--- title: "_variant_t Class | Microsoft Docs" ms.custom: "" ms.date: "11/04/2016" ms.reviewer: "" ms.suite: "" ms.technology: ["cpp-language"] ms.tgt_pltfrm: "" ms.topic: "language-reference" f1_keywords: ["_variant_t"] dev_langs: ["C++"] helpviewer_keywords: ["_variant_t class [C++], operators", "_variant_t class", "_variant_t class [C++], member functions", "VARIANT object", "VARIANT object [C++], COM encapsulation"] ms.assetid: 6a3cbd4e-0ae8-425e-b4cf-ca0df894c93f caps.latest.revision: 10 author: "mikeblome" ms.author: "mblome" manager: "ghogen" --- # _variant_t Class **Microsoft Specific** A `_variant_t` object encapsulates the `VARIANT` data type. The class manages resource allocation and deallocation and makes function calls to **VariantInit** and **VariantClear** as appropriate. ### Construction ||| |-|-| |[_variant_t](../cpp/variant-t-variant-t.md)|Constructs a `_variant_t` object.| ### Operations ||| |-|-| |[Attach](../cpp/variant-t-attach.md)|Attaches a **VARIANT** object into the `_variant_t` object.| |[Clear](../cpp/variant-t-clear.md)|Clears the encapsulated **VARIANT** object.| |[ChangeType](../cpp/variant-t-changetype.md)|Changes the type of the `_variant_t` object to the indicated **VARTYPE**.| |[Detach](../cpp/variant-t-detach.md)|Detaches the encapsulated **VARIANT** object from this `_variant_t` object.| |[SetString](../cpp/variant-t-setstring.md)|Assigns a string to this `_variant_t` object.| ### Operators ||| |-|-| |[Operator =](../cpp/variant-t-operator-equal.md)|Assigns a new value to an existing `_variant_t` object.| |[operator ==, !=](../cpp/variant-t-relational-operators.md)|Compare two `_variant_t` objects for equality or inequality.| |[Extractors](../cpp/variant-t-extractors.md)|Extract data from the encapsulated **VARIANT** object.| **END Microsoft Specific** ## Requirements **Header:** comutil.h **Lib:** comsuppw.lib or comsuppwd.lib (see [/Zc:wchar_t (wchar_t Is Native Type)](../build/reference/zc-wchar-t-wchar-t-is-native-type.md) for more information) ## See Also [Compiler COM Support Classes](../cpp/compiler-com-support-classes.md)