When would you use Span or Memory?
PICTURE THIS: ARRAY IN MEMORY
Index starts at 0. Scan once for max — O(n).
Simple meaning
Span is a stack-only view over contiguous memory so I can slice arrays and strings without extra allocations.
WHY — C# instead of guessing?
Why interviewers care about C#:
on C#.
the situation, the default choice, and one exception - that reads as experience.
Name the idea, why it exists, then one short example.
End with when you use it and one common pitfall.
STEPS — What happens step by step?
Before you speak the answer, walk the interviewer through these steps:
- 1Span is a stack-only
view over contiguous memory so I can slice arrays and strings without extra allocations.
- 2Memory is the heap-friendly
cousin that can live on async state machines.
- 3High-performance parsers and network
buffers are the interview examples.
- 4Give an example
One tiny concrete case you can say aloud.
- 5Common mistake
What juniors usually get wrong.
- 6Close
When you pick this over the alternative.
EXAMPLE — See it in action
Here's a short line you can speak, broken into clear beats:
Note: Adapt this scaffold to your own project — keep it under 60–90 seconds.
Key takeaway
Span is a stack-only view over contiguous memory so I can slice arrays and strings without extra allocations. Memory is the heap-friendly cousin that can live on async state machines.