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Destructor Syntax in C# and C++

You cannot call or override the Object.Finalize method from the C# or C++ programming languages. C# uses destructors as the mechanism for writing finalization code, as described in Destructors (C# Programming Guide).

In C++, destructor syntax is used to implement the Dispose method. C++ provides its own syntax for implementing the Finalize method, as described in Destructors and Finalizers in Visual C++.

Note

Prior to version 2.0 of the .NET Framework, C++ used destructor syntax to implement the Finalize method, as C# does, and did not have special syntax for implementing the Dispose method. To compile C++ code that uses the earlier syntax, use the /clr:oldSyntax compiler option.

Although they look similar, the C# and C++ destructors do not have the same semantics as unmanaged C++ destructors. Managed code does not support anything similar to C++ destructor semantics.

See Also

Concepts

Overriding the Finalize Method

Reference

Finalize

/clr (Common Language Runtime Compilation)

Other Resources

Cleaning Up Unmanaged Resources