Simple C# Error when compiling and running the code

It looks like you have a call to System.Console.WriteLine outside of the body of a method. The compiler thinks you are trying to reference a type, which does not exist, and it is also telling you that ( is not legal at that particular point in the code file.

You likely have a class definition that might look something like this

class Program
{
     System.Console.WriteLine("hello world");
}

What you need is a class definition that looks more like

class Program
{
     public static void Main(string[] args)
     {
          System.Console.WriteLine("hello world");
     }
}

Anthony Pegram’s answer is correct. Adding the directive using System; at the top of any relative c# files, allows the compiler to omit the need to have the System. portion of the method namespace in front of System.Console.WriteLine().

However, if the console solution is named TestSolution and the console application project has the namespace TestSolution.Console; the System. declaration in front of System.Console.WriteLine() calls will still be needed.

This is due to ambiguity in the compiler as to the Console portion ending in the namespace. A console project named TestSolution.TestConsole, will not run into the namespace collision, unless the name of the class being written is Console.

Watch for potential naming collisions for namespaces, when building and naming libraries for .NET applications.

You have a couple of issues.

Firstly, you are trying to call Console.WriteLine() in an invalid part of the file. You need to declare a Method or Constructor and place this call inside that.

Constructor example:

public class Person
{
    public Person()
    {
        Console.WriteLine("Hello");
    }
}

Method example:

public class Person
{
    public void SayHello()
    {
        Console.WriteLine("Hello");
    }
}

Your other issues is that you have the capitalization of 'WriteLine' incorrect.

The code should read:

Console.WriteLine("Test");

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/system.console.writeline.aspx

It seems that you've blown away the Main() method. Also, you shouldn't (can't, I guess) just have a method call floating in a class - it has to be within a method or constructor.

Try replacing the contents within namespace ConsoleApplication1 with the below get you started:

class Program
{
    static void Main(string[] args)
    {
        Person alan = new Person();
        alan.PersonName = "Alan";

        Console.WriteLine("Hi " + alan.PersonName);
        Console.ReadLine();
    }
}

class Person
{
    public string PersonName { get; set; }
}

PS. You probably should have Person in a separate file (e.g. Person.cs) but for getting started this should do....not the ideal end state, though.