Function/Methods in C#
- Understand the structure of a method.
- Know the difference between static and instance methods.
- Learn to instantiate objects.
- Learn how to call methods of an instantiated object.
- Understand the 4 types of parameters.
- Learn how to use the this reference.
Method Structure
Methods are extremely useful because they allow you to separate your logic into different units. You can pass information to methods, have it perform one or more statements, and retrieve a return value. The capability to pass parameters and return values is optional and depends on what you want the method to do. Here’s a description of the syntax required for creating a method:
attributes modifiers return-type method-name(parameters )
{
statements
}
We defer discussion of attributes and modifiers to a later lesson. The return-type can be any C# type. It can be assigned to a variable for use later in the program. The method name is a unique identifier for what you wish to call a method. To promote understanding of your code, a method name should be meaningful and associated with the task the method performs. Parameters allow you to pass information to and from a method. They are surrounded by parenthesis. Statements within the curly braces carry out the functionality of the method.
