How do I use locks and semaphores in C#?

How do I use locks and semaphores in C#?

In C#, you can use the lock statement to ensure that a block of code runs only one thread at a time. Semaphores, on the other hand, allow a limited number of threads to access a resource concurrently. Would you like an example of each?

Yes, please provide examples for both.

Sure! For a lock, you can use:

private readonly object _lock = new object();

lock (_lock) {
    // Critical section code here
}

For a semaphore, you can use:

SemaphoreSlim semaphore = new SemaphoreSlim(2); // Allow 2 threads

await semaphore.WaitAsync();
try {
    // Code that accesses a shared resource
} finally {
    semaphore.Release();
}

What are the differences between locks and semaphores?

Locks are used for mutual exclusion, allowing only one thread to access a resource at a time. Semaphores can allow multiple threads to access a resource, up to a specified limit. This makes semaphores more flexible for managing concurrent access.