Manual Resource Management
Manual Resource Management is a programming concept where developers explicitly allocate and deallocate system resources (such as memory, file handles, or network connections) in their code, rather than relying on automatic mechanisms like garbage collection. This approach requires careful tracking of resource lifecycles to prevent issues like memory leaks, resource exhaustion, or dangling pointers. It is commonly associated with low-level programming languages and performance-critical applications where fine-grained control over resources is necessary.
Developers should learn Manual Resource Management when working with languages like C or C++ that lack automatic garbage collection, or in scenarios where predictable performance and minimal overhead are critical, such as embedded systems, game engines, or real-time applications. It is essential for optimizing resource usage in high-performance computing and avoiding the unpredictability of automatic management, though it increases the risk of bugs if not handled correctly.