Internal class access modifier doesnt work?

Question

I really dont understand why, but it seems like the internal access modifier doesn't work :S

I've looked at this tutorial: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/7c5ka91b(v=vs.110).aspx

But for me, it compiles. ALso, i have a bought a book Illustrated C# 2012. And the author explains the internal class etc etc... But still, it doesn't do anything.

Here is my complete code that works EVEN with internal access.

//Program.cs
namespace ConsoleApplication1
{
    class Program
    {
       static void Main(string[] args)
       {
           Class1 myclass = new Class1(); //works
           myclass.display(); //works
           myclass.display2(); //works even though its not public :S
           Console.Read();
       }
    }
}

-

//Class1.cs
namespace ConsoleApplication1
{
    internal class Class1
    {
       public void display()
       {
           Console.WriteLine("display()");
       }

       internal void display2()
       {
           Console.WriteLine("display2()");
       }
    }
}

I can even access the function internal void display2() :S

Answer 1

internal means "Acessible by anything in the same assembly".

Because your class Class1 and class Program are in the same assembly, class Program can access display2().

I think you've accidentally put them in the same assembly; if you look carefully at Microsoft's sample code you'll see it says "Assembly1.cs" and "Assembly2.cs"

If you are using Visual Studio, the easiest way to test this with a different assembly is to create a new class library project in the same solution. That will then count as a separate assembly. You'd have to add to the main project a reference to the new project (via Add Reference and then the Solution tab).

There's a Stack Overflow question about "What's an assembly?" if you need more info.

Answer 2

If both classes are in the same assembly then internal is working as expected.

The internal modifier is used to make sure that types and members are only available to files in the same assembly.

Ref: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-gb/library/7c5ka91b%28v=vs.80%29.aspx