What is the Difference Between dispose () and finalize ()?

The main difference between the Dispose() and Finalize() methods lies in their purpose and when they are called:

• Dispose(): This method provides explicit control over the release of resources, such as database connections, file handles, etc. It is called by the application when the object is no longer needed, allowing the resources to be freed immediately. Implementing the Dispose() method is generally easy and considered a good practice. It is typically used with the using statement in C#.
• Finalize(): This method is called by the garbage collector when it reclaims an object. It provides implicit control over the release of resources and is used to clean up unmanaged resources when the garbage collector finds the object to be unreachable. Implementing the Finalize() method is generally harder than implementing the Dispose() method.

In summary, Dispose() is used to explicitly release resources when they are no longer needed, while Finalize() is called by the garbage collector to clean up unmanaged resources when the object is considered unreachable. It is recommended to use Dispose() for cleaning up managed resources, while Finalize() should be used when dealing with native or unmanaged resources.

Comparative Table: dispose () vs finalize ()

The Dispose() and Finalize() methods in C# are used to free up resources, both managed and unmanaged. However, they serve different purposes and have key differences:

In summary:

• Use Dispose() when you need to free up resources immediately and for both managed and unmanaged resources.
• Use Finalize() when you need to ensure that unmanaged resources are cleaned up safely before the system terminates, and it is called automatically by the garbage collector.

Keep in mind that it is recommended to implement both methods, with Dispose() calling a common method that releases resources, and Finalize() calling the same method with a parameter indicating that it's not safe to dispose of managed resources.