How do I use locks in C#?

How do I use locks in C#?

In C#, you can use the lock statement to ensure that a block of code runs only one thread at a time. This is useful for thread safety.

Can you show me a simple example?

Sure! Here's a basic example:

private static readonly object _lock = new object();

public void SafeMethod() {
    lock (_lock) {
        // Critical section code here
    }
}

What happens if I don't use locks?

Without locks, multiple threads can access shared resources simultaneously, leading to race conditions and unpredictable behavior.

Are there any alternatives to using locks?

Yes, alternatives include using Monitor, Mutex, or higher-level constructs like SemaphoreSlim or ReaderWriterLockSlim.