ModuleBuilder.DefineGlobalMethod Method (String, MethodAttributes, Type, array<Type[])

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Defines a global method with the specified name, attributes, return type, and parameter types.

Namespace:  System.Reflection.Emit
Assembly:  mscorlib (in mscorlib.dll)

Syntax

'Declaration
Public Function DefineGlobalMethod ( _
    name As String, _
    attributes As MethodAttributes, _
    returnType As Type, _
    parameterTypes As Type() _
) As MethodBuilder
public MethodBuilder DefineGlobalMethod(
    string name,
    MethodAttributes attributes,
    Type returnType,
    Type[] parameterTypes
)

Parameters

  • name
    Type: System.String
    The name of the method. name cannot contain embedded nulls.
  • returnType
    Type: System.Type
    The return type of the method.
  • parameterTypes
    Type: array<System.Type[]
    The types of the method's parameters.

Return Value

Type: System.Reflection.Emit.MethodBuilder
The defined global method.

Exceptions

Exception Condition
ArgumentException

The method is not static. That is, attributes does not include Static.

-or-

The length of name is zero

-or-

An element in the Type array is nulla null reference (Nothing in Visual Basic).

ArgumentNullException

name is nulla null reference (Nothing in Visual Basic).

InvalidOperationException

CreateGlobalFunctions has been previously called.

Remarks

The global method that this method defines is not usable until you call CreateGlobalFunctions.

Examples

The following example illustrates the use of DefineGlobalMethod to create a type-independent method tied to the current ModuleBuilder. After building the global method, CreateGlobalFunctions must be called in order to complete it.

Imports System.Reflection
Imports System.Reflection.Emit

Public Class Example

   Public Shared Sub Demo(ByVal outputBlock As System.Windows.Controls.TextBlock)

      ' Get the current application domain.
      Dim currentDomain As AppDomain = AppDomain.CurrentDomain

      ' Define a dynamic assembly and a dynamic module.
      Dim aName As New AssemblyName("TempAssembly")
      Dim ab As AssemblyBuilder = _
         currentDomain.DefineDynamicAssembly(aName, AssemblyBuilderAccess.Run)
      Dim mb As ModuleBuilder = _
         ab.DefineDynamicModule("TempModule")

      ' Define a global method in the module. The method has no parameters,
      ' and returns a constant string.
      Dim globalMethod As MethodBuilder = _
         mb.DefineGlobalMethod("GetGreeting", _
                               MethodAttributes.Static Or MethodAttributes.Public, _
                               GetType(String), Nothing)

      Dim il As ILGenerator = globalMethod.GetILGenerator()
      il.Emit(OpCodes.Ldstr, "Hello, World!")
      il.Emit(OpCodes.Ret)

      ' Complete the global function.
      mb.CreateGlobalFunctions()

      ' Define a public type with a Shared method named M1. The method has no 
      ' parameters, and returns a string.
      Dim tb As TypeBuilder = mb.DefineType("TestType", TypeAttributes.Public)
      Dim m1 As MethodBuilder = _
         tb.DefineMethod("M1", _
                         MethodAttributes.Public Or MethodAttributes.Static, _
                         GetType(String), Nothing)

      ' In the method body of M1, call the global method "GetGreeting". This 
      ' puts the return value of GetGreeting on the execution stack. Return
      ' that value. 
      il = m1.GetILGenerator()
      il.Emit(OpCodes.Call, globalMethod) 
      il.Emit(OpCodes.Ret)

      ' Complete the type, and invoke M1.
      Dim t As Type = tb.CreateType()
      outputBlock.Text &= "M1 returned: " & _
         t.InvokeMember("M1", _
                        BindingFlags.InvokeMethod Or BindingFlags.Public _
                                                  Or BindingFlags.Static, _
                        Nothing, Nothing, Nothing).ToString() & vbLf

      ' Try to call the global method directly.
      Dim miGlobal As MethodInfo = mb.GetMethod("GetGreeting")
      outputBlock.Text &= "Invoking the global method:" & vbCrLf
      Try
         outputBlock.Text &= "GetGreeting returned: " & miGlobal.Invoke(Nothing, Nothing)
      Catch ex As Exception
         outputBlock.Text &= ex.GetType().Name & ": " & ex.Message & vbLf
      End Try

   End Sub 

End Class 

' This example produces output similar to the following:
'
'M1 returned: Hello, World!
'Invoking the global method:
'MethodAccessException: <Module>.GetGreeting()
using System;
using System.Reflection;
using System.Reflection.Emit;

public class Example
{
   public static void Demo(System.Windows.Controls.TextBlock outputBlock)
   { 
      // Get the current application domain.
      AppDomain currentDomain = AppDomain.CurrentDomain;

      // Define a dynamic assembly and a dynamic module.
      AssemblyName aName = new AssemblyName("TempAssembly");
      AssemblyBuilder ab = 
         currentDomain.DefineDynamicAssembly(aName, AssemblyBuilderAccess.Run);
      ModuleBuilder mb = ab.DefineDynamicModule("TempModule");

      // Define a global method in the module. The method has no parameters,
      // and returns a constant string.
      MethodBuilder globalMethod = 
         mb.DefineGlobalMethod("GetGreeting", 
                               MethodAttributes.Static | MethodAttributes.Public, 
                               typeof(string), null);

      ILGenerator il = globalMethod.GetILGenerator();
      il.Emit(OpCodes.Ldstr, "Hello, World!");
      il.Emit(OpCodes.Ret);

      // Complete the global function.
      mb.CreateGlobalFunctions();

      // Define a public type with a static method named M1. The method has no 
      // parameters, and returns a string.
      TypeBuilder tb = mb.DefineType("TestType", TypeAttributes.Public);
      MethodBuilder m1 = tb.DefineMethod("M1", 
                                         MethodAttributes.Public | MethodAttributes.Static, 
                                         typeof(string), null);

      // In the method body of M1, call the global method "GetGreeting". This 
      // puts the return value of GetGreeting on the execution stack. Return
      // that value. 
      il = m1.GetILGenerator();
      il.Emit(OpCodes.Call, globalMethod);
      il.Emit(OpCodes.Ret);

      // Complete the type, and invoke M1.
      Type t = tb.CreateType();
      outputBlock.Text += "M1 returned: " + 
         t.InvokeMember("M1", 
                        BindingFlags.InvokeMethod | BindingFlags.Public | BindingFlags.Static, 
                        null, null, null).ToString() + "\n";

      // Try to call the global method directly.
      MethodInfo miGlobal = mb.GetMethod("GetGreeting");
      outputBlock.Text += "Invoking the global method:\n";
      try
      {
         outputBlock.Text += "GetGreeting returned: " + miGlobal.Invoke(null, null);
      }
      catch(Exception ex)
      {
         outputBlock.Text += ex.GetType().Name + ": " + ex.Message;
      }
   }
}

/* This example produces output similar to the following:

M1 returned: Hello, World!
Invoking the global method:
MethodAccessException: <Module>.GetGreeting()
 */

Version Information

Silverlight

Supported in: 5, 4, 3

Platforms

For a list of the operating systems and browsers that are supported by Silverlight, see Supported Operating Systems and Browsers.