C# Destructor: Usage & Best Practices

The destructor in C# is used to perform cleanup operations when an object is destroyed. Similar to a constructor, the destructor is defined with a tilde (~) as a prefix and does not have any parameters. The destructor is called before the object is collected by the garbage collector.

The main purpose of a destructor is to release unmanaged resources occupied by an object, such as files, database connectors, network connections, etc. Operations related to resource cleanup, such as closing file handles and disconnecting database connections, can be performed in the destructor.

It’s important to note that in C#, the garbage collection mechanism automatically recycles managed resources, so there’s no need to manually release them. The destructor is primarily used to release unmanaged resources, while for managed resources, finalizers should be used for releasing them.

Definition and example of using a destructor:

class MyClass
{
    // 析构函数
    ~MyClass()
    {
        // 执行清理操作，释放非托管资源
    }
}

// 创建对象
MyClass obj = new MyClass();

// 对象销毁时，析构函数会自动被调用

It is important to note that the calling of the destructor is controlled by the garbage collector, so it is not possible to accurately determine when the destructor will be called. Moreover, calling the destructor can lead to performance loss, so it is best to avoid excessive use of destructors. It is recommended to use the using statement or the IDisposable interface to release unmanaged resources in order to ensure timely resource release.