A weak reference is a reference that does not protect the referenced object from garbage collection - whereas a strong reference does. Weak references are great because they can break reference cycles - and they can also let an object's manager handle its destruction. First, we need to improve
/// <summary>
/// A collection of extension methods for working with weak references
/// (a weak reference does not prevent an object from being garbage collected)
/// </summary>
static partial class WeakReferenceExtensions
{
/// <summary>
/// Gets the value of a weak reference (what the reference it to)
/// </summary>
/// <typeparam name="T">The type of object the weak reference holds</typeparam>
/// <param name="wr">The weak reference</param>
/// <returns>The value or null</returns>
public static T GetValue<T>(this WeakReference<T> wr) where T : class
{
T val;
if (wr.TryGetTarget(out val)) { return val; }
return null;
}
A weak reference list (or weak list) is a collection of weak references. WeakLists allow for a collection of class objects to self manage - or at least garbage collect regardless of inclusion in the WealkList.
/// <summary>
/// Adds an object to a collection of weak references
/// (will not add if object is null or not of right type)
/// </summary>
/// <typeparam name="T">The type of object ot add</typeparam>
/// <param name="l">The weak reference list</param>
/// <param name="val">The object o add</param>
public static void Add<T>(this ICollection<WeakReference<T>> l, object val) where T : class
{
var v = val as T;
if (v != null) { l.Add(new WeakReference<T>(v)); }
}
}
These extension methods will allow the WeakList to more easily get and set values.
Note: The following implementation will contain a list of weak references, but other implementations will work as well.
Let's define the weak list. It need to implement all the interfaces of List. Since this may be used across threads, synchronization is a must.
/// <summary>
/// A list that only holds weak references to various objects
/// </summary>
/// <typeparam name="T">The type of class object held in the list</typeparam>
class WeakList<T> : IList, IList<T>, IReadOnlyList<T>,
ICollection, ICollection<T>, IReadOnlyCollection<T>,
IEnumerable, IEnumerable<T>, IEnumerator<T> where T : class
{
/// <summary>
/// The backing object is just a list of weak references
/// </summary>
private List<WeakReference<T>> _list = new List<WeakReference<T>>();
#region IList
/// <summary>
/// True if the list is fixed in size (it is not)
/// </summary>
public bool IsFixedSize => false;
/// <summary>
/// True if the list is ReadOnly (it is not)
/// </summary>
public bool IsReadOnly => false;
/// <summary>
/// Adds an object to the list
/// </summary>
/// <param name="value">The object to add to the list</param>
/// <returns>The number of objects added</returns>
public int Add(object value)
{
var v = value as T;
if (v == null) { return 0; }
lock (SyncRoot)
{
int i = 0;
while (i < _list.Count)
{
if (this[i] == v) { return 0; }
i++;
}
_list.Add(v);
return 1;
}
}
/// <summary>
/// Gets or sets an object by index
/// </summary>
/// <param name="index">A non-negative integer index</param>
/// <returns>A value, null otherwise</returns>
object IList.this[int index]
{
get
{
if (index < 0 || index >= _list.Count) { return null; }
return _list[index].GetValue();
}
set
{
if (index < 0 || index >= _list.Count) { return; }
var v = value as T;
if (v != null) { _list[index].SetTarget(v); }
}
}
/// <summary>
/// Clears the list
/// </summary>
public void Clear()
{
lock (SyncRoot)
{
_list.Clear();
}
}
/// <summary>
/// Checks if the list contains an item
/// </summary>
/// <param name="item">The item to check</param>
/// <returns>true if the list contains the item</returns>
public bool Contains(object value)
{
var v = value as T;
if (v == null) { return false; }
return Contains(v);
}
/// <summary>
/// Finds the index of an item
/// </summary>
/// <param name="item">The item to find</param>
/// <returns>The index or -1</returns>
public int IndexOf(object value)
{
var v = value as T;
if (v == null) { return -1; }
return IndexOf(v);
}
/// <summary>
/// Inserts an item at a given index
/// </summary>
/// <param name="index">The index to insert at</param>
/// <param name="value">The value to insert</param>
public void Insert(int index, object value)
{
var v = value as T;
if (v == null) { return; }
lock (SyncRoot)
{
_list.Insert(index, new WeakReference<T>(v));
}
}
/// <summary>
/// Removes a value from the list
/// </summary>
/// <param name="value"></param>
public void Remove(object value)
{
Remove(value as T);
}
/// <summary>
/// Removes an item at an index
/// </summary>
/// <param name="index">A non-negative integer giving the index of the item to remove</param>
public void RemoveAt(int index)
{
if (index < 0 || index >= _list.Count) { return; }
lock (SyncRoot)
{
_list.RemoveAt(index);
}
}
#endregion IList
#region IList<T>
/// <summary>
/// Gets or sets an object by index
/// </summary>
/// <param name="index">A non-negative integer index</param>
/// <returns>A value, null otherwise</returns>
public T this[int index]
{
get
{
if (index < 0 || index >= _list.Count) { return null; }
return _list[index].GetValue();
}
set
{
if (index < 0 || index >= _list.Count) { return; }
_list[index].SetTarget(value);
}
}
/// <summary>
/// Finds the index of an item
/// </summary>
/// <param name="item">The item to find</param>
/// <returns>The index or -1</returns>
