Are helper methods equal/same to extension methods in C#?

Question

Hello,

In C#, Are helper methods the same as extension methods?

Are they the same?

PageModel class includes a number of helper methods that provide a shorthand way of creating action results to save you from using the new operator. The next listing shows the use of the Page() helper method, which is a wrapper around the expression new PageResult

Answer 1

Hi,@Shervan360.Welcome Microsoft Q&A.

No, helper methods and extension methods are not the same in C#.

Helper Methods: Helper methods are regular static methods defined in a class that provide utility functions to perform specific tasks. They are typically used to encapsulate common functionality and can be called directly using the class name as a prefix. Helper methods are not attached to any particular type and can be used anywhere in your code. They do not extend or modify existing types. Here's an example of a helper method that calculates the factorial of a number:

public static class MathHelpers
{
    public static int Factorial(int n)
    {
        if (n == 0)
            return 1;
        else
            return n * Factorial(n - 1);
    }
}

You could call this helper method like this:

int result = MathHelpers.Factorial(5); // result will be 120

Extension Methods: Extension methods are a special type of static methods that allow you to add new methods to existing types without modifying their original definitions. They enable you to "extend" the behavior of a class from outside the class itself. Extension methods are defined in static classes and must be static methods. They are typically used to add new functionality to classes that you don't have control over or to keep the code organized. Here's an example of an extension method that adds a new method to the string class to reverse a string:

public static class StringExtensions
{
    public static string Reverse(this string input)
    {
        char[] charArray = input.ToCharArray();
        Array.Reverse(charArray);
        return new string(charArray);
    }
}

You can call this extension method like this:

string originalString = "hello";
string reversedString = originalString.Reverse(); // reversedString will be "olleh"

In the example you provided, the "Page()" helper method seems to be a shorthand way of creating an action result in the PageModel class. It might encapsulate the logic of creating a PageResult object with specific parameters or settings, making it easier to create instances of PageResult without repeating the same code everywhere.

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