How do I use locks in C# to manage thread safety?

How do I use locks in C# to manage thread safety?

In C#, you can use the lock statement to ensure that a block of code runs only one thread at a time. Here's a simple example:

private readonly object _lock = new object();

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

What happens if I don't use locks?

If you don't use locks, multiple threads can access shared resources simultaneously, leading to race conditions, data corruption, or unexpected behavior.

Are there alternatives to using locks?

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

Can you explain how Monitor works?

Certainly! Monitor provides a way to synchronize access to an object. You can use Monitor.Enter to acquire a lock and Monitor.Exit to release it. Here's an example:

Monitor.Enter(_lock);
try {
    // Critical section code here
} finally {
    Monitor.Exit(_lock);
}