public int IndexOf(T item)
{
if (item == null) { return -1; }
lock (SyncRoot)
{
int i = 0;
while (i < _list.Count)
{
T current = this[i];
if (current == item) { return i; }
if (current == null)
{
_list.RemoveAt(i);
i--;
}
i++;
}
}
return -1;
}
/// <summary>
/// Inserts an item at a given index
/// </summary>
/// <param name="index">The index to insert at</param>
/// <param name="item">The item to insert</param>
public void Insert(int index, T item)
{
var v = item as T;
if (v == null) { return; }
lock (SyncRoot)
{
_list.Insert(index, new WeakReference<T>(v));
}
}
#endregion
#region ICollection
/// <summary>
/// Gets the number of items currently in the list
/// </summary>
public int Count => _list.Count;
/// <summary>
/// True if the list uses locks to synchronize itself in multi-threaded environments
/// </summary>
public bool IsSynchronized => true;
/// <summary>
/// The object to lock when performing multi-threaded operations
/// </summary>
public object SyncRoot { get; private set; } = new object();
/// <summary>
/// Copies the contents into an array
/// </summary>
/// <param name="array">The array to copy to</param>
/// <param name="index">The index in the array to start copying at</param>
public void CopyTo(Array array, int index)
{
lock (SyncRoot)
{
lock (array.SyncRoot)
{
int i = 0;
while (i < _list.Count && i + index < array.Length)
{
var v = this[i];
while (v == null && i < _list.Count)
{
_list.RemoveAt(i);
v = this[i];
}
if (v != null)
{
array.SetValue(v, i + index);
}
i++;
}
}
}
}
#endregion
#region ICollection<T>
/// <summary>
/// Adds an object to the list
/// </summary>
/// <param name="value">The object to add to the list</param>
public void Add(T item)
{
var v = item as T;
if (v == null) { return; }
lock (SyncRoot)
{
int i = 0;
while (i < _list.Count)
{
if (this[i] == v) { return; }
i++;
}
_list.Add(v);
}
}
/// <summary>
/// Checks if the list contains an item
/// </summary>
/// <param name="item">The item to check</param>
/// <returns>true if the list contains the item</returns>
public bool Contains(T item)
{
lock (SyncRoot)
{
int i = 0;
while (i < _list.Count)
{
T current = this[i];
if (current == item)
{
return true;
}
else if (current == null)
{
_list.RemoveAt(i);
i--;
}
i++;
}
}
return false;
}
/// <summary>
/// Copies the contents into an array
/// </summary>
/// <param name="array">The array to copy to</param>
/// <param name="index">The index in the array at which to start copying</param>
public void CopyTo(T[] array, int arrayIndex)
{
lock (SyncRoot)
{
int i = 0;
while (i < _list.Count && i + arrayIndex < array.Length)
{
var v = this[i];
while (v == null && i < _list.Count)
{
_list.RemoveAt(i);
v = this[i];
}
if (v != null)
{
array[i + arrayIndex] = v;
}
i++;
}
}
}
/// <summary>
/// Removes an item
/// </summary>
/// <param name="item">An item to remove</param>
/// <returns>True if tiem removed</returns>
public bool Remove(T item)
{
var ret = false;
lock (SyncRoot)
{
int i = 0;
while (i < _list.Count)
{
var current = this[i];
if (current == item || current == null)
{
_list.RemoveAt(i);
ret = ret || current != null;
i--;
}
i++;
}
}
return false;
}
#endregion
#region IEnumerator
private int _position = -1;
/// <summary>
/// Gets the current object of the enumerator
/// </summary>
public object Current {
get
{
try
{
return _list[_position].GetValue();
}
catch (IndexOutOfRangeException)
{
throw new InvalidOperationException();
}
}
}
/// <summary>
/// Gets the current value of the enumerator
/// </summary>
T IEnumerator<T>.Current
{
get
{
try
{
return _list[_position].GetValue();
}
catch (IndexOutOfRangeException)
{
throw new InvalidOperationException();
}
}
}
/// <summary>
/// Moves the enumerator to the next item
/// </summary>
/// <returns>True if the enumerator can move</returns>
public bool MoveNext()
{
if (_list == null) { return false; }
_position++;
return _position < _list.Count;
}
/// <summary>
/// Resets the enumerator
/// </summary>
public void Reset()
{
lock (SyncRoot)
{
int i = 0;
while (i < _list.Count)
{
if (this[i] == null)
{
_list.RemoveAt(i);
i--;
}
i++;
}
_position = -1;
}
(_list.GetEnumerator() as IEnumerator)?.Reset();
}
#endregion
#region IEnumerable
/// <summary>
/// This list is an enumerator
/// </summary>
/// <returns>The enumerator</returns>
IEnumerator IEnumerable.GetEnumerator()
{
return this;
}
#endregion
#region IEnumerable<T>
/// <summary>
/// Gets this object as an enumerator
/// </summary>
/// <returns>The enumerator</returns>
public IEnumerator<T> GetEnumerator()
{
return this;
}
#endregion
#region IDisposable
/// <summary>
/// The dispose method of the list
/// </summary>
public void Dispose()
{
_position = -1;
}
#endregion
}
Now that we have a WeakList, let's test it out
// Assume this class is defined somewhere
class MyClass
{
public string Name {get; set;}
}
// Make the WeakList
var wl = new WeakList<MyClass>();
// Add some objects
var mo = new MyClass(){Name="StrongRef"};
wl.Add(new MyClass(){Name="SoftRef"});
wl.Add(mo);
// Garbage collect!
System.GC.Collect();
System.GC.WaitForPendingFinalizers();
for (var mc in wl){
System.Console.WriteLine(mc.Name); // only "StrongRef" gets written
}
mo = null;
System.GC.Collect();
System.GC.WaitForPendingFinalizers();
for (var mc in wl){
System.Console.WriteLine(mc.Name); // nothing gets written
}
As seen, objects with no reference are GarbageCollected and removed from the WeakList. While the count of the list might not immediately change, the iterator will skipp over Garbage Collected elements.