Unsafe Programming

Abstract
In .NET, unsafe code really means potentially unsafe code, which is code or memory that exists outside the normal boundary. This article digs into the details of legacy C programming pointer implementation in the .NET framework. However, we will seldom need to use pointer types. Unsafe code can access unmanaged memory resources, which are outside the realm of CLR. You can access unmanaged memory with raw pointers, which are available only to unsafe code. Finally, using pointers is very risky and prone to breaches because we have to manually manage the subtle memory-related tasks.

Unsafe Coding
In unsafe coding, developers can access raw legacy pointers in the .NET framework environment. You can use pointer operators, such as & and *. As per the semantics of perfect programming practice, pointers should be avoided to make your code safer because they interrupt the normal operation of Garbage Collector and they point to a fixed location in unmanaged memory, while reference types point to a movable location in managed memory. But the question arises: If pointers are so dangerous, then why we are practicing unsafe coding? Why does the .NET framework allow pointers? However, using unsafe coding or pointer is sometimes necessary: for example, porting C/C++ algorithms, which rely heavily on pointers, is very beneficial. There are certain circumstances in which unsafe coding is recommended; e.g.:

• Calling an unmanaged function that requires a function pointer as a parameter.
  
• Unmanaged pointers no doubt improve performance and efficiency.
  
• Pointers might be easier and more convenient when working with binary and memory-resident data structure.                                                                                                                               ==> Read More