Value Prototype

Wrapping arbitrary values without boxing of common types.

Goals

• Take any value, including null
• Fit into 64bits of data and an object field (128bits total on x64)
• Do not box any primitive types (int, float, etc.) [Except for Decimal]
• Optimize performance for primitive type storage/retrieval
• Expose Type of wrapped type (or null for null)
• Allow retrieving as any type that is AssignableFrom
• Support nullable intrinsics without boxing (int?, float?, etc.) [Except for Decimal]
• Allow intrinsic to/from nullable intrinsic (except no value to intrinsic)

Additional special support

• Support ArraySegment<T> without boxing
• Support UTC DateTime and DateTimeOffset without boxing

As proposed in .NET