Question

Possible Duplicate:
Can’t convert value type array to params object[]

Why is

object h = new byte();

possible and

object[] h = new byte[5];

is not?

How to cast a byte Array to an object Array?

Thank You!

Answer 1

The first example boxes a single value.

In the second example, you’re trying to convert a whole array. That just doesn’t work. Each element of an object array is an object variable. Each element of a byte array is a byte variable. They don’t share a representation – you just can’t do it.

You can create a new object array from a byte array easily enough, e.g.

object[] objects = bytes.Cast<object>().ToArray();

… but you can’t treat the byte array as if it were an object array.

Alternatively, you can use the System.Array type, which is compatible with byte[]. Does that help you?

byte[] bytes = ...;
Array array = bytes;