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ASP.NET Core Razor component disposal

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Note

This isn't the latest version of this article. For the current release, see the .NET 9 version of this article.

Warning

This version of ASP.NET Core is no longer supported. For more information, see the .NET and .NET Core Support Policy. For the current release, see the .NET 9 version of this article.

Important

This information relates to a pre-release product that may be substantially modified before it's commercially released. Microsoft makes no warranties, express or implied, with respect to the information provided here.

For the current release, see the .NET 9 version of this article.

This article explains the ASP.NET Core Razor component disposal with with IDisposable and IAsyncDisposable.

If a component implements IDisposable or IAsyncDisposable, the framework calls for resource disposal when the component is removed from the UI. Don't rely on the exact timing of when these methods are executed. For example, IAsyncDisposable can be triggered before or after an asynchronous Task awaited in OnInitalizedAsync or OnParametersSetAsync is called or completes. Also, object disposal code shouldn't assume that objects created during initialization or other lifecycle methods exist.

Components shouldn't need to implement IDisposable and IAsyncDisposable simultaneously. If both are implemented, the framework only executes the asynchronous overload.

Developer code must ensure that IAsyncDisposable implementations don't take a long time to complete.

For more information, see the introductory remarks of ASP.NET Core Blazor synchronization context.

Disposal of JavaScript interop object references

Examples throughout the JavaScript (JS) interop articles demonstrate typical object disposal patterns:

JS interop object references are implemented as a map keyed by an identifier on the side of the JS interop call that creates the reference. When object disposal is initiated from either the .NET or JS side, Blazor removes the entry from the map, and the object can be garbage collected as long as no other strong reference to the object is present.

At a minimum, always dispose objects created on the .NET side to avoid leaking .NET managed memory.

DOM cleanup tasks during component disposal

For more information, see ASP.NET Core Blazor JavaScript interoperability (JS interop).

For guidance on JSDisconnectedException when a circuit is disconnected, see ASP.NET Core Blazor JavaScript interoperability (JS interop). For general JavaScript interop error handling guidance, see the JavaScript interop section in Handle errors in ASP.NET Core Blazor apps.

Synchronous IDisposable

For synchronous disposal tasks, use IDisposable.Dispose.

The following component:

  • Implements IDisposable with the @implements Razor directive.
  • Disposes of obj, which is a type that implements IDisposable.
  • A null check is performed because obj is created in a lifecycle method (not shown).
@implements IDisposable

...

@code {
    ...

    public void Dispose()
    {
        obj?.Dispose();
    }
}

If a single object requires disposal, a lambda can be used to dispose of the object when Dispose is called. The following example appears in the ASP.NET Core Razor component rendering article and demonstrates the use of a lambda expression for the disposal of a Timer.

TimerDisposal1.razor:

@page "/timer-disposal-1"
@using System.Timers
@implements IDisposable

<PageTitle>Timer Disposal 1</PageTitle>

<h1>Timer Disposal Example 1</h1>

<p>Current count: @currentCount</p>

@code {
    private int currentCount = 0;
    private Timer timer = new(1000);

    protected override void OnInitialized()
    {
        timer.Elapsed += (sender, eventArgs) => OnTimerCallback();
        timer.Start();
    }

    private void OnTimerCallback()
    {
        _ = InvokeAsync(() =>
        {
            currentCount++;
            StateHasChanged();
        });
    }

    public void Dispose() => timer.Dispose();
}

TimerDisposal1.razor:

@page "/timer-disposal-1"
@using System.Timers
@implements IDisposable

<PageTitle>Timer Disposal 1</PageTitle>

<h1>Timer Disposal Example 1</h1>

<p>Current count: @currentCount</p>

@code {
    private int currentCount = 0;
    private Timer timer = new(1000);

    protected override void OnInitialized()
    {
        timer.Elapsed += (sender, eventArgs) => OnTimerCallback();
        timer.Start();
    }

    private void OnTimerCallback()
    {
        _ = InvokeAsync(() =>
        {
            currentCount++;
            StateHasChanged();
        });
    }

    public void Dispose() => timer.Dispose();
}

CounterWithTimerDisposal1.razor:

