C# 6 Auto Initialization Property and the use of backing fields

Question

Prior to C# 6, the initialization of properties did not use backing fields to initialize default values. In C#6, it uses the backing fields to initialize with new Auto initialization properties.

I'm curious why prior to C#6 IL uses the property definition to initialize. Is there a specific reason for this? or is it not implemented properly before C#6?

Before C# 6.0

public class PropertyInitialization
{
    public string First { get; set; }

    public string Last { get; set; }

    public PropertyInitialization()
    {
      this.First = "Adam";
      this.Last = "Smith";
    }
}

Compiler Generated Code (IL representation)

public class PropertyInitialisation
  {
    [CompilerGenerated]
    private string \u003CFirst\u003Ek__BackingField;
    [CompilerGenerated]
    private string \u003CLast\u003Ek__BackingField;

    public string First
    {
      get
      {
        return this.\u003CFirst\u003Ek__BackingField;
      }
      set
      {
        this.\u003CFirst\u003Ek__BackingField = value;
      }
    }

    public string Last
    {
      get
      {
        return this.\u003CLast\u003Ek__BackingField;
      }
      set
      {
        this.\u003CLast\u003Ek__BackingField = value;
      }
    }

    public PropertyInitialisation()
    {
      base.\u002Ector();
      this.First = "Adam";
      this.Last = "Smith";
    }
  }

C#6

public class AutoPropertyInitialization
{
    public string First { get; set; } = "Adam";
    public string Last { get; set; } = "Smith";
}

Compiler Generated Code (IL representation)

public class AutoPropertyInitialization
  {
    [CompilerGenerated]
    [DebuggerBrowsable(DebuggerBrowsableState.Never)]
    private string \u003CFirst\u003Ek__BackingField;
    [CompilerGenerated]
    [DebuggerBrowsable(DebuggerBrowsableState.Never)]
    private string \u003CLast\u003Ek__BackingField;

    public string First
    {
      get
      {
        return this.\u003CFirst\u003Ek__BackingField;
      }
      set
      {
        this.\u003CFirst\u003Ek__BackingField = value;
      }
    }

    public string Last
    {
      get
      {
        return this.\u003CLast\u003Ek__BackingField;
      }
      set
      {
        this.\u003CLast\u003Ek__BackingField = value;
      }
    }

    public AutoPropertyInitialization()
    {
      this.\u003CFirst\u003Ek__BackingField = "Adam";
      this.\u003CLast\u003Ek__BackingField = "Smith";
      base.\u002Ector();
    }
  } 

Answer 1

I'm curious why prior to C#6 IL uses the property definition to initialize. Is there a specific reason for this?

Because setting a value through auto-property initialization and setting the value in a constructor are two different things. They have different behaviours.

Recall that properties are accessor methods which wrap around fields. So this line:

this.First = "Adam";

is equivalent to:

this.set_First("Adam");

You can even see this in Visual Studio! Try writing a method with the signature public string set_First(string value) in your class and watch as the compiler complains about you stepping on it's toes.

And just like methods, these can be overridden in child classes. Check out this code:

public class PropertyInitialization
{
    public virtual string First { get; set; }

    public PropertyInitialization()
    {
        this.First = "Adam";
    }
}

public class ZopertyInitalization : PropertyInitialization
{
    public override string First
    {
        get { return base.First; }
        set
        {
            Console.WriteLine($"Child property hit with the value: '{0}'");
            base.First = value;
        }
    }
}

In this example, the line this.First = "Adam" will call the setter in the child class. Because you're calling a method, remember? If the compiler were to interpret this method call as a direct call to the backing field, it wouldn't end up calling the child setter. The act of compiling your code would change the behaviour of your program. Not good!

Auto-properties are different. Lets change the first example by using an auto-property initializer:

public class PropertyInitialization
{
    public virtual string First { get; set; } = "Adam";
}

public class ZopertyInitalization : PropertyInitialization
{
    public override string First
    {
        get { return base.First; }
        set
        {
            Console.WriteLine($"Child property hit with the value: '{0}'");
            base.First = value;
        }
    }
}

With this code, the setter method in the child class will not be called. This is intentional. An auto-property initializer is designed to set the backing field directly. They look and behave like field initializers, which is why we can even use them on properties without setters, like this:

public string First { get; } = "Adam";

There's no setter method here! We would have to directly access the backing field to do this. Auto-properties allow programmers to create immutable values while still being able to benefit from nice syntax.