Constructors

Whenever a class or struct is created, its constructor is called. A class or struct may have multiple constructors that take different arguments.

Types of Constructor

Copy Constructor

• A constructor used for making objects by copying variables from other objects.

class Person
{
    // Copy constructor.
    public Person(Person previousPerson)
    {
        Name = previousPerson.Name;
        Age = previousPerson.Age;
    }

    //// Alternate copy constructor calls the instance constructor.
    //public Person(Person previousPerson)
    //    : this(previousPerson.Name, previousPerson.Age)
    //{
    //}

    // Instance constructor.
    public Person(string name, int age)
    {
        Name = name;
        Age = age;
    }

    public int Age { get; set; }

    public string Name { get; set; }

    public string Details()
    {
        return Name + " is " + Age.ToString();
    }
}

class TestPerson
{
    static void Main()
    {
        // Create a Person object by using the instance constructor.
        Person person1 = new Person("George", 40);

        // Create another Person object, copying person1.
        Person person2 = new Person(person1);

        // Change each person's age.
        person1.Age = 39;
        person2.Age = 41;

        // Change person2's name.
        person2.Name = "Charles";

        // Show details to verify that the name and age fields are distinct.
        Console.WriteLine(person1.Details());
        Console.WriteLine(person2.Details());

        // Keep the console window open in debug mode.
        Console.WriteLine("Press any key to exit.");
        Console.ReadKey();
    }
}
// Output:
// George is 39
// Charles is 41

Instance/Parameterized Constructor

• A constructor which have one or more parameters.

• You declare an instance constructor to specify the code that is executed when you create a new instance of a type with the new expression.

class Coords
{
    public Coords() : this(0, 0) {  } // Instance Constructor

    public Coords(int x, int y)    // Paramaterized Constructor
    {
        X = x;
        Y = y;
    }

    public int X { get; set; }
    public int Y { get; set; }

    public override string ToString() => $"({X},{Y})";
}

class Example
{
    static void Main()
    {
        var p1 = new Coords();
        Console.WriteLine($"Coords #1 at {p1}");
        // Output: Coords #1 at (0,0)

        var p2 = new Coords(5, 3);
        Console.WriteLine($"Coords #2 at {p2}");
        // Output: Coords #2 at (5,3)
    }
}

Parameterless (Default) Constructor

• If a class has no explicit instance constructors, C# provides a parameterless (default) constructor that you can use to instantiate an instance of that class.

public class Person
{
    public int age;
    public string name = "unknown";
}

class Example
{
    static void Main()
    {
        var person = new Person();
        Console.WriteLine($"Name: {person.name}, Age: {person.age}");
        // Output:  Name: unknown, Age: 0
    }
}

Private Constructor

• It is generally used in classes that contain static members only.

• If a class has one or more private constructors and no public constructors, other classes (except nested classes) cannot create instances of this class.

• The declaration of the empty constructor prevents the automatic generation of a parameterless constructor.

public class Counter
{
    private Counter() { }    // Private Constructor

    public static int currentCount;

    public static int IncrementCount()
    {
        return ++currentCount;
    }
}

class TestCounter
{
    static void Main()
    {
        // If you uncomment the following statement, it will generate
        // an error because the constructor is inaccessible:
        // Counter aCounter = new Counter();   // Error

        Counter.currentCount = 100;
        Counter.IncrementCount();
        Console.WriteLine("New count: {0}", Counter.currentCount);

        // Keep the console window open in debug mode.
        Console.WriteLine("Press any key to exit.");
        Console.ReadKey();
    }
}
// Output: New count: 101

Static Constructor

• A static constructor is used to initialize any static data/fields, or to perform a particular action that needs to be performed only once.

• It is called automatically before the first instance is created or any static members are referenced.

• A class or struct can only have one static constructor.

public class Bus
{
    // Static variable used by all Bus instances.
    // Represents the time the first bus of the day starts its route.
    protected static readonly DateTime globalStartTime;

    // Property for the number of each bus.
    protected int RouteNumber { get; set; }

    // Static constructor to initialize the static variable.
    // It is invoked before the first instance constructor is run.
    static Bus()
    {
        globalStartTime = DateTime.Now;

        // The following statement produces the first line of output,
        // and the line occurs only once.
        Console.WriteLine("Static constructor sets global start time to {0}",
            globalStartTime.ToLongTimeString());
    }

    // Instance constructor.
    public Bus(int routeNum)
    {
        RouteNumber = routeNum;
        Console.WriteLine("Bus #{0} is created.", RouteNumber);
    }

    // Instance method.
    public void Drive()
    {
        TimeSpan elapsedTime = DateTime.Now - globalStartTime;

        // For demonstration purposes we treat milliseconds as minutes to simulate
        // actual bus times. Do not do this in your actual bus schedule program!
        Console.WriteLine("{0} is starting its route {1:N2} minutes after global start time {2}.",
                                this.RouteNumber,
                                elapsedTime.Milliseconds,
                                globalStartTime.ToShortTimeString());
    }
}

class TestBus
{
    static void Main()
    {
        // The creation of this instance activates the static constructor.
        Bus bus1 = new Bus(71);

        // Create a second bus.
        Bus bus2 = new Bus(72);

        // Send bus1 on its way.
        bus1.Drive();

        // Wait for bus2 to warm up.
        System.Threading.Thread.Sleep(25);

        // Send bus2 on its way.
        bus2.Drive();

        // Keep the console window open in debug mode.
        Console.WriteLine("Press any key to exit.");
        Console.ReadKey();
    }
}
/* Sample output:
    Static constructor sets global start time to 3:57:08 PM.
    Bus #71 is created.
    Bus #72 is created.
    71 is starting its route 6.00 minutes after global start time 3:57 PM.
    72 is starting its route 31.00 minutes after global start time 3:57 PM.
*/