What is the difference between = and => for a variable?

Question

What's the difference between these two ways to add something?

private string abc => "def";

And

private string abc = "def";

The first defines a private `get` property, the second a private field with an initial value — Me.Name, Mar 01 '16 at 09:50
Funnily you can use the [tryroslyn](http://goo.gl/Ee1dXQ) to see the difference in the compiled-and-then-decompiled code between the two (on the right pane) — xanatos, Mar 01 '16 at 09:57
@Me.Name: Please do not write answers in the comments section. — Lightness Races in Orbit, Mar 01 '16 at 11:21

score 25 · Accepted Answer · answered Mar 01 '16 at 09:51

25

This is the declaration of a classic field as it has always existed in C#:

private string abc = "def";

The field is immediately assigned an initial value.

This is a shorthand syntax for declaring a getter-only property (or expression-bodied property), introduced in C# 6:

private string abc => "def";

It's a short way to write the following:

private string abc
{
    get { return "def"; }
}

answered Mar 01 '16 at 09:51

Marius Schulz

1

If you want an official source to read for this information, Allow me to provide: https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-gb/magazine/dn802602.aspx – David Watts Mar 01 '16 at 09:55
3

@DavidWatts That's not official source. It's just msdn magazine. Anyone can write there. – Sriram Sakthivel Mar 01 '16 at 10:00
1

@DavidWatts It's actually SriramSakthivel who wrote the article under the alias "Mark Michaelis". Go figure... – Yuval Itzchakov Mar 01 '16 at 10:02
2

Yes @YuvalItzchakov co-authored me :p – Sriram Sakthivel Mar 01 '16 at 10:03
1

Ah, you learn something new every day eh! – David Watts Mar 01 '16 at 10:24

1 Answers1