Much improved support for marshaling const char* to string

* Changed support for marshaling "const char *"s as strings so that:

1) CppSharp.Types.Std.CSharpMarshalToNative generates setters that allocate unmanaged memory for the native bytes rather than an unpinned pointer into managed memory. Also set a null termination char.
2) Add tracking for when unmanaged memory is allocated for "const char *" strings. Free it when reassigned or dispsoed.
3) Added explicit support for Encoding.Default for ANSI support.
4) Allow setting a string value to null.

* Added test to prove that the unpinned ptr to managed memory approach wasn't working, and that the new approach appears to work.

* Change CSharpSources.GenerateDisposeMethods to free unmanaged memory held by IntPtr's corresponding to "const char *" strings.

* Changed copy constructor to deep-copy owned string refs to avoid ref counting.

* Update CSharpSources.GenerateFieldGetter to treat Char16 and Char32 the same as WideChar to avoid compilation errors on the generated sources if char32_t or char16_t are used.

* Added tests.

* Workaround for mac C++ compilation issue.

src/Generator/Generators/CSharp/CSharpSources.cs

@@ -455,6 +455,12 @@ namespace CppSharp.Generators.CSharp
                     var dict = $@"global::System.Collections.Concurrent.ConcurrentDictionary<IntPtr, {
                         printedClass}>";
                     WriteLine("internal static readonly {0} NativeToManagedMap = new {0}();", dict);
+
+                    // Add booleans to track who owns unmanaged memory for string fields
+                    foreach (var field in @class.Layout.Fields.Where(f => f.QualifiedType.Type.IsConstCharString()))
+                    {
+                        WriteLine($"private bool __{field.Name}_OwnsNativeMemory = false;");
+                    }
                 }
                 PopBlock(NewLineKind.BeforeNextBlock);
             }
@@ -871,7 +877,7 @@ namespace CppSharp.Generators.CSharp
             PopBlock(NewLineKind.BeforeNextBlock);
         }
 
-        #endregion
+#endregion
 
         private void GeneratePropertySetter<T>(T decl,
             Class @class, bool isAbstract = false, Property property = null)
@@ -1411,13 +1417,17 @@ namespace CppSharp.Generators.CSharp
                 if (templateSubstitution != null && returnType.Type.IsDependent)
                     Write($"({templateSubstitution.ReplacedParameter.Parameter.Name}) (object) ");
                 if ((final.IsPrimitiveType() && !final.IsPrimitiveType(PrimitiveType.Void) &&
-                    (!final.IsPrimitiveType(PrimitiveType.Char) &&
+                    ((!final.IsPrimitiveType(PrimitiveType.Char) &&
-                     !final.IsPrimitiveType(PrimitiveType.WideChar) ||
+                      !final.IsPrimitiveType(PrimitiveType.WideChar) &&
+                      !final.IsPrimitiveType(PrimitiveType.Char16) &&
+                      !final.IsPrimitiveType(PrimitiveType.Char32)) ||
                      (!Context.Options.MarshalCharAsManagedChar &&
                       !((PointerType) field.Type).QualifiedPointee.Qualifiers.IsConst)) &&
                     templateSubstitution == null) ||
                     (!((PointerType) field.Type).QualifiedPointee.Qualifiers.IsConst &&
-                     final.IsPrimitiveType(PrimitiveType.WideChar)))
+                      (final.IsPrimitiveType(PrimitiveType.WideChar) || 
+                       final.IsPrimitiveType(PrimitiveType.Char16) || 
+                       final.IsPrimitiveType(PrimitiveType.Char32))))
                     Write($"({field.Type.GetPointee().Desugar()}*) ");
             }
             WriteLine($"{@return};");
@@ -1626,7 +1636,7 @@ namespace CppSharp.Generators.CSharp
             PopBlock(NewLineKind.BeforeNextBlock);
         }
 
-        #region Virtual Tables
+#region Virtual Tables
 
         public List<VTableComponent> GetUniqueVTableMethodEntries(Class @class)
         {
@@ -2033,9 +2043,9 @@ namespace CppSharp.Generators.CSharp
             return @class.IsGenerated && @class.IsDynamic && GetUniqueVTableMethodEntries(@class).Count > 0;
         }
 
