Summary
This chapter explored several dimensions of memory allocation and optimization concepts. The recurring theme has been that different constructs bring different benefits to our algorithms and applications. We began by discussing the basics of memory allocation in Java, C, and C++ since these are foundational languages and worthy rivals to C#. We saw where C and C++ place the responsibility in the developer’s hands to handle memory allocation and deallocation. In contrast, Java and .NET employ an automatic clean-up process and are guided by similar philosophies.
We also delved into various .NET data structures, such as arrays, lists, dictionaries, and more specialized collections such as Span<T>, Memory<T>, and concurrent collections. We explored how choosing the proper data structure for the task can significantly impact memory usage and application performance.
Memory allocation and data structures are fundamental to .NET programming, influencing applications...
