How to realize "Reference Array"

[SonicChen]

Sometimes we don't want to instantiate the class when creating this class array. there exist pointer array in c or c++. example(c++):
class Example
{
}
void main()
{
Example* PointerArray[5]; // uninstantiated
PointerArray[0] = new Example; // instantiate now
}
but we have to instantiate the class in C# when creating array.
class OuterEx
{
class InnerEx
{
}
static void main()
{
InnerEx[] PointerArray = new InnerEx[5];
}
}
for reference is not an independent type in C# and we don't want to use pointer(unsafe code) in most program;
so i have one idea to solve this problem:
class OuterEx
{
class InnnerEx
{
}
class RefEx
{
InnerEx Ref;
}
static void main()
{
RefEx[] RefArray = new RefEx[5];
RefArray[0].Ref = new InnerEx();
}
}
If we don't want to write .Ref every time, we have to write a type convertion method. after all it's real inconvinient.
Anybody can tell me how to solve this problem or there exist any solution i havn't found in C#.

 

[SonicChen]

one solution here myself, use "object key word" to create the array and then convert the class to object.

 

[rosenk]

When you say

 InnerEx[] PointerArray = new InnerEx[5];

you're not making 5 instances of InnerEx, you're just creating an array with 5 slots for InnerEx objects. All of the elements of the array will be null. You still need to instantiate the objects yourself.

 

[obislavu]

In C++ you have:
class B{};
class C: public B{};
class D: public C{};
class F{};
B *p[5];
p[0]= new B();
p[1]= new C();
p[2]= new D();
p[3]= new F(); // Error 
---
In C# you can do the following (because the class type is derived from the 'object' type ):
public class B{}
public class C:B{}
public class D:C{};
public class F{}
object[] ar = new object[5];
ar[0]= new B();
ar[1]= new C();
ar[2]= new D();
ar[3]= new F();

or instead to say:
B b1 = new B();
C c1 = new C();
D d1 = new D();
F f1 = new F();

you can do:
Hashtable ht = new Hashtable();
ht.Add("b1",new B());
ht.Add("c1",new C());
ht.Add("d1", new D());
ht.Add("f1",new F());

In the both cases use GetType() to determine the type of the object:
-obislavu-

 

[SonicChen]

ok, i'm sorry to have deserted this forum for 1 week. so i can't read the valuable replys above in time and express my appreciation. now i learn much.
i have tested all the views above and they really do.