Where is the implemented code for Object.Equal()

[Bijay Kumar]

Hi Guys,

I was going through the source code of Object class (Object.cs in rotor). What I found is
Equals() implemented as follows:

[MethodImplAttribute(MethodImplOptions.InternalCall )]

public extern virtual bool Equals(Object obj);

What I don't understand is:

A) where is the actual code implemented?

B) What does 'extern' mean in this context?

Thanks in advance.

Bijay

PS: The code for Object.cs is attached herewith for ref

// ==--==
/*================================================= ===========
**
** Class: Object
**
**
**
** Object is the root class for all CLR objects. This class
** defines only the basics.
**
** Date: January 29, 1998
**
================================================== =========*/

namespace System {
using System;
using System.Runtime.InteropServices;
using System.Runtime.CompilerServices;
using CultureInfo = System.Globalization.CultureInfo;
using FieldInfo = System.Reflection.FieldInfo;
using BindingFlags = System.Reflection.BindingFlags;
using RemotingException = System.Runtime.Remoting.RemotingException;
// The Object is the root class for all object in the CLR System. Object
// is the super class for all other CLR objects and provide a set of methods
and low level
// services to subclasses. These services include object synchronization
and support for clone
// operations.
//
//This class contains no data and does not need to be serializable
/// <include file='doc\Object.uex' path='docs/doc[@for="Object"]/*' />
[Serializable()]
public class Object
{
// Creates a new instance of an Object.
/// <include file='doc\Object.uex'
path='docs/doc[@for="Object.Object"]/*' />
public Object()
{
}

[MethodImplAttribute(MethodImplOptions.InternalCall )]
private extern Type InternalGetType();
[MethodImplAttribute(MethodImplOptions.InternalCall )]
private extern Type FastGetExistingType();
// Returns a String which represents the object instance. The default
// for an object is to return the fully qualified name of the class.
//
/// <include file='doc\Object.uex'
path='docs/doc[@for="Object.ToString"]/*' />
public virtual String ToString()
{
return GetType().FullName;
}

// Returns a boolean indicating if the passed in object obj is
// Equal to this. Equality is defined as object equality for reference
// types and bitwise equality for value types using a loader trick to
// replace Equals with EqualsValue for value types).
//
/// <include file='doc\Object.uex'
path='docs/doc[@for="Object.Equals"]/*' />
[MethodImplAttribute(MethodImplOptions.InternalCall )]
public extern virtual bool Equals(Object obj);

/// <include file='doc\Object.uex'
path='docs/doc[@for="Object.Equals1"]/*' />
public static bool Equals(Object objA, Object objB) {
if (objA==objB) {
return true;
}
if (objA==null || objB==null) {
return false;
}
return objA.Equals(objB);
}

/// <include file='doc\Object.uex'
path='docs/doc[@for="Object.ReferenceEquals"]/*' />
public static bool ReferenceEquals (Object objA, Object objB) {
return objA == objB;
}

// GetHashCode is intended to serve as a hash function for this object.
// Based on the contents of the object, the hash function will return a
suitable
// value with a relatively random distribution over the various inputs.
//
// The default implementation returns the sync block index for this
instance.
// Calling it on the same object multiple times will return the same
value, so
// it will technically meet the needs of a hash function, but it's less
than ideal.
// Objects (& especially value classes) should override this method.
//
/// <include file='doc\Object.uex'
path='docs/doc[@for="Object.GetHashCode"]/*' />
[MethodImplAttribute(MethodImplOptions.InternalCall )]
public extern virtual int GetHashCode();

// Returns a Type object which represent this object instance.
//
/// <include file='doc\Object.uex'
path='docs/doc[@for="Object.GetType"]/*' />
public Type GetType()
{
Type ret;
ret = FastGetExistingType();

if (ret == null)
ret = InternalGetType();
return ret;
}

// Allow an object to free resources before the object is reclaimed by
the GC.
//
/// <include file='doc\Object.uex'
path='docs/doc[@for="Object.Finalize"]/*' />
~Object()
{
}

// Returns a new object instance that is a memberwise copy of this
// object. This is always a shallow copy of the instance. The method is
protected
// so that other object may only call this method on themselves. It is
entended to
// support the ICloneable interface.
//
/// <include file='doc\Object.uex'
path='docs/doc[@for="Object.MemberwiseClone"]/*' />
[MethodImplAttribute(MethodImplOptions.InternalCall )]
protected extern Object MemberwiseClone();
// Sets the value specified in the variant on the field
//
private void FieldSetter(String typeName, String fieldName, Object val)
{
// Extract the field info object
FieldInfo fldInfo = GetFieldInfo(typeName, fieldName);

// Make sure that the value is compatible with the type
// of field
System.Runtime.Remoting.Messaging.Message.CoerceAr g(val,
fldInfo.FieldType);

// Set the value
fldInfo.SetValue(this, val);
}

// Gets the value specified in the variant on the field
//
private void FieldGetter(String typeName, String fieldName, ref Object
val)
{
// Extract the field info object
FieldInfo fldInfo = GetFieldInfo(typeName, fieldName);

// Get the value
val = fldInfo.GetValue(this);
}

// Gets the field info object given the type name and field name.
//
private FieldInfo GetFieldInfo(String typeName, String fieldName)
{
Type t = GetType();
while(null != t)
{
if(t.FullName.Equals(typeName))
{
break;
}

t = t.BaseType;
}

if (null == t)
{
throw new RemotingException(String.Format(
Environment.GetResourceString("Remoting_BadType"),
typeName));
}

FieldInfo fldInfo = t.GetField(fieldName, BindingFlags.Public |
BindingFlags.Instance |
BindingFlags.IgnoreCase);
if(null == fldInfo)
{
throw new RemotingException(String.Format(
Environment.GetResourceString("Remoting_BadField") ,
fieldName, typeName));
}

return fldInfo;
}
}
}