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Discuss how garbage collection functions in the .NET framework. What are its key mechanisms, and how does it help prevent memory leaks? Additionally, describe a scenario where you had to troubleshoot a memory leak in a .NET application.
Garbage collection in .NET automatically manages memory allocation and deallocation, reducing the programmer's burden of manual memory management. This helps prevent memory leaks and dangling pointers.
The .NET garbage collector uses a generational approach, categorizing objects into generations (0, 1, and 2) based on their lifespan. This improves efficiency by collecting short-lived objects more frequently.
The garbage collector employs a mark-and-sweep algorithm, which marks reachable objects and then sweeps through memory to collect unmarked objects, reclaiming memory space.
Objects can implement a finalizer method, allowing them to execute cleanup code before being collected. However, relying on finalizers can lead to delayed memory reclamation.