When is ~<classname> called actually ?

[anis_b]

In the below example when is the ~Worker() method called exactly ?

class ch03_11
{
static void Main()
{
Worker worker = new Worker();
worker.Dispose();
}
}

public class Worker: System.IDisposable
{
private bool alreadyDisposed = false;

public Worker()
{
System.Console.WriteLine("In the constructor.");
}

public void Dispose(bool explicitCall)
{
if(!this.alreadyDisposed)
{
if(explicitCall)
{
System.Console.WriteLine("Not in the destructor, " +
"so cleaning up other objects.");
// Not in the destructor, so we can reference other objects.
//OtherObject1.Dispose();
//OtherObject2.Dispose();
}
// Perform standard cleanup here...
System.Console.WriteLine("Cleaning up.");
}
alreadyDisposed = true;
}

public void Dispose()
{
Dispose(true);
System.GC.SuppressFinalize(this);
}

~Worker()
{
System.Console.WriteLine("In the destructor now.");
Dispose(false);
}
}

[DevGrp]

When the object is out of scope and is about the get destroyed.

[anis_b]

i have put a breakpoint on it...

And it is called in neither of the cases
when i explicitly dispose() the object
or when i just skip the disposing.

[CornedBee]

It is supposed to be called directly before the garbage collector frees the associated memory. It's therefore quite unpredictable.

Try to add an explicit call to the garbage collector somewhere when you know that such an object is supposed to get destroyed and see if you get the breakpoint then. If not then it probably never breaks into finalizers (that's the .Net term, though C# uses the name destructor I believe).

[PT Exorcist]

I thought you couldn't manually call the Garbage Collector?

[hellswraith]

You can most certainly manage the Garbage Collector:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/de...collection.asp

More specific to collection:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/de...collection.asp