-        #endregion
+#endregion
 
-        #region Events
+#region Events
 
         public override bool VisitEvent(Event @event)
         {
@@ -2143,9 +2153,9 @@ namespace CppSharp.Generators.CSharp
             UnindentAndWriteCloseBrace();
         }
 
-        #endregion
+#endregion
 
-        #region Constructors
+#region Constructors
 
         public void GenerateClassConstructors(Class @class)
         {
@@ -2266,6 +2276,21 @@ namespace CppSharp.Generators.CSharp
                 }
             }
 
+            // If we have any fields holding references to unmanaged memory allocated here, free the
+            // referenced memory. Don't rely on testing if the field's IntPtr is IntPtr.Zero since 
+            // unmanaged memory isn't always initialized and/or a reference may be owned by the
+            // native side.
+            //
+            // TODO: We should delegate to the dispose methods of references we hold to other
+            // generated type instances since those instances could also hold references to
+            // unmanaged memory.
+            foreach (var field in @class.Layout.Fields.Where(f => f.QualifiedType.Type.IsConstCharString()))
+            {
+                var ptr = $"(({Helpers.InternalStruct}*){Helpers.InstanceIdentifier})->{field.Name}";
+                WriteLine($"if (__{field.Name}_OwnsNativeMemory)");
+                WriteLineIndent($"Marshal.FreeHGlobal({ptr});");
+            }
+
             WriteLine("if ({0})", Helpers.OwnsNativeInstanceIdentifier);
             WriteLineIndent("Marshal.FreeHGlobal({0});", Helpers.InstanceIdentifier);
 
@@ -2482,9 +2507,9 @@ internal static{(@new ? " new" : string.Empty)} {printedClass} __GetInstance({Ty
                 WriteLineIndent(": this()");
         }
 
-        #endregion
+#endregion
 
-        #region Methods / Functions
+#region Methods / Functions
 
         public void GenerateFunction(Function function, string parentName)
         {
@@ -2898,6 +2923,21 @@ internal static{(@new ? " new" : string.Empty)} {printedClass} __GetInstance({Ty
                     var classInternal = TypePrinter.PrintNative(@class);
                     WriteLine($@"*(({classInternal}*) {Helpers.InstanceIdentifier}) = *(({
                         classInternal}*) {method.Parameters[0].Name}.{Helpers.InstanceIdentifier});");
+
+                    // Copy any string references owned by the source to the new instance so we
+                    // don't have to ref count them.
+                    foreach (var field in @class.Fields.Where(f => f.QualifiedType.Type.IsConstCharString()))
+                    {
+                        var prop = @class.Properties.Where(p => p.Field == field).FirstOrDefault();
+                        // If there is no property or no setter then this instance can never own the native
+                        // memory. Worry about the case where there's only a setter (write-only) when we 
+                        // understand the use case and how it can occur.
+                        if (prop != null && prop.HasGetter && prop.HasSetter)
+                        {
+                            WriteLine($"if ({method.Parameters[0].Name}.__{field.OriginalName}_OwnsNativeMemory)");
+                            WriteLineIndent($@"this.{prop.Name} = {method.Parameters[0].Name}.{prop.Name};");
+                        }
+                    }
                 }
             }
             else
@@ -3230,7 +3270,7 @@ internal static{(@new ? " new" : string.Empty)} {printedClass} __GetInstance({Ty
             return TypePrinter.VisitParameters(@params, true).Type;
         }
 
-        #endregion
+#endregion
 
         public override bool VisitTypedefNameDecl(TypedefNameDecl typedef)
         {

src/Generator/Types/Std/Stdlib.CSharp.cs

@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 using System.Collections.Generic;
 using System.Linq;
+using System.Runtime.InteropServices;
 using System.Text;
 using CppSharp.AST;
 using CppSharp.AST.Extensions;
@@ -96,15 +97,18 @@ namespace CppSharp.Types.Std
                 return new CustomType(typePrinter.IntPtrType);
             }
 
-            var (enconding, _) = GetEncoding();
+            var (encoding, _) = GetEncoding();
 
