Object.MemberwiseClone Method in C# with Examples

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

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