Question

I need help with C# programming; I am new to it and I come from C background. I have a Console Application like this:

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;
using System.Text;

namespace Add_Function
{
   class Program
   {
      static void Main(string[] args)
      {
         int a;
         int b;
         int c;

         Console.WriteLine("Enter value of 'a':");
         a = Convert.ToInt32(Console.ReadLine());

         Console.WriteLine("Enter value of 'b':");
         b = Convert.ToInt32(Console.ReadLine());

         //why can't I not use it this way?
         c = Add(a, b);
         Console.WriteLine("a + b = {0}", c);
      }//END   Main

      public int Add(int x, int y)
      { 
         int result = x + y;
         return result;
      }//END   Add
   }//END      Program
}//END         Add_Function

It gives me this error on the line that I call Add():

An object reference is required for the non-static field, method, or property ‘Add_Function.Program.Add(int, int)’

Can anyone please explain to me why I have this problem. Is this because the architecture of C# is different than C, and the way I call it is wrong? Thanks.

Answer 1

Note: in C# the term “function” is often replaced by the term “method”. For the sake of this question there is no difference, so I’ll just use the term “function”.

The other answers have already given you a quick way to fix your problem (just make Add a static function), but I’d like to explain why.

C# has a fundamentally different design paradigm than C. That paradigm is called object-oriented programming (OOP). Explaining all the differences between OOP and functional programming is beyond the scope of this question, but here’s the short version as it applies to you.

Writing your program in C, you would have created a function that adds two numbers, and that function would exist independently and be callable from anywhere. In C# most functions don’t exist independently; instead, they exist in the context of an object. In your example code, only an instance (an object) of the class Program knows how to perform Add. Said another way, you have to create an instance of Program, and then ask Program to perform an Add for you.

The solutions that people gave you, using the static keyword, route around that design. Using the static keyword is kind of like saying, “Hey, this function I’m defining doesn’t need any context/state, it can just be called.” Since your Add function is very simple, this makes sense. As you start diving deeper into OOP, you’re going to find that your functions get more complicated and rely on knowing their state/context.

My advice: Pick up an OOP book and get ready to switch your brain from functional programming to OOP programming. You’re in for a ride.