What are race conditions in C# and how can I prevent them?

What are race conditions in C# and how can I prevent them?

Race conditions occur when multiple threads access shared data simultaneously, leading to unpredictable results. To prevent them, you can use locking mechanisms like lock, Mutex, or Semaphore.

Can you give me an example of a race condition in C#?

Sure! Imagine two threads incrementing a shared counter without synchronization. If both read the counter at the same time, they might both increment it, resulting in a lost update.

How can I implement a lock in C#?

You can use the lock statement like this: lock(lockObject) { counter++; }. This ensures that only one thread can access the code block at a time.

Are there any performance implications of using locks?

Yes, using locks can lead to performance bottlenecks if overused, as they can cause threads to wait. It's essential to minimize the locked code section.