c# - When do we do GetHashCode() for a Dictionary?

Question

I have used Dictionary(TKey, TValue) for many purposes. But I haven't encountered any scenario to implement GetHashCode() which I believe is because my keys were of primary types like int and string. I am curious to know the scenarios (real world examples) when one should use a custom object for key and thus implement methods GetHashCode() Equals() etc.

And, does using a custom object for key necessitate implementing these functions?

Answer 1

You should override Equals and GetHashCode whenever the default Object.Equals (tests for reference equality) will not suffice. This happens, for example, when the type of your key is a custom type and you want two keys to be considered equal even in cases when they are not the same instance of the custom type.

For example, if your key is as simple as

class Point {
    public int X { get; set; }
    public int Y { get; set; }
}

and you want two Points two be considered equal if their Xs are equal and their Ys are equal then you will need to override Equals and GetHashCode.