c# 3.0 new language features – Auto implemented Properties

C# 3.0 comes with many new language features. Some of them are

• Anonymous Types
• Object Initializers
• Collection Initializers
• Lambda Expressions
• Auto-Implemented Properties
• Extension Methods
• Partial Methods
• Query Expressions
• Expression Trees
• Local Variable Type Inference

In this post i would like to explain the Auto implemented properties.

Whenever we need to create a new class with public properties we need to create private fields to store the values of these properties.

For example if i create a simple asp.net web application (c#) and call it “autoproperties” and then i add a new item-> a class file, called Customer, i will have a file in my solution “Customer.cs”

Inside the class body i can define my public properties and private fields. In my case i can have

 public class Customer
    {

        private string c_name;
       

        public int name
        {
            get { return c_name;}
            set { c_name = value; }
        }
    }

 

We have to use the same syntax for as many properties i intend to implement and use. In c# 3.0 we have an easier way to achieve this. Let’s try to use this new syntax which is easier to type and much more compact.

In our class example we need to have a second public property e.g surname

so in order to do that we just need to type in the class body

public string surname {get; set;}

There is no need to implement a private field to store the value. This new syntax does take care of this. If you are fan of the code snippets as i am, you can type in the class code editor

prop and hit tab twice you will see the following

public int MyProperty { get; set; }

You can change the data type and the name of the property as you wish.

If you want to have only a read only property you can type

propg and hit tab twice

public int MyProperty { get; private set; }

You can change the data type and the name of the property as you wish.

That is folks!!!! I will try to give examples of the new features of C# 3.0 in forthcoming posts.