@page "/counter-with-timer-disposal-1"
@using System.Timers
@implements IDisposable

<h1>Counter with <code>Timer</code> disposal</h1>

<p>Current count: @currentCount</p>

@code {
    private int currentCount = 0;
    private Timer timer = new(1000);

    protected override void OnInitialized()
    {
        timer.Elapsed += (sender, eventArgs) => OnTimerCallback();
        timer.Start();
    }

    private void OnTimerCallback()
    {
        _ = InvokeAsync(() =>
        {
            currentCount++;
            StateHasChanged();
        });
    }

    public void Dispose() => timer.Dispose();
}

CounterWithTimerDisposal1.razor:

@page "/counter-with-timer-disposal-1"
@using System.Timers
@implements IDisposable

<h1>Counter with <code>Timer</code> disposal</h1>

<p>Current count: @currentCount</p>

@code {
    private int currentCount = 0;
    private Timer timer = new(1000);

    protected override void OnInitialized()
    {
        timer.Elapsed += (sender, eventArgs) => OnTimerCallback();
        timer.Start();
    }

    private void OnTimerCallback()
    {
        _ = InvokeAsync(() =>
        {
            currentCount++;
            StateHasChanged();
        });
    }

    public void Dispose() => timer.Dispose();
}

CounterWithTimerDisposal1.razor:

@page "/counter-with-timer-disposal-1"
@using System.Timers
@implements IDisposable

<h1>Counter with <code>Timer</code> disposal</h1>

<p>Current count: @currentCount</p>

@code {
    private int currentCount = 0;
    private Timer timer = new(1000);

    protected override void OnInitialized()
    {
        timer.Elapsed += (sender, eventArgs) => OnTimerCallback();
        timer.Start();
    }

    private void OnTimerCallback()
    {
        _ = InvokeAsync(() =>
        {
            currentCount++;
            StateHasChanged();
        });
    }

    public void Dispose() => timer.Dispose();
}

CounterWithTimerDisposal1.razor:

@page "/counter-with-timer-disposal-1"
@using System.Timers
@implements IDisposable

<h1>Counter with <code>Timer</code> disposal</h1>

<p>Current count: @currentCount</p>

@code {
    private int currentCount = 0;
    private Timer timer = new Timer(1000);

    protected override void OnInitialized()
    {
        timer.Elapsed += (sender, eventArgs) => OnTimerCallback();
        timer.Start();
    }

    private void OnTimerCallback()
    {
        _ = InvokeAsync(() =>
        {
            currentCount++;
            StateHasChanged();
        });
    }

    public void Dispose() => timer.Dispose();
}

Note

In the preceding example, the call to StateHasChanged is wrapped by a call to ComponentBase.InvokeAsync because the callback is invoked outside of Blazor's synchronization context. For more information, see ASP.NET Core Razor component rendering.

If the object is created in a lifecycle method, such as OnInitialized{Async}, check for null before calling Dispose.

TimerDisposal2.razor:

@page "/timer-disposal-2"
@using System.Timers
@implements IDisposable

<PageTitle>Timer Disposal 2</PageTitle>

<h1>Timer Disposal Example 2</h1>

<p>Current count: @currentCount</p>

@code {
    private int currentCount = 0;
    private Timer? timer;

    protected override void OnInitialized()
    {
        timer = new Timer(1000);
        timer.Elapsed += (sender, eventArgs) => OnTimerCallback();
        timer.Start();
    }

    private void OnTimerCallback()
    {
        _ = InvokeAsync(() =>
        {
            currentCount++;
            StateHasChanged();
        });
    }

    public void Dispose() => timer?.Dispose();
}

TimerDisposal2.razor:

