Getter-Only & Auto Properties Initializers in C# 6

Getter-only auto properties

Before C# 6 it was mandatory to use setter with property but in C# 6 we can use it without setter.

In C# 5

public class MonthlySalary_Earning
    {
        public string MonthName { get;}
        public double BasicSalary { get;}
        public double HRAExemption { get;}
        public double ConveyanceAllowance { get;}
        public double PersonalAllowance { get;}
        public double MedicalAllowance { get;}
        public double TelephoneBill { get;}
        public double Food_Bill { get;}
        public double OtherBills { get;}
        MonthlySalary_Earning()
        {
           MonthName = "Jan";
        }
    }

The above code will not compile in C# 5 or lower versions and give errors like the following,

'PropertyInitialization.MonthlySalary_Earning.MonthName.get' must declare a body because it is not marked abstract or extern. Automatically implemented properties must define both get and set accessors.

And so on,



But in C# 5 we have an option that we can use access modifier private/protected setter with property.

E.g.

public class MonthlySalary_Earning
    {
        public string MonthName             { get; private set; }
        public double BasicSalary           { get; private set; }
        public double HRAExemption          { get; private set; }
        public double ConveyanceAllowance   { get; private set; }
        public double PersonalAllowance     { get; private set; }
        public double MedicalAllowance      { get; private set; }
        public double TelephoneBill         { get; private set; }
        public double Food_Bill             { get; private set; }
        public double OtherBills            { get; private set; }

        MonthlySalary_Earning()
        {
           MonthName = "Jan";
        }
    }

OR  

public class MonthlySalary_Earning
    {
        public string MonthName             { get; protected set; }
        public double BasicSalary           { get; protected set; }
        public double HRAExemption          { get; protected set; }
        public double ConveyanceAllowance   { get; protected set; }
        public double PersonalAllowance     { get; protected set; }
        public double MedicalAllowance      { get; protected set; }
        public double TelephoneBill         { get; protected set; }
        public double Food_Bill             { get; protected set; }
        public double OtherBills            { get; protected set; }

        MonthlySalary_Earning()
        {
           MonthName = "Jan";
        }
    }

In C# 6

public class MonthlySalary_Earning
    {
        public string MonthName             { get;}
        public double BasicSalary           { get;}
        public double HRAExemption          { get;}
        public double ConveyanceAllowance   { get;}
        public double PersonalAllowance     { get;}
        public double MedicalAllowance      { get;}
        public double TelephoneBill         { get;}
        public double Food_Bill             { get;}
        public double OtherBills            { get;}

        public MonthlySalary_Earning()
        {
            MonthName = "Jan";
            BasicSalary = 50000.0;
            HRAExemption = 1000.0;
            ConveyanceAllowance = 1600.0;
           //set value for other properties also.
        }

    }

Auto properties initializers

In C# 6 we can initialize the properties at the time of declaration

public string MonthName             { get; } = "Jan";
       public double BasicSalary           { get; } = 50000.0;
       public double HRAExemption          { get; } = 1000.0;
       public double ConveyanceAllowance   { get; } = 1600.0;
       public double PersonalAllowance     { get; } = 50000.0;
       public double MedicalAllowance      { get; } = 5000.0;
       public double TelephoneBill         { get; } = 5000.0;
       public double Food_Bill             { get; } = 5000.0;
       public double OtherBills            { get; } = 5000;

Or

public string MonthName             { get; set;} = "Jan";
 public double BasicSalary           { get; set;} = 50000.0;
 public double HRAExemption          { get; set;} = 1000.0;
 public double ConveyanceAllowance   { get; set;} = 1600.0;
 public double PersonalAllowance     { get; set;} = 50000.0;
 public double MedicalAllowance      { get; set;} = 5000.0;
 public double TelephoneBill         { get; set;} = 5000.0;
 public double Food_Bill             { get; set;} = 5000.0;
 public double OtherBills            { get; set;} = 5000;

But in C# 5 and lower version it is not supported. Let me change the language from C# 6 to C# 5 and see the result.

If you are not aware how to change the C# language version in Visual Studio 2015 then check it here.

After changing the language from C#6 to C# 5. Now look at the following code window,



It is clearly saying that the feature 'auto property initializer' is not available in C# 5. Please use language version 6 or greater.

Now I built this application and it throws the following build error.



Thus we can say that in C# 6, two useful features for properties has been added and they are Getter-only auto properties & Auto properties initializers.

In short we can say that in C# 6, the properties can be written as in the following:

public       string    MonthName             { get; set; }
//or
public      string     MonthName             { get; private set; }
//or
public  string MonthName        { get; protected set; }
//or
public  string MonthName        { get; }
//or
public  string MonthName        { get; } = "Jan";
//or
public string MonthName         { get; set;} = "Jan";