Dispose pattern

<p>In <a href="/facts/Object-oriented_programming/TxNMEcao">object-oriented programming</a>, the dispose pattern is a <a href="/facts/Design_pattern_(computer_science)/mV7r4egw">design pattern</a> for <a href="/facts/Resource_management_(computing)/Nd3YPa3P">resource management</a>. In this pattern, a <a href="/facts/System_resource/bX958SEx">resource</a> is held by an <a href="/facts/Object_(computing)/eX99dtAw">object</a>, and released by calling a conventional <a href="/facts/Method_(computer_science)/8kAXxVYs">method</a> – usually called close, dispose, free, release depending on the language – which releases any resources the object is holding onto. Many <a href="/facts/Programming_language/cWTYbgWa">programming languages</a> offer <a href="/facts/Language_construct/4lDpHsIl">language constructs</a> to avoid having to call the dispose method explicitly in common situations.
</p><p>The dispose pattern is primarily used in languages whose <a href="/facts/Runtime_environment/YmCuC4xP">runtime environment</a> have <a href="/facts/Automatic_garbage_collection/j2vlIu7g">automatic garbage collection</a> (see motivation below).
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Dispose pattern open-in-new

Dispose pattern