Restrictions on Using Accessibility Levels (C# Reference)
When you specify a type in a declaration, check whether the accessibility level of the type is dependent on the accessibility level of a member or of another type. For example, the direct base class must be at least as accessible as the derived class. The following declarations cause a compiler error because the base class BaseClass is less accessible than MyClass:
class BaseClass {...}
public class MyClass: BaseClass {...} // Error
The following table summarizes the restrictions on declared accessibility levels.
Context |
Remarks |
---|---|
The direct base class of a class type must be at least as accessible as the class type itself. |
|
The explicit base interfaces of an interface type must be at least as accessible as the interface type itself. |
|
The return type and parameter types of a delegate type must be at least as accessible as the delegate type itself. |
|
The type of a constant must be at least as accessible as the constant itself. |
|
The type of a field must be at least as accessible as the field itself. |
|
The return type and parameter types of a method must be at least as accessible as the method itself. |
|
The type of a property must be at least as accessible as the property itself. |
|
The type of an event must be at least as accessible as the event itself. |
|
The type and parameter types of an indexer must be at least as accessible as the indexer itself. |
|
The return type and parameter types of an operator must be at least as accessible as the operator itself. |
|
The parameter types of a constructor must be at least as accessible as the constructor itself. |
The following example contains erroneous declarations of different types. The comment following each declaration indicates the expected compiler error.
// Restrictions on Using Accessibility Levels
// CS0052 expected as well as CS0053, CS0056, and CS0057
// To make the program work, change access level of both class B
// and MyPrivateMethod() to public.
using System;
// A delegate:
delegate int MyDelegate();
class B
{
// A private method:
static int MyPrivateMethod()
{
return 0;
}
}
public class A
{
// Error: The type B is less accessible than the field A.myField.
public B myField = new B();
// Error: The type B is less accessible
// than the constant A.myConst.
public readonly B myConst = new B();
public B MyMethod()
{
// Error: The type B is less accessible
// than the method A.MyMethod.
return new B();
}
// Error: The type B is less accessible than the property A.MyProp
public B MyProp
{
set
{
}
}
MyDelegate d = new MyDelegate(B.MyPrivateMethod);
// Even when B is declared public, you still get the error:
// "The parameter B.MyPrivateMethod is not accessible due to
// protection level."
public static B operator +(A m1, B m2)
{
// Error: The type B is less accessible
// than the operator A.operator +(A,B)
return new B();
}
static void Main()
{
Console.Write("Compiled successfully");
}
}
For more information, see the C# Language Specification. The language specification is the definitive source for C# syntax and usage.
Access Modifiers (C# Reference)
Accessibility Domain (C# Reference)
Accessibility Levels (C# Reference)