Should Dispose() or Finalize() be used to delete temporary files?

Question

I have a class that makes use of temporary files (Path.GetTempFileName()) while it is active. I want to make sure these files do not remain on the user\'s hard driv

Answer 1

I always make my classes that point to temp files IDisposable, and usually implement a finalizer that calls my dispose method there as well. This seems to be the paradigm suggested by the IDisposable MSDN page.

Related code below:

public void Dispose()
{
    Dispose(true);
    // This object will be cleaned up by the Dispose method.
    // Therefore, you should call GC.SupressFinalize to
    // take this object off the finalization queue
    // and prevent finalization code for this object
    // from executing a second time.
    GC.SuppressFinalize(this);
}

// Dispose(bool disposing) executes in two distinct scenarios.
// If disposing equals true, the method has been called directly
// or indirectly by a user's code. Managed and unmanaged resources
// can be disposed.
// If disposing equals false, the method has been called by the
// runtime from inside the finalizer and you should not reference
// other objects. Only unmanaged resources can be disposed.
private void Dispose(bool disposing)
{
    // Check to see if Dispose has already been called.
    if(!this.disposed)
    {
        // If disposing equals true, dispose all managed
        // and unmanaged resources.
        if(disposing)
        {
            // Dispose managed resources.

        }

        // Call the appropriate methods to clean up
        // unmanaged resources here.
        // If disposing is false,
        // only the following code is executed.


        // Note disposing has been done.
        disposed = true;

    }
}



// Use C# destructor syntax for finalization code.
// This destructor will run only if the Dispose method
// does not get called.
// It gives your base class the opportunity to finalize.
// Do not provide destructors in types derived from this class.
~MyResource()
{
    // Do not re-create Dispose clean-up code here.
    // Calling Dispose(false) is optimal in terms of
    // readability and maintainability.
    Dispose(false);
}