Public instance variable access error: "An object reference is required for the non-static field, method, or property..."

Question

RESOLVED: Dev Env issue. Restarted Dev Env and all OK.

First time asking, so please let me know if I'm doing this wrong.

I'm trying to wrap my head around using instance specific vars in C#. The following test code seems like it should work, but throws an error:

An object reference is required for the non-static field, method, or property...

What is the correct way to do this so that I have a public var that is unique to each instance of the class, and can set that var within a function (static or otherwise)?

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;
using System.Text;

namespace AlchemyWebSocketsTest2
{
    class KHandler
    {
        public string name = "wut";
        static void KHandlerInstantiate()
        {
            name = "huh";
            Console.WriteLine("All Good.");
        }

    }
}

Answer 1

You need an instance of KHandler. Note the handler object which is an instance of the KHandler class.

namespace AlchemyWebSocketsTest2
{
   class KHandler
   {
     public string name = "wut";
     static void Main()
     {
        KHandler handler = new KHandler();
        handler.name = "huh";
        Console.WriteLine("All Good.");
     }

  }
}

Answer 2

You're trying to access a non-static member inside of a static function. If you declare name as public static string name = "wut";, then your code should compile. I would suggest taking a look at static classes and methods.

Answer 3

You're trying to assign non static (instance) member in static (type) method. To assign name you have to create instance of he KHandler class

static void Main()
{
     var khandlerInstance = new KHandler();
     khandlerInstance.name = "huh";
     Console.WriteLine("All Good.");
}

UPD. If you need to assign a variable for each instance through the static method, you have to pass the instance as parameter.

class KHandler
{
    string Name;
    public static void ChangeName(KHandler targetInstance, string newName)
    {
        targetInstance.Name = newName;
    }
}

Answer 4

Ok, how about a few constructors?

// a sample base class
class KBase  {
     public readonly int value;  // making it readonly means it can only be assigned to once, and that has to happen during a constructor.
     public KBase ( int startValue ) { value = startValue; }
}

class KHandler : KBase
{
    public readonly string name = "wut";

    // this is a parameterless constructor, whose implementation invokes another constructor ( the one below ) of this class
    public KHandler () : this ( "huh" ) {
    }

    // this is a 1 parameter constructor, whose implementation ensures KBase is properly initialized, and then proceeds to initialize its part of the new instance.
    public KHandler ( string val ) : base ( 3 ) { 
        name = val;
    }
}

class Test {
    static void Main()
    {
        // this next line calls the parameterless constructor I defined above
        KHandler handler = new KHandler();  

        // and this next line calls the 1 parameter constructor
        KHandler handler2 = new KHandler("something else");

        Console.WriteLine("All Good 1"+handler.name);
        Console.WriteLine("All Good 2"+handler2.name);
    }
}

I think you want the basic mechanism of constructors, which are run in slightly special environment after the new class instance is allocated and "zeroed". The special environment is that the compiler/language ensure that all the base classes and fields are properly initialized, and, you're allowed to assign to readonly members (only) during construction.

Constructors can call base class constructors to get those bases properly initialized; constructors can also invoke another constructor of the same class before they proceed.

You can have more than one constructor per class -- like in my example above. If you don't specify a constructor, then the compiler effectively inserts a blank parameterless constructor for you. If you don't want this behavior, then adding your own constructor (of any parameter list) cancels the automatic creation of the blank parameterless constructor by the compiler/language. (If you added your own parameterized constructor and still want the parameterless constructor too, you have to add it back yourself.)

The first constructor (the parameterless one) is called as a result of the first new KHandler() and the second one is called by the second new KHandler (string).

Once constructed, an object is considered ready for use. Anyway, search on the general construct of constructors and you'll get more information.