What is the "volatile" keyword used for?

Question

I read some articles about the volatile keyword but I could not figure out its correct usage. Could you please tell me what it should be used for in C# and in Java?

Answer 1

For both C# and Java, "volatile" tells the compiler that the value of a variable must never be cached as its value may change outside of the scope of the program itself. The compiler will then avoid any optimisations that may result in problems if the variable changes "outside of its control".