-            if (enconding == Encoding.ASCII)
+            if (encoding == Encoding.ASCII || encoding == Encoding.Default)
-                return new CustomType("[MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.LPStr)] string");
+                // This is not really right. ASCII is 7-bit only - the 8th bit is stripped; ANSI has
-            else if (enconding == Encoding.UTF8)
+                // multi-byte support via a code page. MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.LPStr) marshals as ANSI.
+                // Perhaps we need a CppSharp.Runtime.ASCIIMarshaller?
+                return new CustomType("[MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.LPStr)] string");   
+            else if (encoding == Encoding.UTF8)
                 return new CustomType("[MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.CustomMarshaler, MarshalTypeRef = typeof(CppSharp.Runtime.UTF8Marshaller))] string");
-            else if (enconding == Encoding.Unicode || enconding == Encoding.BigEndianUnicode)
+            else if (encoding == Encoding.Unicode || encoding == Encoding.BigEndianUnicode)
                 return new CustomType("[MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.LPWStr)] string");
-            else if (enconding == Encoding.UTF32)
+            else if (encoding == Encoding.UTF32)
                 return new CustomType("[MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.CustomMarshaler, MarshalTypeRef = typeof(CppSharp.Runtime.UTF32Marshaller))] string");
 
             throw new System.NotSupportedException(
@@ -129,14 +133,63 @@ namespace CppSharp.Types.Std
             if (substitution != null)
                 param = $"({substitution.Replacement}) (object) {param}";
 
-            string bytes = $"__bytes{ctx.ParameterIndex}";
+            // Allow setting native field to null via setter property.
-            string bytePtr = $"__bytePtr{ctx.ParameterIndex}";
+            if (ctx.MarshalKind == MarshalKind.NativeField)
-            ctx.Before.WriteLine($@"byte[] {bytes} = global::System.Text.Encoding.{
+            {
-                GetEncoding().Name}.GetBytes({param});");
+                // Free memory if we're holding a pointer to unmanaged memory that we (think we)
-            ctx.Before.WriteLine($"fixed (byte* {bytePtr} = {bytes})");
+                // allocated. We can't simply compare with IntPtr.Zero since the reference could be
-            ctx.HasCodeBlock = true;
+                // owned by the native side.
-            ctx.Before.WriteOpenBraceAndIndent();
+
-            ctx.Return.Write($"new global::System.IntPtr({bytePtr})");
+                // TODO: Surely, we can do better than stripping out the name of the field using
+                // string manipulation on the ReturnVarName, but I don't see it yet. Seems like it
+                // would be really helpful to have ctx hold a Decl property representing the
+                // "appropriate" Decl when we get here. When MarshalKind == NativeField, Decl would
+                // be set to the Field we're operating on.
+                var fieldName = ctx.ReturnVarName.Substring(ctx.ReturnVarName.LastIndexOf("->") + 2); 
+                
+                ctx.Before.WriteLine($"if (__{fieldName}_OwnsNativeMemory)");
+                ctx.Before.WriteLineIndent($"Marshal.FreeHGlobal({ctx.ReturnVarName});");
+                ctx.Before.WriteLine($"__{fieldName}_OwnsNativeMemory = true;");
+                ctx.Before.WriteLine($"if ({param} == null)");
+                ctx.Before.WriteOpenBraceAndIndent();
+                ctx.Before.WriteLine($"{ctx.ReturnVarName} = global::System.IntPtr.Zero;");
+                ctx.Before.WriteLine("return;");
+                ctx.Before.UnindentAndWriteCloseBrace();
+            }
+
+            var bytes = $"__bytes{ctx.ParameterIndex}";
+            var bytePtr = $"__bytePtr{ctx.ParameterIndex}";
+            var encodingName = GetEncoding().Name;
+
+            switch (encodingName)
+            {
+                case nameof(Encoding.Unicode):
+                    ctx.Before.WriteLine($@"var {bytePtr} = Marshal.StringToHGlobalUni({param});");
+                    break;
+                case nameof(Encoding.Default):
+                    ctx.Before.WriteLine($@"var {bytePtr} = Marshal.StringToHGlobalAnsi({param});");
+                    break;
+                default:
+                    {
+                        var encodingBytesPerChar = GetCharWidth() / 8;
+                        var writeNulMethod = encodingBytesPerChar switch
+                        {
+                            1 => nameof(Marshal.WriteByte),
+                            2 => nameof(Marshal.WriteInt16),
+                            4 => nameof(Marshal.WriteInt32),
+                            _ => throw new System.NotImplementedException(
+                                    $"Encoding bytes per char: {encodingBytesPerChar} is not implemented.")
+                        };
+
+                        ctx.Before.WriteLine($@"var {bytes} = global::System.Text.Encoding.{encodingName}.GetBytes({param});");
+                        ctx.Before.WriteLine($@"var {bytePtr} = Marshal.AllocHGlobal({bytes}.Length + {encodingBytesPerChar});");
+                        ctx.Before.WriteLine($"Marshal.Copy({bytes}, 0, {bytePtr}, {bytes}.Length);");
+                        ctx.Before.WriteLine($"Marshal.{writeNulMethod}({bytePtr} + {bytes}.Length, 0);");
+                    }
+                    break;
+            }
+
+            ctx.Return.Write($"{bytePtr}");
         }
 
