Dynamic type Vs Object type

Object

In C#, every object is ultimately derived from the object type, either directly or indirectly. Objects in C# can be of reference type or value type, and their behavior is determined at compile time. However, when working with value types, there is a performance overhead due to the necessity of boxing and unboxing operations for conversions, which can introduce inefficiencies. Nonetheless, C# provides the capability to convert value types to reference types and vice versa, offering flexibility in handling different types of data and facilitating interoperability between value types and reference types.

Example
public void ObjectOperations() { object myObj = 100; myObj = myObj + 100; // Compile time error myObj = "Hello World!"; // No error, Boxing happens here }

Object type variables necessitate casting to their original type before they can be utilized. This implies that values of any type can be stored in an object type variable, but type conversion (unboxing) is required to retrieve the original type of the variable's value in order to utilize it. However, this process of casting and unboxing adds overhead to the operations. Nevertheless, object type variables provide the flexibility to perform operations on values of various user-defined or primitive data types once they are cast. Object type becomes particularly useful when there is limited information available about the specific data type being handled.

Dynamic

The dynamic type is a runtime variable that does not require boxing and unboxing. It allows for assigning and changing values of different types without explicit type conversions. With dynamic, you can assign values of any type to the variable and modify the value type stored in it during runtime. Error detection for dynamic variables occurs at runtime, as the type checking is deferred until execution. Essentially, dynamic can be considered a runtime object that can hold data of any type, providing flexibility and late-binding capabilities.

Example
public void dynamicOperations() { dynamic myDyn = 10; myDyn = myDyn + 10; // No error myDyn = "Hello World!"; // No error, neither compile time nor run time }

When using the dynamic type in C#, explicit casting is not required. However, it is important to have knowledge of the properties and methods associated with the stored type in order to interact with it effectively. The dynamic type proves particularly useful in scenarios involving reflection, dynamic language support, or COM objects, where the specific types may not be known at compile time. By utilizing the dynamic type, developers can write less code and use the flexibility provided by late-binding, allowing for dynamic resolution of members and avoiding the need for explicit casting or compile-time type checking. This results in more concise and expressive code, particularly in situations where the exact types or APIs are determined at runtime.






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