Added span interop

src/DotNext.Tests/Runtime/ValueReferenceTests.cs

@@ -85,14 +85,20 @@ public static void MutableEmptyRef()
         var reference = default(ValueReference<float>);
         True(reference.IsEmpty);
         Null(reference.ToString());
+
+        Span<float> span = reference;
+        True(span.IsEmpty);
     }
-    
+
     [Fact]
     public static void ImmutableEmptyRef()
     {
         var reference = default(ReadOnlyValueReference<float>);
         True(reference.IsEmpty);
         Null(reference.ToString());
+
+        ReadOnlySpan<float> span = reference;
+        True(span.IsEmpty);
     }
 
     [Fact]
@@ -167,6 +173,26 @@ public static void ArrayCovariance()
         Equal("b", roRef.Value);
     }
 
+    [Fact]
+    public static void SpanInterop()
+    {
+        var reference = new ValueReference<int>(42);
+        Span<int> span = reference;
+        Equal(1, span.Length);
+
+        True(Unsafe.AreSame(in reference.Value, in span[0]));
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public static void ReadOnlySpanInterop()
+    {
+        ReadOnlyValueReference<int> reference = new ValueReference<int>(42);
+        ReadOnlySpan<int> span = reference;
+        Equal(1, span.Length);
+
+        True(Unsafe.AreSame(in reference.Value, in span[0]));
+    }
+
     private record class MyClass : IResettable
     {
         internal static string StaticObject;

src/DotNext/Runtime/ValueReference.cs

@@ -118,6 +118,14 @@ public bool Equals(ValueReference<T> reference)
     /// <returns>The immutable field reference.</returns>
     public static implicit operator ReadOnlyValueReference<T>(ValueReference<T> reference)
         => Unsafe.BitCast<ValueReference<T>, ReadOnlyValueReference<T>>(reference);
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Gets a span over the referenced value.
+    /// </summary>
+    /// <param name="reference">The value reference.</param>
+    /// <returns>The span that contains <see cref="Value"/>; or empty span if <paramref name="reference"/> is empty.</returns>
+    public static implicit operator Span<T>(ValueReference<T> reference)
+        => reference.IsEmpty ? new() : new(ref reference.Value);
 }
 
 /// <summary>
@@ -205,6 +213,14 @@ public bool Equals(ReadOnlyValueReference<T> reference)
     /// <returns><see langword="true"/> if both references are not equal; otherwise, <see langword="false"/>.</returns>
     public static bool operator !=(ReadOnlyValueReference<T> x, ReadOnlyValueReference<T> y)
         => x.Equals(y) is false;
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Gets a span over the referenced value.
+    /// </summary>
+    /// <param name="reference">The value reference.</param>
+    /// <returns>The span that contains <see cref="Value"/>; or empty span if <paramref name="reference"/> is empty.</returns>
+    public static implicit operator ReadOnlySpan<T>(ReadOnlyValueReference<T> reference)
+        => reference.IsEmpty ? new() : new(in reference.Value);
 }
 
 [SuppressMessage("Performance", "CA1812", Justification = "Used for reinterpret cast")]