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How to implement a lightweight class with automatically implemented properties

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This example shows how to create an immutable lightweight class that serves only to encapsulate a set of automatically implemented properties. Use this kind of construct instead of a struct when you must use reference type semantics.

You can make an immutable property in the following ways:

  • Declare only the get accessor, which makes the property immutable everywhere except in the type's constructor.
  • Declare an init accessor instead of a set accessor, which makes the property settable only in the constructor or by using an object initializer.
  • Declare the set accessor to be private. The property is settable within the type, but it's immutable to consumers.

You can add the required modifier to the property declaration to force callers to set the property as part of initializing a new object.

The following example shows how a property with only get accessor differs than one with get and private set.

class Contact
{
    public string Name { get; }
    public string Address { get; private set; }

    public Contact(string contactName, string contactAddress)
    {
        // Both properties are accessible in the constructor.
        Name = contactName;
        Address = contactAddress;
    }

    // Name isn't assignable here. This will generate a compile error.
    //public void ChangeName(string newName) => Name = newName;

    // Address is assignable here.
    public void ChangeAddress(string newAddress) => Address = newAddress;
}

Example

The following example shows two ways to implement an immutable class that has automatically implemented properties. Each way declares one of the properties with a private set and one of the properties with a get only. The first class uses a constructor only to initialize the properties, and the second class uses a static factory method that calls a constructor.

// This class is immutable. After an object is created,
// it cannot be modified from outside the class. It uses a
// constructor to initialize its properties.
class Contact
{
    // Read-only property.
    public string Name { get; }

    // Read-write property with a private set accessor.
    public string Address { get; private set; }

    // Public constructor.
    public Contact(string contactName, string contactAddress)
    {
        Name = contactName;
        Address = contactAddress;
    }
}

// This class is immutable. After an object is created,
// it cannot be modified from outside the class. It uses a
// static method and private constructor to initialize its properties.
public class Contact2
{
    // Read-write property with a private set accessor.
    public string Name { get; private set; }

    // Read-only property.
    public string Address { get; }

    // Private constructor.
    private Contact2(string contactName, string contactAddress)
    {
        Name = contactName;
        Address = contactAddress;
    }

    // Public factory method.
    public static Contact2 CreateContact(string name, string address)
    {
        return new Contact2(name, address);
    }
}

public class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        // Some simple data sources.
        string[] names = ["Terry Adams","Fadi Fakhouri", "Hanying Feng",
                            "Cesar Garcia", "Debra Garcia"];
        string[] addresses = ["123 Main St.", "345 Cypress Ave.", "678 1st Ave",
                                "12 108th St.", "89 E. 42nd St."];

        // Simple query to demonstrate object creation in select clause.
        // Create Contact objects by using a constructor.
        var query1 = from i in Enumerable.Range(0, 5)
                    select new Contact(names[i], addresses[i]);

        // List elements cannot be modified by client code.
        var list = query1.ToList();
        foreach (var contact in list)
        {
            Console.WriteLine("{0}, {1}", contact.Name, contact.Address);
        }

        // Create Contact2 objects by using a static factory method.
        var query2 = from i in Enumerable.Range(0, 5)
                        select Contact2.CreateContact(names[i], addresses[i]);

        // Console output is identical to query1.
        var list2 = query2.ToList();

        // List elements cannot be modified by client code.
        // CS0272:
        // list2[0].Name = "Eugene Zabokritski";
    }
}

/* Output:
    Terry Adams, 123 Main St.
    Fadi Fakhouri, 345 Cypress Ave.
    Hanying Feng, 678 1st Ave
    Cesar Garcia, 12 108th St.
    Debra Garcia, 89 E. 42nd St.
*/

The compiler creates backing fields for each automatically implemented property. The fields aren't accessible directly from source code.

See also