         public override void CSharpMarshalToManaged(CSharpMarshalContext ctx)
@@ -168,6 +221,8 @@ namespace CppSharp.Types.Std
             switch (GetCharWidth())
             {
                 case 8:
+                    if (Context.Options.Encoding == Encoding.Default)   // aka ANSI with system default code page
+                        return (Context.Options.Encoding, nameof(Encoding.Default));
                     if (Context.Options.Encoding == Encoding.ASCII)
                         return (Context.Options.Encoding, nameof(Encoding.ASCII));
                     if (Context.Options.Encoding == Encoding.UTF8)

tests/CSharp/CSharp.Tests.cs

@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ using System.Collections.Generic;
 using System.Linq;
 using System.Reflection;
 using System.Runtime.InteropServices;
+using System.Text;
 using CSharp;
 using NUnit.Framework;
 
@@ -868,6 +869,153 @@ public unsafe class CSharpTests
         }
     }
 
+    [Test]
+    public void TestStringMemManagement()
+    {
+        const int instanceCount = 100;
+        const string otherString = @"Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua.";
+
+        var batch = new TestString[instanceCount];
+        for (var i = 0; i < instanceCount; i++)
+        {
+            batch[i] = new TestString { UnicodeConst = otherString };
+            if (batch[i].UnicodeConst != otherString)
+            {
+                throw new Exception($"iteration {i}");
+            }
+        }
+
+        GC.Collect();
+
+        for (var i = 0; i < instanceCount; i++) 
+        {
+            if (batch[i].UnicodeConst != otherString)
+            {
+                throw new Exception($"iteration {i}");
+            }
+            Assert.That(batch[i].UnicodeConst, Is.EqualTo(otherString));
+        }
+
+        Array.ForEach(batch, ts => ts.Dispose());
+    }
+
+    static bool OwnsNativeMemory<T>(T instance, string fieldName)
+    {
+        return (bool)instance.GetType()
+            .GetField(fieldName, BindingFlags.Instance | BindingFlags.NonPublic)
+            .GetValue(instance);
+    }
+
+    [Test]
+    public void TestManagedOwnsChar32String()
+    {
+        const string constructorString = "ქართული ენა";
+        const string str = "ßàáâãäåæçèéêëìíîïðñòóôõöøùúûüýþÿĀāĂ㥹ĆćĈĉĊċČčĎďĐđĒēĔĕĖėĘęĚěĜĝĞğĠġĢģĤĥĦħĨĩĪīĬĭĮįİıIJijĴĵ";
+
+        using (var ts = new TestChar32String())
+        {
+            Assert.That(ts.ThirtyTwoBitConst, Is.EqualTo(constructorString));
+            Assert.That(OwnsNativeMemory(ts, "__thirtyTwoBitConst_OwnsNativeMemory"), Is.EqualTo(false));
+
+            ts.ThirtyTwoBitConst = str;
+            Assert.That(ts.RetrieveString, Is.EqualTo(str));
+            Assert.That(OwnsNativeMemory(ts, "__thirtyTwoBitConst_OwnsNativeMemory"), Is.EqualTo(true));
+        }
+    }
+
+    [Test]
+    public void TestNativeOwnsChar32String()
+    {
+        const string constructorString = "ქართული ენა";
+        const string str = "ҪҫҬҭҮүҰұҲҳҴҵҶҷҸҹҺһҼҽҾҿӀӁӂӃӄӅӆӇӈӉӊӋӌӍӎӏӐӑӒӓӔӕӖӗӘәӚӛӜӝӞӟӠӡӢӣӤӥӦӧӨөӪӫӬӭӮӯӰӱӲӳӴӵӶӷӸӹӺӻӼӽ";
+        const string otherStr = "Test String";
+
+        using (var ts = new TestChar32String())
+        {
+            Assert.That(ts.ThirtyTwoBitConst, Is.EqualTo(constructorString));
+            Assert.That(OwnsNativeMemory(ts, "__thirtyTwoBitConst_OwnsNativeMemory"), Is.EqualTo(false));
+            ts.UpdateString(str);
