properties in c#

Question

What is the difference between Variable and Property ? Can you give any example to clarify the same ?

Jignesh Trivedi · Answer

Hi, Please refer link, it is very good article. this article for VB.net but same thing applied for C# http://blogs.msdn.com/b/vbteam/archive/2009/09/04/properties-vs-fields-why-does-it-matter-jonathan-aneja.aspx hope this will help you.

Vulpes · Answer

Variables represent storage locations and include instance fields, static fields, array elements, the three types of parameter (value, reference and output) and local variables. In contrast properties represent the melding together of getter and/or setter methods under one name. They typically provide access to private fields or calculate values but can be used in much wider contexts as well.

Dipankar Biswas · Answer

Variable: A variable is nothing but a name given to a storage area that our programs can manipulate. Each variable in C# has a specific type, which determines the size and layout of the variable's memory; the range of values that can be stored within that memory; and the set of operations that can be applied to the variable. for example int i, j, k; char c, ch; float f, salary; double d; Property: Properties are named members of classes, structures, and interfaces. Member variables or methods in a class or structures are called Fields. Properties are an extension of fields and are accessed using the same syntax. They use accessors through which the values of the private fields can be read, written or manipulated. Properties do not name the storage locations. Instead, they have accessors that read, write, or compute their values. For example, let us have a class named Student, with private fields for age, name and code. We cannot directly access these fields from outside the class scope, but we can have properties for accessing these private fields. using System; class Student { private string code = "N.A"; private string name = "not known"; private int age = 0; // Declare a Code property of type string: public string Code { get { return code; } set { code = value; } } // Declare a Name property of type string: public string Name { get { return name; } set { name = value; } } // Declare a Age property of type int: public int Age { get { return age; } set { age = value; } } public override string ToString() { return "Code = " + Code +", Name = " + Name + ", Age = " + Age; } public static void Main() { // Create a new Student object: Student s = new Student(); // Setting code, name and the age of the student s.Code = "001"; s.Name = "Zara"; s.Age = 9; Console.WriteLine("Student Info: {0}", s); //let us increase age s.Age += 1; Console.WriteLine("Student Info: {0}", s); Console.ReadKey(); } } When the above code is compiled and executed, it produces following result: Student Info: Code = 001, Name = Zara, Age = 9 Student Info: Code = 001, Name = Zara, Age = 10