The problem: Registered event handlers create a reference from the event to the event handler's instance. If that instance fails to unregister the event handler (via Dispose, presumably), then the instance memory will not be freed by the garbage collector.
Example:
class Foo
{
public event Action AnEvent;
public void DoEvent()
{
if (AnEvent != null)
AnEvent();
}
}
class Bar
{
public Bar(Foo l)
{
l.AnEvent += l_AnEvent;
}
void l_AnEvent()
{
}
}
If I instantiate a Foo, and pass this to a new Bar constructor, then let go of the Bar object, it will not be freed by the garbage collector because of the AnEvent registration.
I consider this a memory leak, and seems just like my old C++ days. I can, of course, make Bar IDisposable, unregister the event in the Dispose() method, and make sure to call Dispose() on instances of it, but why should I have to do this?
I first question why events are implemented with strong references? Why not use weak references? An event is used to abstractly notify an object of changes in another object. It seems to me that if the event handler's instance is no longer in use (i.e., there are no non-event references to the object), then any events that it is registered with should automatically be unregistered. What am I missing?
I have looked at WeakEventManager. Wow, what a pain. Not only is it very difficult to use, but its documentation is inadequate (see http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/system.windows.weakeventmanager.aspx -- noticing the "Notes to Inheritors" section that has 6 vaguely described bullets).
I have seen other discussions in various places, but nothing I felt I coul