Should I Dispose of Data Contexts in LINQ to SQL?

When to Dispose a Data Context

In data access layers that utilize LINQ classes, it's common to encounter the dilemma of when to dispose of data contexts. Consider the following code snippet that simplifies the pattern:

private DataContext myDb;
public static MyClass GetMyClassById(int id)
{
    DataContext db = new DataContext();
    MyClass result = (from item in db.MyClasss where item.id == id select item).Single();
    result.myDb = db;
    return result;
}

public void Save()
{
    myDb.SubmitChanges();
}

Should New Data Contexts Be Instantiated Every Time?

Typically, you don't need to dispose of data contexts explicitly. As explained by Matt Warren from the LINQ to SQL team:

• Enforcing Usage Contracts: Dispose can be used to prevent deferred loaders referencing invalid DataContext objects when entities are held beyond their intended usage.
• Caching Management: Dispose forces DataContext to discard its materialized entity cache, preventing memory leaks.
• Connection Closure Encouragement: DataContext automatically closes connections when query results are enumerated. Dispose can be used as a workaround if automatic closure fails.

Best Practices

While it's not strictly necessary, disposing of data contexts is recommended to simplify memory management. By adhering to the rule of disposing all IDisposable objects, you reduce the risk of potential resource leaks.

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