.NET: What's New or Changed in C# 7

Improvements to C# are discussed at https://github.com/dotnet/csharplang. Here, find proposals to the language and submit them, too.

async Main

In C# 7.1, the main method can be a Task using await and async.

class Program
{
	async static System.Threading.Tasks.Task Main()
	{
		await AsyncMethod();
	}
}

Expresssion-Bodied Members

Constructors, Destructors and accessors can be expresson-bodied members.

class Business
{
	private string _name;

	// expression-bodies get & set accessors
	public string Name { get => _name; set => _name = value ?? ""; }

	// expression-bodied constructor
	public Business(string name) => Name = name;

	// expression-bodied destructor
	~Business() => Console.WriteLine("~");
}
class Program
{
	static void Main(string[] args)
	{
		Business bus = new Business(null);
		Console.WriteLine(bus.Name);
	}
}

New out Variables

out variables can be declared on use.

string s = "123";
if(int.TryParse(s, out int num))
{
	// do something with num
	num++;
}

New in Parameters

In C# 7.2, in function parameters cannot be modified and, like ref, are passed by reference thereby avoiding a copy operation.

string str = "abc";
void DoSomething(in string s)
{
	// s can be accessed but not modified
}

Tuples

Tuples allow the combining of objects of different types. Previously, tuples required the use of the Tuple class. Now, in C# 7, tuples are part of the language. In C# 7.1, tuples are further extended by automatically inferring the tuple name.

var tup1 = (str: "this is a string", num: 123);
int num = tup1.num;
string str = tup1.str;
var tup2 = (BusinessName: obj.BusinessName, Price: obj.Price);
double price = tup2.Price;

// in C# 7.1, tuples automatically infer the tuple name
var tup2 = (obj.BusinessName, obj.Price);
double price = tup2.Price;

As of C# 7.3, tuples now support == and !=. These comparisons short-circuit meaning that they stop comparing when further evaluation is not important or does not affect the outcome. Read more about short-circuiting under operators.

Deconstructors

Tuples can be deconstructed (as well as user defined objects).

(string name, int age) = ("Jane", 35);

Non-trailing Named Arguments

In C# 7.2, arguments need not be named when trailing named arguments.

string str = "10";
if(int.TryParse(s: str, out int num)) // this will not generate an error in C# 7.2
{
	num *= 100;
}

readonly struct

In C# 7.2, it is possible to declare a struct as readonly so that the compiler makes sure that the struct goes unchanged.

public readonly struct RightTriangle
{
	public double leg1 { get; }
	public double leg2 { get; }

	public RightTriangle(double leg1, double leg2)
	{
		this.leg1 = leg1;
		this.leg2 = leg2;
	}

	public double Hypontenuse() => Math.Sqrt(leg1 * leg1 + leg2 * leg2);
}

private protected

private protected allows access only if the class using these keywords derives from the base class and is in the same assembly.

// Inside the same assembly
namespace ConsoleApp1
{
	public class MyClass
	{
		protected private void GetPrivateProtected() { }
	}
	class YourClass : MyClass
	{
		MyClass mc = new MyClass();
		public void Show()
		{
			GetPrivateProtected(); // OK
		}
	}
}
//Outside the assembly
using ConsoleApp1;
namespace ClassLibrary1
{
	public class YourClass : MyClass
	{
		MyClass mc = new MyClass();
		public void show()
		{
			//GetPrivateProtected(); Not accessible as Private Protected members are not accessible outside of assembly by creating an object or through inheritance.
		}
	}
}

Target-Typed default

In C# 7.1, a default literal is now defined to help save typing time when the type has a long name.

System.Collections.Generic.IEnumerable<string> iestr = default;

Local Functions

A local function can be declared within a method. This is not a lambda expression.

public void SomeMethod()
{
	int multiply(int a, int b) => a * b; // a local function

	int x = multiply(3, 4);
}

Pattern Matching with switch and is

switch and is are enhanced with the var pattern, the type pattern and the const pattern.

object obj = null;
if(obj is Square s)
{
	s.Length = 100;
}
if (obj is 30)
{
	;
}
if(obj is var v)
{
	Console.WriteLine(v);
}
switch(obj)
{
	case 33:
		break;
	case Square sq when sq.Length > 0:
		sq.Length *= 2;
		break;
	case Square sq:
		sq.Length = 40;
		break;
	case var va:
		Console.WriteLine(va);
		break;
}

ref Locals and Returns

Now it's possible to use ref with local variables and the return type. A ref local is basically a pointer.

class Temp
{
	private int[] nums = { 0, 8, 4, 12, 1, 5 };
	private ref int GetPointerToNumber(int i)
	{
		return ref nums[i];
	}
	public void Run()
	{
		ref var idx3 = ref GetPointerToNumber(3);
		idx3 <<= 1; // multiply by 2, nums[3] == 24
	}
}

In C# 7.2, using readonly, the caller gets a reference to the data but is not allows to change it.

class Temp
{
	private int[] nums = { 0, 8, 4, 12, 1, 5 };
	private ref readonly int GetPointerToNumber(int i)
	{
		return ref nums[i];
	}
	public void Run()
	{
		ref readonly var idx3 = ref GetPointerToNumber(3);
idx3 <<= 1; // cannot do this, idx3 is readonly
	}

}

Digit Separators

The underscore (_) serves as a digit separator.

// now there are digit separators to help make these and other number literals more readable
uint hex = 0x_FF_1E_23_56

Binary Literals

Totally new are binary literals.

uint bin = 0b1010000100000001
// now with digit separators
uint bin2 = 0b_10100001_00000001

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