C#•16mo ago

Why do we enclose the `Main` function inside of a class in C#?

After learning C++, I think it makes sense to include the

main

main

function outside of a class. Why do we not do it in C#?
Like what disadvantage I would have by not including the

main

main

function in a class in C++? Would it be accessible to everyone? Does including the

Main

Main

method in a class in C# make it "safer" than it being present at a global scope? What is the reason behind this?

Marvin•9/14/24, 12:07 PM

there is just not the concept of declaring methods somewhere loose outside a class / in a namespace. Nowadays you can just write your code without any method or class in the Program.cs file like the following:

Pobiega•9/14/24, 12:18 PM

C# fundamentally doesn't allow methods outside of classes, so that's why.

Even in Marvin's example, a class and main method are generated by the compiler

Jimmacle•9/14/24, 12:57 PM

yep, there are no free functions in C#

LPeter1997•9/14/24, 2:02 PM

Fun fact: .NET has the concept of free functions, but since C# is the main "dictator" and user of the platform, almost nothing ended up using it as most things want to be "C#-compatible". C++.NET uses them tho!

Rosentti•9/14/24, 7:50 PM

The CLR probably doesn't support it, but since C++/CLI is fancy C++, it supports them in some way

LPeter1997•9/14/24, 8:59 PM

Technically it's the unspeakable <Module><Module> class yes. Which makes me wonder why no languages want to support it, if a compiler implements a metadata reader for classes anyway, reading up the members of <Module><Module> should be a piece of cake

LLPeter1997 Technically it's the unspeakable `<Module>` class yes. Which makes me wonder why...

jcotton42•9/14/24, 9:38 PM

I think F# does?

LLPeter1997 Technically it's the unspeakable `<Module>` class yes. Which makes me wonder why...

Petris•9/16/24, 2:19 PM

Why do we enclose the `Main` function inside of a class in C#?

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