Boxing vs Unboxing in C# Explained #Shorts

Every time you pass an int where an object is expected, C# boxes it — a silent heap allocation you never asked for. This Short breaks down what boxing and unboxing actually do under the hood, the implicit-boxing gotcha (hello, ArrayList and InvalidCastException), and why generics like Lis(int) make the problem disappear entirely. Zero to Pro is a series of short, focused explainers on the C# and .NET concepts that trip developers up. New one dropping regularly — subscribe to keep leveling up. TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Boxing vs Unboxing | intro 00:10 Stack vs Heap — the mechanism 00:25 The gotcha — it happens automatically 00:42 The fix — use generics 00:48 Recap