As we bid farewell to the older syntax, let’s embrace the newer, more expressive way of creating objects. Introduction In C# 12, primary constructors play a crucial role in defining the behavior of classes and structs. By adding parameters to a struct or class declaration, you can create a primary constructor. Use Cases Pass primary constructor parameters as arguments to a base constructor invocation. This allows for seamless initialization of base class properties. Base Constructor Invocation: Primary constructor parameters are often used to initialize member fields or properties. By directly assigning values during construction. Member Field Initialization: Getting Started The struct & constructor declaration before C# 12. Please find below the example of the older syntax. public readonly struct Distance
{
    public readonly double Magnitude { get; }

    public readonly double Direction { get; }

    public Distance(double dx, double dy)
    {
        Magnitude = Math.Sqrt(dx * dx + dy * dy);
        Direction = Math.Atan2(dy, dx);
    }
} Newer Syntax Consider the following example, let's create a struct namedDistance with two primary constructor parameters: dx and dy. Later, we can compute two read-only properties—Magnitude and Direction—based on these parameters: public readonly struct Distance(double dx, double dy)
{
    public readonly double Magnitude { get; } = Math.Sqrt(dx * dx + dy * dy);
    public readonly double Direction { get; } = Math.Atan2(dy, dx);
} Invoking Base Class Primary Constructors Primary constructors can be leveraged in inheritance hierarchies. When a derived class has its primary constructor, it can invoke the base class’s primary constructor using the base keyword. Example: Bank Account Hierarchy Consider a base class BankAccount with a primary constructor for account number and initial balance: public class BankAccount(int accountNumber, decimal initialBalance)
{
      // Additional initialization specific to SavingsAccount
      // ...

} Now, a derived class SavingsAccount can inherit from BankAccount and invoke its primary constructor as shown below public class SavingsAccount(int accountNumber, decimal initialBalance) : BankAccount (accountNumber, initialBalance)
{
      // Additional initialization specific to SavingsAccount
      // ...
} Custom Behavior in Derived Classes Derived classes can further customize their behavior within the constructors. For instance, a CheckingAccount class might inherit from BankAccount but invoke the base constructor using the base keyword public class CheckingAccount : BankAccount
    {
        public CheckingAccount(int accountNumber, decimal initialBalance)
            : base(accountNumber, initialBalance)
        {
            // Additional initialization specific to CheckingAccount
            // ...
        }
    } Conclusion In the ever-evolving landscape of programming languages, C# 12 introduces a powerful feature: primary constructors. These concise and elegant constructs allow us to define the behavior of classes and structures with utmost clarity. As we bid farewell to the older syntax, let’s embrace the newer, more expressive way of creating objects. C# Programming🚀 Thank you for being a part of the C# community! Before you leave: If you’ve made it this far, please show your appreciation with a clap and follow the author! 👏️️ Follow us: | | | | | X LinkedIn Dev.to Hashnode Newsletter Tumblr Visit our other platforms: | | | | GitHub Instagram Tiktok Quora Daily.dev Also published here

This story contains new, firsthand information uncovered by the writer.

Walkthroughs, tutorials, guides, and tips. This story will teach you how to do something new or how to do something better.

Primary Constructors in C# 12: What They Are and Why They Are Useful

About Author

Comments

TOPICS

THIS ARTICLE WAS FEATURED IN

Related Stories

10-Day .Net Aspire Challenge: Day 1 - An Introduction to .Net Aspire

104 Stories To Learn About Go

105 Stories To Learn About Functional Programming

100+ Free Pluralsight Courses to learn Python, Java, and Spring Boot

10 Websites to Learn JavaScript for Beginners

104 Stories To Learn About Programming Top Story

10-Day .Net Aspire Challenge: Day 1 - An Introduction to .Net Aspire

104 Stories To Learn About Go

105 Stories To Learn About Functional Programming

100+ Free Pluralsight Courses to learn Python, Java, and Spring Boot

10 Websites to Learn JavaScript for Beginners

104 Stories To Learn About Programming Top Story

Light-Mode

Classic

Newspaper

Minty

Dark-Mode

Neon Noir

Minty

HN StartUps