A class is a data structure that allows you to store data and execute code.

C# provides class as a construct that allows us create our own custom types.

A class contains data members and function members.

1. Data Members - Store data associated with the class of an instance of the class. They represent teh real world properties of the object.
2. Function Members - These are deal with code execution. They represent the actions of the objects.

A single class can have any number of data and function members.

However, it's important to contain only related data and function members in a class to provide better organization.

In C# we create classes using the class construct. We then group together variables, methods and events.

So a class acts like a blueprint.

The data and function members define the data and behaviour a given type.

A class can be declared as static or not.

With static classes we have only a single copy in memory. The calling code can access it only through the class itself.

Non-static classes are also called instance classes. With these, calling code can use the class by instantiating(creating instances/objects) the classes.

With the non-static classes, the variable will then remain in memory untill all references go out of scope.

Then the CLR(Common Language Runtime) will indicate the it needs to be garbage collected.

Classes support inheritance, unlike structs which are also used to create types.

Possible Contents of a Class

Data Members	description
Fields	Object attributes which may contain data.
Constants	A value that cannot be altered by the program during normal execution.

No.	Function Members	Description
1.	Methods	A procedure that is defined as part of a class and included in any object of that class.
2.	Constructors	A special method of a class or structure that initializes an object of that type.
3.	Destructors	Special Method automatically invoked during the destruction of an object.
4.	Constructors
5.	Operators	A symbol that represents an action.
6.	Indexers	A class member used to provide array-like indexing capabilities for easy object property access.
7.	Events	An action that occurs as a result of the user or another source, such as a mouse being clicked, or a key being pressed.

Classes normally encapsulate logically related data and functions. They generally represent a objects in the real or conceptual world.

Clas Declaration

Classes are declared using the class keyword.

public class Spacecraft
{
    //Fields, properties, methods and events go here...
}

A class declaration defines the characteristics of the class, and does not create the class instance.

The class declaration provides us with these:

1. Class name e.g Spacecraft
2. Member and Characteristics of the class.

Take note that the class keyword is preceded by the access level.

In this case its public hence anyone(other classes) can create objects.

Then the after that we have the class name/identifier.

Then the class body wrapped in curly braces({}).

Example

namespace What_is_Class
{
    class Program
    {
        static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            System.Console.WriteLine("Hello World");
            System.Console.ReadLine();
        }
    }
}

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About Me.

After completing his Software Engineering bachelors program, Oclemy(Clement Ochieng) these days is a man of two lives. At day he works for a startup in Nairobi, Kenya. At night he works tirelessly on building ProgrammingWizards TV, a tv channel for student coders and this website to help share the source code. In between he practices Meditation and Self actualization to help him keep balance. He also likes going for long solo walks to connect more with nature.