Using ByReference Arguments =========================== When a function accepts a pointer-to-type argument you can use one of the `ByReference` types to capture the returned value, or subclass your own. For example: ```c // Original C declaration void allocate_buffer(char **bufp, int* lenp); ``` ```java // Equivalent JNA mapping void allocate_buffer(PointerByReference bufp, IntByReference lenp); // Usage PointerByReference pref = new PointerByReference(); IntByReference iref = new IntByReference(); lib.allocate_buffer(pref, iref); Pointer p = pref.getValue(); byte[] buffer = p.getByteArray(0, iref.getValue()); ``` Alternatively, you could use a Java array with a single element of the desired type, but the `ByReference` convention better conveys the intent of the code. The `Pointer` class provides a number of accessor methods in addition to `getByteArray()` which effectively function as a typecast onto the memory. Type-safe pointers may be declared by deriving from the `PointerType` class.