5 Useful Features of C#

In this blog, i will be covering 5 useful features of c#, which gives developer more power while writing good and clean code.

The features which we will be discussing in this blog

1. Null Conditional Operator

2. Auto Property Initializer

3. Usage of Static

4. Dictionary Initializer

5. Exception Handling

Let's take a look at each one of above features

1. Null Conditional Operator

It checks the null value for parameter pass as well as checked the collection whether it is null or not. Lets take below example

string name="Dhiraj"; string firstChar=name.CharAtIndex[0] -- This will return the character at index 0 i.e 'D'. but if we write the below code

string name; string firstChar=name.CharAtIndex[0] - This will throw NullException because there is no value assigned to variable name.

How this can be handled in C# 6.0

string name="Dhiraj"; string firstChar=name?.CharAtIndex[0]:'D';

Here we dont have to check for null value of name field. By default by using ?. by default it will check for nullability of name and then called the function CharAtIndex[0] and return appropriate value.

2.Auto Property Initializer

This feature helps us in initializing the property mostly read-only property. Read-only property means property having only getter block.

How it is handled before C# 6.0 -

private string name ="Dhiraj"; public string Name {get {return name;}}

How it is handled in C#6.0 -

public string Name {get;}="Dhiraj";

3. Static Usage

Before c#6.0, if we want to use any static method of class, then we have to use as belows

ClassName.MethodName().

Let's take an example of this

namespace MySample
{
     public class Mathematics
      {
         public void static Print(string param)
           {
              console.writeline("Passed Parameter" + param);
            }
        }
  }

  public class MathematicsUse
   {
     public void MyPrintMethod(string param)
      {
        Mathematics.Print(param);
      }
   }

Now Let's try to implement this using C# 6.0 -

using MySample.Mathematics;

     public class MathematicsCSharp
      {
       public void MyPrintMethod(string param)
       {
         Print(param);
       }
    }

4. Dictionary Initializer

Before C# 6.0, Dictionary will be initialized and assigned value using below code

var employees=new Dictionary<string,string>()
{
{"Pradeep" ,"Software Developer"},
{"Sandeep" ,"Oracle Developer"},
{"Manjit" , "Doctor"}
};

This is a dictionary which contains list of employees with their profession. Here developer has to provide the key value in bracket .

Now using C# 6.0 , Dictionary will be initialized and assigned value using below code

var employees=new Dictionary<string,string>()
{
["Pradeep"]="Software Developer",
["Sandeep"]="Oracle Developer",
["Manjit"]="Doctor"
};

This is more clean code for assigning values in dictionary.

5. Exception Handling

Before C# 6.0, if developer knows that particular code will throw exception 404 : Page Not found and want to throw some useful exception message , then below code must be written

try
{
   throw new Exception("404");
}
catch(Exception ex)
{
     if (ex.Message.Equals("500"))
          System.Console.Write("Some Ex Messages");
     else if  (ex.Message.Equals("401"))
          System.Console.Write("Some Exceptions Messages");
     else if (ex.Message.Equals("404"))
          System.Console.Write("Some Exception Messages");
    else
         System.Console.Write("Some Exception Messages");
}

Now using C# 6.0 - This can be achieved using below code

try
{
    throw new Exception("404");
}
catch(Exception ex) when (ex.Message.Equals("500"))
{ 
   System.Console.Write("Some Ex Messages");
}
catch(Exception ex) when (ex.Message.Equals("401"))
{
   System.Console.Write("Some Exceptions Messages");
}
catch(Exception ex) when (ex.Message.Equals("404"))
{
   System.Console.Write("Some Exception Messages");
}

That's all for this Blog developers ! I hope you found the article useful.

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Thank You,

Dhiraj Kumar