What is the difference between generic and non-generic collections in C#?

Generic collections are type-safe and defined using generics (<T>), allowing you to specify

the type of elements they hold. This ensures compile-time type checking and eliminates the

need for casting.

Non-generic collections, on the other hand, store elements as objects (object type),

requiring boxing/unboxing for value types and casting for reference types.

Example:

// Generic collection

List<int> numbers = new List<int>();

numbers.Add(10); // No boxing, type-safe

// Non-generic collection

ArrayList list = new ArrayList();

list.Add(10); // Boxing occurs

int value = (int)list[0]; // Needs casting

Real-world use case:

In applications dealing with specific data types (e.g., a list of customer IDs), generic

collections are ideal. Non-generic collections may be used in legacy systems or when

dealing with multiple data types.