To box or not to box, that is the question

Suppose you have an immutable value type that is also disposable. Perhaps it represents some sort of handle.

struct MyHandle : IDisposable

{

    public MyHandle(int handle) : this() { this.Handle = handle; }

    public int Handle { get; private set; }

    public void Dispose()

    {

        Somehow.Close(this.Handle);

    }

}

You might think hey, you know, I'll decrease my probability of closing the same handle twice by making the struct mutate itself on disposal!

public void Dispose()

{

    if (this.Handle != 0)

      Somehow.Close(this.Handle);

    this.Handle = 0;

}

This should already be raising red flags in your mind. We're mutating a value type, which we know is dangerous because value types are copied by value; you're mutating a variable, and different variables can hold copies of the same value. Mutating one variable does not mutate the others, any more than changing one variable that contains 12 changes every variable in the program that also contains 12. But let's go with it for now.

What does this do?

Read more: Fabulous Adventures In Coding

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