Question

Why is it possible to use an object initializer to set a private set auto property, when the initializer is called from within the class which owns the auto property? I have included two class as an example.

public class MyClass
{
    public string myName { get; private set; }
    public string myId { get; set; }

    public static MyClass GetSampleObject()
    {
        MyClass mc = new MyClass
        {
            myName = "Whatever", // <- works
            myId = "1234"
        };
        return mc;
    }


}

public class MyOtherClass
{
    public static MyClass GetSampleObject()
    {
        MyClass mc = new MyClass
        {
            myName = "Whatever", // <- fails
            myId = "1234"
        };
        return mc;
    }
}

Answer 1

The private modifier on a setter means – private to the enclosing type.

That is, the property can be set by the containing type only.

If this was not the case, you would never be able to set the property and it would effectively be read-only.

From MSDN – private (C# Reference):

Private members are accessible only within the body of the class or the struct in which they are declared