If I have an array of bytes created byte[] binBuffer = new byte[256] and I fill up 100 bytes of the array, if I want to pass only those 100 bytes to some other method, is it possible to do that without creating a new byte array of 100 bytes, copying from the old array to the new, then passing off the new array? Is there somehow I can just pass the first 100 bytes. My application specifically applies to passing the array to a stored procedure.
When an array is passed to a method, only a reference to it is actually passed, since arrays are actually reference types. You basically have a pointer to the array, and then the offset in the square brackets just tells you how many "slots" away from the start. Therefore, the only real way to do this would be to pass two parameters to your method. One being the actual array, and the second being the max number until where you need to go, in your case it would be 100. In that method you then only iterate through the array until the max number is reached.