Question

Is there any way that one can encapsulate Dictionary to be a new type like DataDictionary so that instead of needing to change the definition in however many places it is used, it can be changed in only a few. Or should I just wrap this in another class that exposes only the aspects that I need?

Answer 1

Dictionary is not sealed so if you want a proper sub-type, do

class DataDictionary<K, V> : Dictionary<K,V>
{
}

And another option is :

class DataDictionary<K, V> 
{
   private Dictionary<K,V> _data;

}

Which gives you more freedom to design your own type.
And if you meant “How to eliminate the type-parameters”, use something like:

class DataDictionary : Dictionary<string, int>
{
}