Static classes in c#

Question

In answering this question (https://stackoverflow.com/questions/352317/c-coding-question#352327), it got me wondering...

Is there any danger in regarding a static cl

Answer 1

It isn't exactly equivalent. For example you can pass a reference to a singleton instance as an argument, which you can't do with a static class as there isn't an instance.

What do you mean by "danger"?

Answer 2

In many ways, a static class and a singleton are similar. One big difference is that a singleton might implement some interfaces, which isn't possible with a static class. For example, Comparer<T>.Default / EqualityComparer<T>.Default provide (via the interface) the ability to use the item in sorting / dictionary usage.

It is also possible (though tricky) to use a singleton with the standard serialization frameworks. With a static class, you'd have to manage any state persistence manually.