@page "/timer-disposal-2"
@using System.Timers
@implements IDisposable

<PageTitle>Timer Disposal 2</PageTitle>

<h1>Timer Disposal Example 2</h1>

<p>Current count: @currentCount</p>

@code {
    private int currentCount = 0;
    private Timer? timer;

    protected override void OnInitialized()
    {
        timer = new Timer(1000);
        timer.Elapsed += (sender, eventArgs) => OnTimerCallback();
        timer.Start();
    }

    private void OnTimerCallback()
    {
        _ = InvokeAsync(() =>
        {
            currentCount++;
            StateHasChanged();
        });
    }

    public void Dispose() => timer?.Dispose();
}

CounterWithTimerDisposal2.razor:

@page "/counter-with-timer-disposal-2"
@using System.Timers
@implements IDisposable

<h1>Counter with <code>Timer</code> disposal</h1>

<p>Current count: @currentCount</p>

@code {
    private int currentCount = 0;
    private Timer? timer;

    protected override void OnInitialized()
    {
        timer = new Timer(1000);
        timer.Elapsed += (sender, eventArgs) => OnTimerCallback();
        timer.Start();
    }

    private void OnTimerCallback()
    {
        _ = InvokeAsync(() =>
        {
            currentCount++;
            StateHasChanged();
        });
    }

    public void Dispose() => timer?.Dispose();
}

CounterWithTimerDisposal2.razor:

@page "/counter-with-timer-disposal-2"
@using System.Timers
@implements IDisposable

<h1>Counter with <code>Timer</code> disposal</h1>

<p>Current count: @currentCount</p>

@code {
    private int currentCount = 0;
    private Timer? timer;

    protected override void OnInitialized()
    {
        timer = new Timer(1000);
        timer.Elapsed += (sender, eventArgs) => OnTimerCallback();
        timer.Start();
    }

    private void OnTimerCallback()
    {
        _ = InvokeAsync(() =>
        {
            currentCount++;
            StateHasChanged();
        });
    }

    public void Dispose() => timer?.Dispose();
}

CounterWithTimerDisposal2.razor:

@page "/counter-with-timer-disposal-2"
@using System.Timers
@implements IDisposable

<h1>Counter with <code>Timer</code> disposal</h1>

<p>Current count: @currentCount</p>

@code {
    private int currentCount = 0;
    private Timer timer;

    protected override void OnInitialized()
    {
        timer = new Timer(1000);
        timer.Elapsed += (sender, eventArgs) => OnTimerCallback();
        timer.Start();
    }

    private void OnTimerCallback()
    {
        _ = InvokeAsync(() =>
        {
            currentCount++;
            StateHasChanged();
        });
    }

    public void Dispose() => timer?.Dispose();
}

CounterWithTimerDisposal2.razor:

@page "/counter-with-timer-disposal-2"
@using System.Timers
@implements IDisposable

<h1>Counter with <code>Timer</code> disposal</h1>

<p>Current count: @currentCount</p>

@code {
    private int currentCount = 0;
    private Timer timer;

    protected override void OnInitialized()
    {
        timer = new Timer(1000);
        timer.Elapsed += (sender, eventArgs) => OnTimerCallback();
        timer.Start();
    }

    private void OnTimerCallback()
    {
        _ = InvokeAsync(() =>
        {
            currentCount++;
            StateHasChanged();
        });
    }

    public void Dispose() => timer?.Dispose();
}

For more information, see:

Asynchronous IAsyncDisposable

For asynchronous disposal tasks, use IAsyncDisposable.DisposeAsync.

The following component:

  • Implements IAsyncDisposable with the @implements Razor directive.
  • Disposes of obj, which is an unmanaged type that implements IAsyncDisposable.
  • A null check is performed because obj is created in a lifecycle method (not shown).
@implements IAsyncDisposable

...

