Is there any way to call a function that is inside of a namespace without declaring the class inside c#.
For Example, if I had 2 methods that are the exact same and should be used in all of my C# projects, is there any way to just take those functions and make it into a dll and just say 'Using myTwoMethods' on top and start using the methods without declaring the class?
Right now, I do: MyClass.MyMethod();
I want to do: MyMethod();
Thanks, Rohit
Update for 2015: No you cannot create "free functions" in C#, but starting with C# 6 you'll be able to call static functions without mentioning the class name. C# 6 will have the "using static" feature allowing this syntax:
static class MyClass {
public static void MyMethod();
}
SomeOtherFile.cs:
using static MyClass;
void SomeMethod() {
MyMethod();
}
You can't declare methods outside of a class, but you can do this using a static helper class in a Class Library Project.
public static class HelperClass
{
public static void HelperMethod() {
// ...
}
}
Usage (after adding a reference to your Class Library).
HelperClass.HelperMethod();
using static HelperClass you can call HelperMethod()Depends on what type of method we are talking, you could look into extension methods:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb383977.aspx
This allows you to easily add extra functionality to existing objects.
Following on from the suggestion to use extension methods, you could make the method an extension method off of System.Object, from which all classes derive. I would not advocate this, but pertaining to your question this may be an answer.
namespace SomeNamespace
{
public static class Extensions
{
public static void MyMethod(this System.Object o)
{
// Do something here.
}
}
}
You could now write code like MyMethod(); anywhere you have a using SomeNamespace;, unless you are in a static method (then you would have to do Extensions.MyMethod(null)).