+            Assert.That(ts.ThirtyTwoBitConst, Is.EqualTo(str));
+            Assert.That(OwnsNativeMemory(ts, "__thirtyTwoBitConst_OwnsNativeMemory"), Is.EqualTo(false));
+
+            var x = (uint *)ts.ThirtyTwoBitNonConst;
+            for (int i = 0; i < otherStr.Length; i++)
+            {
+                Assert.That(*x++, Is.EqualTo(otherStr[i]));
+            }
+            Assert.That(*x, Is.EqualTo(0));
+        }
+    }
+
+    [Test]
+    public void TestManagedOwnsChar16String()
+    {
+        const string constructorString = "ქართული ენა";
+        const string str = "ßàáâãäåæçèéêëìíîïðñòóôõöøùúûüýþÿĀāĂ㥹ĆćĈĉĊċČčĎďĐđĒēĔĕĖėĘęĚěĜĝĞğĠġĢģĤĥĦħĨĩĪīĬĭĮįİıIJijĴĵ";
+
+        using (var ts = new TestChar16String())
+        {
+            Assert.That(ts.SixteenBitConst, Is.EqualTo(constructorString));
+            Assert.That(OwnsNativeMemory(ts, "__sixteenBitConst_OwnsNativeMemory"), Is.EqualTo(false));
+
+            ts.SixteenBitConst = str;
+            Assert.That(ts.RetrieveString, Is.EqualTo(str));
+            Assert.That(OwnsNativeMemory(ts, "__sixteenBitConst_OwnsNativeMemory"), Is.EqualTo(true));
+        }
+    }
+
+    [Test]
+    public void TestNativeOwnsChar16String()
+    {
+        const string constructorString = "ქართული ენა";
+        const string str = "ѐёђѓєѕіїјљњћќѝўџѠѡѢѣѤѥѦѧѨѩѪѫѬѭѮѯѰѱѲѳѴѵѶѷѸѹѺѻѼѽѾѿҀҁҊҋҌҍҎҏҐґҒғҔҕҖҗҘҙҚқҜҝҞҟҠҡҢңҤҥҦҧҨҩ";
+        const string otherStr = "Test String";
+
+        using (var ts = new TestChar16String())
+        {
+            Assert.That(ts.SixteenBitConst, Is.EqualTo(constructorString));
+            Assert.That(OwnsNativeMemory(ts, "__sixteenBitConst_OwnsNativeMemory"), Is.EqualTo(false));
+
+            ts.UpdateString(str);
+            Assert.That(ts.SixteenBitConst, Is.EqualTo(str));
+            Assert.That(OwnsNativeMemory(ts, "__sixteenBitConst_OwnsNativeMemory"), Is.EqualTo(false));
+
+            var x = ts.SixteenBitNonConst;
+            for (int i = 0; i < otherStr.Length; i++)
+            {
+                Assert.That(*x++, Is.EqualTo(otherStr[i]));
+            }
+            Assert.That(*x, Is.EqualTo(0));
+        }
+    }
+
+    [Test]
+    public void TestStringRefWithCopyConstructor()
+    {
+        const string otherString = @"Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua.";
+        var ts1 = new TestString { UnicodeConst = otherString };
+        var ts2 = new TestString(ts1);
+
+        // verify that the copy has its own reference to UnicodeConst.
+        var ownsNativeMemory = (bool)ts2.GetType()
+                    .GetField("__unicodeConst_OwnsNativeMemory", BindingFlags.Instance | BindingFlags.NonPublic)
+                    .GetValue(ts2);
+        Assert.That(true, Is.EqualTo(ownsNativeMemory));
+
+        var offset = Marshal.OffsetOf<TestString.__Internal>("unicodeConst");
+        var ts1PtrRef = IntPtr.Add(ts1.__Instance, (int)offset);
+        var ts2PtrRef = IntPtr.Add(ts2.__Instance, (int)offset);
+        var ts1Ptr = *(IntPtr*)ts1PtrRef;
+        var ts2Ptr = *(IntPtr*)ts2PtrRef;
+        Assert.That(ts1Ptr != ts2Ptr);
+
+        // should be able to dispose in any order.
+        Assert.That(otherString, Is.EqualTo(ts1.UnicodeConst));
+        ts1.Dispose();
+        Assert.That(otherString, Is.EqualTo(ts2.UnicodeConst));
+        ts2.Dispose();
+    }
+
     [Test]
     public void TestEnumProperty()
     {