@code {
    ...

    public async ValueTask DisposeAsync()
    {
        if (obj is not null)
        {
            await obj.DisposeAsync();
        }
    }
}

For more information, see:

Assignment of null to disposed objects

Usually, there's no need to assign null to disposed objects after calling Dispose/DisposeAsync. Rare cases for assigning null include the following:

  • If the object's type is poorly implemented and doesn't tolerate repeat calls to Dispose/DisposeAsync, assign null after disposal to gracefully skip further calls to Dispose/DisposeAsync.
  • If a long-lived process continues to hold a reference to a disposed object, assigning null allows the garbage collector to free the object in spite of the long-lived process holding a reference to it.

These are unusual scenarios. For objects that are implemented correctly and behave normally, there's no point in assigning null to disposed objects. In the rare cases where an object must be assigned null, we recommend documenting the reason and seeking a solution that prevents the need to assign null.

StateHasChanged

Note

Calling StateHasChanged in Dispose and DisposeAsync isn't supported. StateHasChanged might be invoked as part of tearing down the renderer, so requesting UI updates at that point isn't supported.

Event handlers

Always unsubscribe event handlers from .NET events. The following Blazor form examples show how to unsubscribe an event handler in the Dispose method.

Private field and lambda approach:

@implements IDisposable

<EditForm ... EditContext="editContext" ...>
    ...
    <button type="submit" disabled="@formInvalid">Submit</button>
</EditForm>

@code {
    ...

    private EventHandler<FieldChangedEventArgs>? fieldChanged;

    protected override void OnInitialized()
    {
        editContext = new(model);

        fieldChanged = (_, __) =>
        {
            ...
        };

        editContext.OnFieldChanged += fieldChanged;
    }

    public void Dispose()
    {
        editContext.OnFieldChanged -= fieldChanged;
    }
}

Private method approach:

@implements IDisposable

<EditForm ... EditContext="editContext" ...>
    ...
    <button type="submit" disabled="@formInvalid">Submit</button>
</EditForm>

@code {
    ...

    protected override void OnInitialized()
    {
        editContext = new(model);
        editContext.OnFieldChanged += HandleFieldChanged;
    }

    private void HandleFieldChanged(object sender, FieldChangedEventArgs e)
    {
        ...
    }

    public void Dispose()
    {
        editContext.OnFieldChanged -= HandleFieldChanged;
    }
}

For more information on the EditForm component and forms, see ASP.NET Core Blazor forms overview and the other forms articles in the Forms node.

Anonymous functions, methods, and expressions

When anonymous functions, methods, or expressions, are used, it isn't necessary to implement IDisposable and unsubscribe delegates. However, failing to unsubscribe a delegate is a problem when the object exposing the event outlives the lifetime of the component registering the delegate. When this occurs, a memory leak results because the registered delegate keeps the original object alive. Therefore, only use the following approaches when you know that the event delegate disposes quickly. When in doubt about the lifetime of objects that require disposal, subscribe a delegate method and properly dispose the delegate as the earlier examples show.

Anonymous lambda method approach (explicit disposal not required):

private void HandleFieldChanged(object sender, FieldChangedEventArgs e)
{
    formInvalid = !editContext.Validate();
    StateHasChanged();
}

protected override void OnInitialized()
{
    editContext = new(starship);
    editContext.OnFieldChanged += (s, e) => HandleFieldChanged((editContext)s, e);
}

Anonymous lambda expression approach (explicit disposal not required):

private ValidationMessageStore? messageStore;

[CascadingParameter]
private EditContext? CurrentEditContext { get; set; }

protected override void OnInitialized()
{
    ...

    messageStore = new(CurrentEditContext);

    CurrentEditContext.OnValidationRequested += (s, e) => messageStore.Clear();
    CurrentEditContext.OnFieldChanged += (s, e) => 
        messageStore.Clear(e.FieldIdentifier);
}

The full example of the preceding code with anonymous lambda expressions appears in the ASP.NET Core Blazor forms validation article.

For more information, see Cleaning up unmanaged resources and the topics that follow it on implementing the Dispose and DisposeAsync methods.

Disposal during JS interop

Trap JSDisconnectedException in potential cases where loss of Blazor's SignalR circuit prevents JS interop calls and results an unhandled exception.

For more information, see the following resources: