C# Way to name Main() method by yourself?

Question

Quick question, is there a way to call your main method whatever you like ? Or does it have to be called "Main()" ?

Answer 1

Note this is a C# convention, not a .NET Runtime convention. You can name your method whatever you'd like in IL:

.module Mane.exe
.subsystem 3
.corflags 9

.assembly extern mscorlib
{
  .publickeytoken = (B7 7A 5C 56 19 34 E0 89)
  .ver 2:0:0:0
}

.assembly Mane
{
    .custom instance void [mscorlib]System.Runtime.InteropServices.ComVisibleAttribute::.ctor(bool) = ( 01 00 00 00 00 ) 
    .custom instance void [mscorlib]System.CLSCompliantAttribute::.ctor(bool) = ( 01 00 01 00 00 ) 
    .custom instance void [mscorlib]System.Reflection.AssemblyFileVersionAttribute::.ctor(string) = ( 01 00 07 31 2E 30 2E 30 2E 30 00 00 )
    .custom instance void [mscorlib]System.Resources.NeutralResourcesLanguageAttribute::.ctor(string) = ( 01 00 05 65 6E 2D 55 53 00 00 )

    .permissionset reqmin
               = {[mscorlib]System.Security.Permissions.SecurityPermissionAttribute = {property bool 'Execution' = bool(true)}}
    .hash algorithm 0x00008004
    .ver 1:0:0:0
}

.namespace Mane
{
    .class private abstract auto ansi sealed beforefieldinit Program extends [mscorlib]System.Object
    {
        .method private hidebysig static void Mane() cil managed
        {
            .entrypoint
            .maxstack 1
            ldstr "Hello, World!"
            call void [mscorlib]System.Console::WriteLine(class System.String)
            ret
        }
    }
}

Answer 2

You can call your main method something else, but it won't be called as the first method in your application unless it is called Main. There are a few other requirements and things to note too. From MSDN:

• The Main method is the entry point of your program, where the program control starts and ends.
• It is declared inside a class or struct. It must be static and it should not be public.
• It can either have a void or int return type.
• The Main method can be declared with or without parameters.
• Parameters can be read as zero-indexed command line arguments.
• Unlike C and C++, the name of the program is not treated as the first command line argument.