted.


free

ts
interop.free(ptr: Pointer): void

Releases the memory of the specified unadopted pointer.


sizeof

ts
interop.sizeof(type: any): number

Returns the size of the provided type. The type can be: a class constructor (of Objective-C interface), an instance (wrapper of Objective-C interface), struct constructor, struct instance, reference, protocol, function (for c function), fundamental types


alloc

ts
interop.alloc(size: number): AdoptedPointer

Allocates memory size in bytes.


handleof

ts
interop.handleof(instance: any): Pointer

A JavaScript object can obtain a reference to the underlying native object. The instance can represent a class constructor (for an Objective-C interface), an instance (wrapper of an Objective-C interface), a struct instance, a reference, a protocol, a function (for C functions), or a block.


bufferFromData

ts
interop.bufferFromData(data: NSData): ArrayBuffer

Wraps an NSData instance in an ArrayBuffer.


new Reference(value)

Creates a new reference around a JavaScript value. The native representation of the type will be determined during the first time the Reference is used in an operation involving marshalling.


new Reference(type: Type<T>, data: Pointer)

Creates a reference from the pointer with a given type.


new Reference(type: Type<T>, value: any)

Creates a new reference around a value of a certain type.


new FunctionReference(func: T)

Creates a function reference that can be marshalled as a native function pointer. The JavaScript reference must be allocated in memory as long as the native code needs the function.

interop types

  • "void": Type<void>

  • bool: Type<boolean>

  • int8: Type<number>

  • uint8: Type<number>

  • int16: Type<number>

  • uint16: Type<number>

  • int32: Type<number>

  • uint32: Type<number>

  • int64: Type<number>

  • uint64: Type<number>

  • float: Type<number>

  • double: Type<number>

  • UTF8CString: Type<Reference<number>>

  • unichar: Type<string>

  • id: Type<any>

  • protocol: Type<any>

  • "class": Type<any>

  • selector: Type<string>


new StructType()

Create a new instance of the struct.


new StructType (obj: T)

Create a new instance of the struct and initialize it from the fields of the provided object.


equals

ts
someStructTypeIntastance.equals(left: T, right: T): boolean

Checks two structs for equality.