BlockingCollection vs. ConcurrentBag vs. List: Which Collection is Best for Parallel Operations in WPF?

Optimizing Parallel Operations in WPF: BlockingCollection, ConcurrentBag, and List Compared

A WPF application experienced freezing during Parallel.ForEach operations using List<T>. Switching to ConcurrentBag resolved the issue. This article compares BlockingCollection and ConcurrentBag as alternatives to List<T> in parallel processing contexts.

BlockingCollection: Controlled Concurrency

BlockingCollection wraps an IProducerConsumerCollection<T>, including ConcurrentBag<T>. Its key advantages are:

• Blocking Removal: Threads attempting to remove items will block until data is available.
• Bounded Capacity: Limits the maximum number of elements, preventing unbounded memory consumption.

ConcurrentBag: Unrestricted Concurrent Access

ConcurrentBag<T> is a thread-safe collection allowing concurrent additions and removals. Unlike BlockingCollection, it doesn't offer blocking or size limitations.

Selecting the Appropriate Collection

In scenarios like the original question, where neither blocking nor size limits are necessary, BlockingCollection adds unnecessary complexity. ConcurrentBag<T> provides the required thread safety without performance overhead. The choice depends on the specific needs of your parallel operation:

• Use ConcurrentBag<T> when: You need thread-safe concurrent access without blocking or size restrictions. This is often the best choice for simple parallel tasks.
• Use BlockingCollection when: You require blocking behavior (e.g., consumers wait for producers) or need to control the collection's size to manage memory usage.

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