tests/CSharp/CSharp.cpp

@@ -1452,13 +1452,45 @@ TestString::TestString() : unicodeConst(L"ქართული ენა"), uni
 {
 }
 
-void decltypeFunctionPointer() {}
+TestString::~TestString()
+{
+}
 
-void usesDecltypeFunctionPointer(funcPtr func) {}
+TestChar32String::TestChar32String() : 
+    thirtyTwoBitConst(U"ქართული ენა")
+{
+    static std::u32string nonConst = U"Test String";
+    thirtyTwoBitNonConst = &nonConst[0];
+}
 
-TestString::~TestString()
+TestChar32String::~TestChar32String() {}
+void TestChar32String::UpdateString(const char32_t* s) 
+{ 
+    static std::u32string nativeOwnedMemory = s;
+    thirtyTwoBitConst = nativeOwnedMemory.data();
+}
+
+const char32_t* TestChar32String::RetrieveString() { return thirtyTwoBitConst; }
+
+TestChar16String::TestChar16String() : 
+    sixteenBitConst(u"ქართული ენა") 
 {
+    static std::u16string nonConst = u"Test String";
+    sixteenBitNonConst = &nonConst[0];
+}
+
+TestChar16String::~TestChar16String() {}
+
+void TestChar16String::UpdateString(const char16_t* s) 
+{ 
+    static std::u16string nativeOwnedMemory = s;
+    sixteenBitConst = nativeOwnedMemory.data(); 
 }
+const char16_t* TestChar16String::RetrieveString() { return sixteenBitConst; }
+
+void decltypeFunctionPointer() {}
+
+void usesDecltypeFunctionPointer(funcPtr func) {}
 
 PrimaryBaseWithAbstractWithDefaultArg::PrimaryBaseWithAbstractWithDefaultArg()
 {

tests/CSharp/CSharp.h

@@ -1146,6 +1146,31 @@ public:
     wchar_t* unicode;
 };
 
+class DLL_API TestChar32String
+{
+public:
+    TestChar32String();
+    ~TestChar32String();
+    const char32_t* thirtyTwoBitConst;
+    char32_t* thirtyTwoBitNonConst;
+
+    void UpdateString(const char32_t* s);
+    const char32_t* RetrieveString();
+};
+
+class DLL_API TestChar16String
+{
+public:
+    TestChar16String();
+    ~TestChar16String();
+    const char16_t* sixteenBitConst;
+    char16_t* sixteenBitNonConst;
+
+    void UpdateString(const char16_t* s);
+    const char16_t* RetrieveString();
+};
+
+
 DLL_API void decltypeFunctionPointer();
 
 using funcPtr = decltype(&decltypeFunctionPointer);