Classes in C# Language

When it comes to object-oriented programming, C# stands out as a language known for its robust support for creating and managing classes. Classes serve as the foundation for encapsulating data and behavior, making them a fundamental building block in C#. In this post, we will delve into the world of classes, understand their significance, and explore some practical examples.

What are Classes in C# Language?

A class in C# is a blueprint for creating objects. It defines the structure and behavior of an object. You can think of a class as a template that encapsulates data (attributes or fields) and methods (functions) that operate on that data. Classes help organize and model the real-world entities in your software, making it easier to work with and understand complex systems.

Creating a Class

In C#, creating a class is straightforward. Here’s a simple example of a class that represents a Person:

class Person
{
    // Fields
    public string Name;
    public int Age;

    // Methods
    public void SayHello()
    {
        Console.WriteLine($"Hello, my name is {Name} and I am {Age} years old.");
    }
}

In the above example, we define a class Person with two fields, Name and Age, and a method SayHello that allows an instance of the Person class to introduce themselves.

Creating Objects from a Class

Once you’ve defined a class, you can create objects (instances) from it. Here’s how you can create and use instances of the Person class:

Person person1 = new Person();
person1.Name = "Alice";
person1.Age = 30;
person1.SayHello();

Person person2 = new Person();
person2.Name = "Bob";
person2.Age = 25;
person2.SayHello();

In this code, we create two Person objects, person1 and person2, and set their attributes. Then, we call the SayHello method on each object to display their introductions.

Class Members

In addition to fields and methods, classes can have properties, constructors, and events, among other members, allowing you to model complex behavior and relationships between objects in your application.

Inheritance and Polymorphism

C# supports class inheritance, which allows you to create new classes based on existing ones. This feature promotes code reuse and modularity. Additionally, C# supports polymorphism, enabling objects of different classes to be treated as instances of a common base class, fostering flexibility in your code.