Introduction
Generics offer a powerful way to write reusable code in .NET. They enable you to define interfaces for collections, allowing you to work with collections of different types without needing to inherit from a common base class. This leads to increased type safety and improved code maintainability.
Key Concepts
- Interface Definitions: Define generic interfaces that specify the expected elements of the collection.
- Type Parameters: Use type parameters to indicate the types of elements that the collection will contain.
- Type Safe Collections: The compiler will enforce that you only use types that are compatible with the type parameters.
Example - List
A simple example demonstrating a list of generic elements.
This list can hold any type of element, enabling you to work with different data structures easily.
Example - HashSet
Demonstrates using a set to ensure uniqueness.
HashSet allows you to only store unique items.
Benefits
- Type Safety: The compiler ensures that your code is type-safe.
- Code Reusability: Generic code can be reused across different projects and scenarios.
- Maintainability: Well-defined interfaces simplify code maintenance.