How does the lock keyword work in C#?
How does the lock keyword work in C#?
465
06-Mar-2025
Updated on 08-Mar-2025
Khushi Singh
08-Mar-2025In C# programming the lock keyword functions as a synchronization tool which allows only a single thread to work on critical code sections simultaneously. Mutex management enables programmers to prevent problematic synchronizations during shared resource modifications across multiple active threads.
How the Lock Keyword Works
A thread encounters the lock statement by determining whether the referenced object currently holds a lock by another active thread. When the thread finds no active lock on the object it proceeds to lock it before running the guarded code block. The lock protection ends after execution finishes thereby enabling other threads to reach the resource.
The parameter of the lock statement commonly uses a private or static object to function as a mutual exclusion (mutex). Additional threads that target this lock must suspend their activities until it becomes free for acquisition.
Key Features of lock-in C#
The critical section can be accessed by only one thread at any moment in time.
The lock releases automatically upon exiting the lock block regardless of any exceptions that occur.
Proper lock usage helps prevent deadlocks that happen because several threads wait in a permanent state.
Best Practices
A private read-only object
lockObject = new object(); should be used instead of this or public variables because external code could similarly lock these objects thereby producing unexpected results.The size of the critical section should remain limited to achieve reduced performance costs.
The use of strings for locking objects should be avoided since these immutable objects are globally shared in your application which creates unexpected lock interference.
Conclusion
The lock keyword serves as a core thread synchronization mechanism in C# to allow safe access of shared resources without race condition occurrence. Application building success requires proper implementation of the lock keyword for multi-threaded application development.