CODEWITHSUNDEEP
c#
jeroen
jeroen

Reputation: 51

I want a String field to consist of two other fields

I want Fullname to consist of FirstName and Lastname but I get the following exception:

A field initializer cannot reference the non static field, method or property 'Employee.FirstName' / 'Employee.LastName'

class Employee
{
    public string FirstName { get; }
    public string LastName { get; }
    private string FullName = string.Format("{0}, {1}", FirstName, LastName);
}

Upvotes: 4

Views: 110

Answers (3)

Yuval Itzchakov
Yuval Itzchakov

Reputation: 149578

The assignment order of class fields isn't guaranteed by the run-time. That's why the compiler is warning you with a compile time error.

If FullName was a public property, you'd be able to do:

class Employee
{
    public string FirstName { get; }
    public string LastName { get; }
    public string FullName => $"{FirstName} {LastName}";
}

For anyone not using C#-6:

class Employee
{
    public string FirstName { get; private set; }
    public string LastName { get; private set; }
    public string FullName 
    {
        get { return string.Format("{0} {1}", FirstName, LastName); } 
    }
}

Or if you don't want it to be public, you'll need to instantiate the fields via the class constructor

class Employee
{
    public Employee(string firstName, string lastName)
    {
        FirstName = firstName;
        LastName = lastName;
        fullName = $"{FirstName} {LastName}";
    }

    public string FirstName { get; }
    public string LastName { get; }
    private string fullName;
}

Upvotes: 9

MikeT
MikeT

Reputation: 5500

you are trying to set the value before you have initialised the variable

if you change from a set to a get then you will have more success

class Employee{
    public String FirstName { get; }
        public String LastName { get; }
        public String FullName {
            get{
                return String.Format("{0}, {1}", FirstName, LastName);
            }
        }
    }
}

Upvotes: 2

Code Gorilla
Code Gorilla

Reputation: 980

I think you need to put that in the class constructor. The error is because you are trying to use values that don't exist, or rather might not at the time you are using them.

Upvotes: 1

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