Collection definition in terms of the programming language

Question

Often I can see a statement like this: "IEnumerable: Represents a collection of objects ....". What is a collection in terms of the selected programming language, for example, CSharp? Do you think that IEnumerable is a collection?

Mariusz Postol · Answer

"In C#, a collection is a class that holds and manages multiple objects" - arrays for example comply with this definition but are collections? We cannot define the collection term using the collection word!!? "...holds and manages multiple objects." - a class cannot manage any object because it is compile-time text but the objects are instantiated at run time. Sorry, but it doesn't clear things up!

Mariusz Postol · Answer

@Gowtham Cp - I am looking for an answer that allows us to avoid discussion on the meaning of the "way" word in terms of the language. for example. Let me stress in terms of a programming language but not in terms of natural language. It is like mathematics, but not sociology, for example, because CS and IT were derived from mathematics. There must be no doubts. "In C#, a collection is a way to store and manage a group of objects" - what is the "way" in terms of the language? "IEnumerable isn’t exactly a collection", - so, what is a collection in terms of the language? You said "IEnumerable isn’t exactly a collection" but I know authors stating something different. Sorry, but I cannot mark it as an answer. Again, thanks for your contribution.

Gowtham Cp · Answer

Hi Mariusz, Got it. In C#, a collection is a class that holds and manages multiple objects. Examples include List , Dictionary , and Queue . These classes handle storage and offer methods to work with the data they contain. On the other hand, IEnumerable is an interface that provides a way to iterate over a sequence of elements. It doesn’t manage or store data itself; it’s used by collections to enable looping through items. So, while IEnumerable helps with iterating over collections, it’s not a collection itself but a tool for working with collections. Hope that clears things up! Best, Gowtham

Gowtham Cp · Answer

1. In C#, a collection is a way to store and manage a group of objects, like a list or an array. It’s a core concept in the C#, helping you organize and work with multiple items. 2. IEnumerable isn’t exactly a collection, it’s more of an interface that allows you to loop through a collection. It lets you access items one by one but doesn’t hold any data itself. So, while IEnumerable helps you navigate collections, it’s not a collection in itself. Hope it helps!

Collection definition in terms of the programming language

Answers (4)