.NET Functions

Understanding Methods in C#

In C#, functions are implemented using methods. A method is a code block containing a series of statements that can be executed by calling the method's name. Methods are used to perform certain actions, and they are also known as functions in other programming languages. The signature of a method specifies its name, return type, and parameters.

Method Parameters

Methods can have parameters, which are used to pass data or variables into the method. In C#, parameters are defined within the parentheses following the method name. They consist of a type and a name. When calling a method, you provide arguments to these parameters.

Return Types of Methods

Methods can return a value to the caller. The return type of a method is defined before the method name. If a method does not return any value, it uses the void keyword. Otherwise, it should specify the type of data it will return.

Overloading Methods

C# supports method overloading, which allows multiple methods to have the same name with different parameter lists. Overloaded methods must differ in the number or type of their parameters.

Understanding Scope and Lifetime

The scope of a method refers to the region of the code where the method can be called. Typically, a method is accessible within the class it is defined, but methods can also be made accessible from other classes using access modifiers like public, private, protected, etc.

The lifetime of the variables declared within a method is limited to the execution of the method. Once the method execution is complete, the variables are destroyed.

Using Static Methods

Static methods belong to the class rather than any specific instance and can be called on the class itself. They are defined using the static keyword. Static methods can only access static members of the class.