What are the limitations of generic collections in programming?

What are the limitations of generic collections in programming?

Generic collections provide type safety and flexibility, but they have some limitations. For instance, they can lead to performance overhead due to boxing and unboxing when using value types. Additionally, they may not support certain operations that non-generic collections do, like using non-generic interfaces.

Can you explain boxing and unboxing?

Sure! Boxing is the process of converting a value type (like int) to an object type, while unboxing is the reverse process. This can introduce performance costs, especially in large collections.

Are there any scenarios where I shouldn't use generic collections?

Yes, if you need to work with types that are not known at compile time or require specific operations that generics don't support, non-generic collections might be more appropriate.

What are some examples of non-generic collections?

Examples of non-generic collections include ArrayList, Hashtable, and Stack in .NET. These collections can store any type of object but lack type safety.