.net - Converting `Int32` to `T` and `T []` to `Int32 []` in C# -

i attempting write simple function use randomnumbergenerator class return array of int16, int32 or int64 based on generic argument.

however, no matter how try structure code, cannot seem past illegal conversion t [] short/int/long [], nor conversion intxx t. please see 2 comments in code below.

it seems missing basic construct allow way around this. thoughts?

public static void generaterandom<t> (t [] data, bool nonzeroonly = false)     t: struct, system.icomparable, system.iformattable, system.iconvertible {     int size = 0;     byte [] bytes = null;      if ((typeof(t) != typeof(byte)) && (typeof(t) != typeof(short)) && (typeof(t) != typeof(int)) && (typeof(t) != typeof(long)))     {         throw (new system.argumentexception("this method accepts types [byte], [int16], [int32], or [int64].", "<t>"));     }      if (typeof(t) == typeof(byte))     {         using (system.security.cryptography.randomnumbergenerator generator = system.security.cryptography.randomnumbergenerator.create())         {             // invalid cast (implicit or explicit) t [] byte [].             if (nonzeroonly) { generator.getnonzerobytes(data); }             else { generator.getbytes(data); }         }     }     else     {         size = system.runtime.interopservices.marshal.sizeof(typeof(t));             bytes = new byte [data.length * size];          using (system.security.cryptography.randomnumbergenerator generator = system.security.cryptography.randomnumbergenerator.create())         {             if (nonzeroonly) { generator.getnonzerobytes((byte []) system.convert.changetype(data, typeof(byte []))); }         else { generator.getbytes((byte []) system.convert.changetype(data, typeof(byte []))); }         }          using (system.io.memorystream stream = new system.io.memorystream(bytes))         {             using (system.io.binaryreader reader = new system.io.binaryreader(stream))             {                 // invalid cast (implicit or explicit) short/int/long t.                 if (typeof(t) == typeof(short)) { (int i=0; i<bytes.length; i+=size) { data[i] = reader.readint16(); } }                 else if (typeof(t) == typeof(int)) { (int i=0; i<bytes.length; i+=size) { data[i] = reader.readint32(); } }                 else if (typeof(t) == typeof(long)) { (int i=0; i<bytes.length; i+=size) { data[i] = reader.readint64(); } }             }         }     } } 

on side note, there more efficient way of converting byte [] intxx [] without using stream , binary reader?

you can this, int t:

void foo<t>(t[] data) {     ...     int v = r.next(255);  // limit byte.max simplicity     data[i] = (t) convert.changetype(v, typeof(t)); }