The Architecture of a Class in C#

What is Class Architecture in C#?

A class in C# is a blueprint that defines the attributes and behaviors (methods) of objects. It serves as the primary structure for object-oriented programming (OOP) in C#. The architecture of a class defines its fields, methods, properties, and constructors.

Defining a Basic Class in C#

A basic class contains fields, properties, methods, and constructors. These elements work together to encapsulate data and functionality.

Example of a Class:

public class Car
{
    // Fields
    private string model;
    private int year;

    // Constructor
    public Car(string model, int year)
    {
        this.model = model;
        this.year = year;
    }

    // Property
    public string Model 
    {
        get { return model; }
        set { model = value; }
    }

    // Method
    public void DisplayInfo()
    {
        Console.WriteLine($"Model: {Model}, Year: {year}");
    }
}
        

In this example, the Car class contains private fields, a constructor for initialization, a property for accessing/modifying the field, and a method to display the car's information.

Key Components of a Class

• Fields: Variables that hold the data of the class.
• Properties: Provide access to fields in a controlled way.
• Methods: Functions that define behaviors of the class.
• Constructors: Special methods to initialize class objects.

Access Modifiers in Class

C# provides access modifiers like public, private, protected, and internal to control the visibility and accessibility of class members.

Example of Access Modifiers:

public class Car
{
    private string model;  // private field
    public string Model    // public property
    {
        get { return model; }
        set { model = value; }
    }
}
        

In this example, the model field is private, and access is provided via the public Model property.

Types of Constructors in C#

• Default Constructor: A constructor without parameters.
• Parameterized Constructor: A constructor that accepts parameters.
• Copy Constructor: A constructor that copies data from one object to another.
• Static Constructor: Used to initialize static fields of a class.

Example of Parameterized Constructor:

public class Car
{
    private string model;
    private int year;

    // Parameterized Constructor
    public Car(string model, int year)
    {
        this.model = model;
        this.year = year;
    }

    public void DisplayInfo()
    {
        Console.WriteLine($"Model: {model}, Year: {year}");
    }
}
        

This example demonstrates a parameterized constructor that initializes the fields model and year.

Key Points to Remember

• A class is a blueprint for creating objects in C#.
• Fields store data, while methods define behavior in a class.
• Access modifiers control the visibility of class members.
• Constructors are used to initialize objects in C#.