What are the differences between generics and collections in C#?

What are the differences between generics and collections in C#?

Generics allow you to define classes or methods with a placeholder for the data type, while collections are data structures that store multiple items. Generics provide type safety and performance benefits.

Can you give me an example of a generic class?

Sure! Here's a simple example of a generic class:

public class Box<T> {
    private T item;

    public void Pack(T item) {
        this.item = item;
    }

    public T Unpack() {
        return item;
    }
}

How do collections differ from arrays?

Collections are more flexible than arrays. They can dynamically resize and provide various methods for manipulation, while arrays have a fixed size and require manual resizing.

When should I use generics over collections?

Use generics when you need type safety and performance, especially in scenarios where the type of data is not known until runtime. Collections are great for managing groups of objects but may introduce boxing/unboxing overhead with value types.