Object.MemberwiseClone Method in C# with Examples (original) (raw)

Last Updated : 23 Mar, 2022

Object.MemberwiseClone Method is used to create a shallow copy or make clone of the current Object. Shallow copy is a bit-wise copy of an object. In this case, a new object is created and that object has an exact copy of the existing object. Basically, this method copies the non-static fields of the current object to the new object.

• If a field is a reference type, then the only reference is copied not the referred object. So here, the cloned object and the original object will refer to the same object.
• If the field is value type then the bit-by-bit copy of the field will be performed.

Syntax:

protected object MemberwiseClone ();

Returns: This method returns a Object, which is the shallow copy of existing Object. Example 1:

csharp `

// C# program to clone a object // using MemberwiseClone() method using System;

class GFG1 {

public int val;

public GFG1(int val)
{
    this.val = val;
}

}

class GFG2 {

public GFG1 gg;

public GFG2(int val)
{
    // copy the reference of GFG1 to gg
    this.gg = new GFG1(val);   
}

// method for cloning
public GFG2 Clone()
{
    // return cloned value using
    // MemberwiseClone() method
    return ((GFG2)MemberwiseClone());
   
}

}

// Driver Code class Geek {

// Main Method
public static void Main()
{
    // object of Class GFG2 with a value 3
    GFG2 g = new GFG2(3);
    
    // calling Clone()
    // "cc" has the reference of Clone()
    GFG2 cc = g.Clone();
   
    // accessing the main value
    Console.WriteLine("Value: " + g.gg.val);
    
    // accessing the cloned value
    Console.WriteLine("cloned value: " + cc.gg.val);
    
    // set a new value 
    // in variable "val"
    cc.gg.val = 6;
    
    // accessing the main value
    Console.WriteLine("\nValue: " + g.gg.val);
   
    // accessing the cloned value
    Console.WriteLine("cloned value: " + cc.gg.val);
    
}

}

`

Output:

Value: 3 cloned value: 3

Value: 6 cloned value: 6

Example 2:

csharp `

// C# program to demonstrate the // MemberwiseClone() method using System;

public class GFG : ICloneable {

// data members
public string Name;
public string Surname;
public int Age;

// constructor
public GFG(string name, 
 string title, int age)
{
    Name = name;
    Surname = title;
    Age = age;
}

// method for cloning
public object Clone()
{
    // return cloned value using
    // MemberwiseClone() method
    return MemberwiseClone();   
}

public override string ToString()
{
    return string.Format("Name = {0}, Surname = {1}, Age {2}",
                                          Name, Surname, Age);
}

}

// Driver Class public class MainClass {

// Main Method
public static void Main()
{
    GFG g = new GFG("ABC", "XYZ", 26);

    // calling Clone()
    // "cg" has reference of Clone()
    GFG cg = (GFG)g.Clone();
    
    Console.WriteLine("For Old values\nOriginal :");
    Console.WriteLine(g);

    Console.WriteLine("Cloned :");
    Console.WriteLine(cg);

    Console.WriteLine("\nAfter assigning new values");
    g.Name = "LMN";
    g.Surname = "QRS";
    g.Age = 13;

    Console.WriteLine("Original :");
    Console.WriteLine(g);

    Console.WriteLine("Cloned :");

    // prints the old cloned value
    Console.WriteLine(cg);
    
}

}

`

Output:

For Old values Original : Name = ABC, Surname = XYZ, Age 26 Cloned : Name = ABC, Surname = XYZ, Age 26

After assigning new values Original : Name = LMN, Surname = QRS, Age 13 Cloned : Name = ABC, Surname = XYZ, Age 26

Reference:

• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/api/system.object.memberwiseclone?view=netframework-4.8