Why Choose `Dictionary` over `Hashtable` in C#?

Why is Dictionary<TKey, TValue> more popular than Hashtable in C#?

In C#, programmers generally prefer to use Dictionary<TKey, TValue> types instead of Hashtable classes. This preference stems from several key advantages provided by Dictionary<TKey, TValue>.

First of all, Dictionary<TKey, TValue> is a generic type, while Hashtable is not. This means that Dictionary<TKey, TValue> provides compile-time type safety. When using Dictionary<TKey, TValue>, the compiler ensures that only numeric values ​​of the specified type can be inserted into the dictionary, thus preventing potential runtime errors caused by type mismatches.

Additionally, Dictionary<TKey, TValue> provides a type-safe way to retrieve values ​​stored in a dictionary. In contrast, Hashtable requires a cast on the retrieved value, which is error-prone and tedious.

It is worth noting that the Dictionary<TKey, TValue> implementation in .NET is based on Hashtable, as evidenced by comments in its source code. However, the generic nature of Dictionary<TKey, TValue> and its built-in type safety make it a more convenient and reliable choice in most cases, which explains why it is more popular than Hashtable in C#.

The above is the detailed content of Why Choose `Dictionary` over `Hashtable` in C#?. For more information, please follow other related articles on the PHP Chinese website!