An In-Depth Overview of C# Generics

C# Generics is a powerful feature that enables developers to create classes, methods, and data structures with a placeholder for the data type. This capability enhances code reusability, type safety, and performance.

Key Concepts

• What are Generics?
  Generics allow you to define a class or method with a placeholder for the type of data it can operate on. This means you can create a single method or class that works with any data type.
• Type Parameters
  Generics use type parameters, specified in angle brackets (<>). For example, List<T> uses T as a placeholder for any data type.
• Benefits of Using Generics
  
  • Code Reusability: Write once and use for any data type.
  • Type Safety: Errors are caught at compile time rather than runtime.
  • Performance: Eliminates the need for boxing/unboxing for value types.

Examples

Generic Class

public class GenericClass<T>
{
    private T data;

    public GenericClass(T data)
    {
        this.data = data;
    }

    public T GetData()
    {
        return data;
    }
}

Usage: You can create instances of GenericClass for different data types:

GenericClass<int> intInstance = new GenericClass<int>(5);
GenericClass<string> stringInstance = new GenericClass<string>("Hello");

Generic Method

public void Display<T>(T data)
{
    Console.WriteLine(data);
}

Usage: You can call Display with any type:

Display(10);        // int
Display("Hello");   // string

Conclusion

C# Generics are essential for writing efficient, reusable, and type-safe code. They allow developers to work with different data types without sacrificing performance or safety. Understanding generics is crucial for writing modern C# applications.