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Main Method in C#: Sandesh M Patil

The document discusses the Main method in C#, which serves as the entry point for all C# console, Windows forms, and Windows service applications. It explains that the Main method is static and void by default to allow it to run without creating an instance of its class. It also describes how to use command line arguments passed to the Main method and how to return integer values from Main to indicate success or failure.

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Amjad Hussain Zahid
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59 views9 pages

Main Method in C#: Sandesh M Patil

The document discusses the Main method in C#, which serves as the entry point for all C# console, Windows forms, and Windows service applications. It explains that the Main method is static and void by default to allow it to run without creating an instance of its class. It also describes how to use command line arguments passed to the Main method and how to return integer values from Main to indicate success or failure.

Uploaded by

Amjad Hussain Zahid
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Main Method in C#

Sandesh M Patil, 24 Jan 2013 CPOL


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This article is all about the Main method in C#.

Introduction
When we create a Console application there is default main method created. I
am always fascinated about why this main method is static void and why the
arguments are supplied by default. I am going to explain this topics in this
article.

Main() Method
So let's start by creating a sample console application. Open your visual studio
framework. File -> New -> Project -> Select Console Application.

What is Main() Method and its


purpose?
As you see a Program.cs class file create with a default Main() method.
This Main() method used to signify the entry point of your application. This
Main() method present in every executable C# application. C# executable
means any Console application, Windows desktop application or Windows
service application.

What if we have more classes with


Main() method?
The class that defines the Main() method is termed as Application object.
However it is possible that we have more than one class that
contain Main() method. So we can set which class Main() method will be used as
the entry point via the Startup Object drop down list box, located under the
Application tab of the Visual Studio project properties editor.

Why Main() method is static?


Static members are scoped to the class level (rather than the object level) and
can thus be invoked without the need to first create a new class instance. A
main method is static because it is available to run when your program starts
and as it is the entry point of the program it runs without creating an instance of
the class.
In other words, static functions exist before a class is instantiated so static is
applied to the main entry point (Main method).

What is string[] args in Main


method? What is there use?
The string[] args may contain any number of Command line arguments which we
want to pass to Main() method.

More about Main() method

By default Visual Studio defines Main() method as private. The reason behind
this other application can not invoke the entry point (Main() method) of another.
However please note that we can declare the Main()method as public.

Return value of Main() method?


Return value of Main() method is void (indicates no return value) by default. We
can change it to one of the following possible signatures.
Hide Copy Code
// int return type, array of strings as the parameter.
static int Main(string[] args)
{
return 0;
}
static void Main()
{
}
static int Main()
{
return 0;
}

We can return an int value in main method if we want some output when
program terminates like whether the program completed execution successfully.
Also we can use string[] args parameter in Main() method if we want to process
some user defined command line arguments. We can see this in more detail in
below points.

What is use of return of int value in


Main Method?
We can use int return value of the main method to check whether there is an
error occurred in the main method. For ex if main method executes successfully
then we will return 0 (this is the default value return by the main method even if
it defined as void). If main method executes unsuccessfully then we will return
-1.
On the Windows operating system, an applications return value is stored within
a system environment variable named %ERRORLEVEL%. An applications return
value is passed to the system at the time the application terminates, it is

obviously not possible for an application to obtain and display its final error code
while running.
To capture the return value we have to create a batch file. So lets start creating
a main method as shown below:
Hide Copy Code
static int Main(string[] args)
{
Console.WriteLine("***** My First C# App *****");
Console.WriteLine("Hello World!");
Console.WriteLine();
Console.ReadLine();
return -1;
}

Now navigate to the folder where our application resides. Go to bin folder. Then
go to debug folder. Create a bat file (batch file) and update its content with the
following code:
Hide Copy Code
MyConsoleApplication
@if "%ERRORLEVEL%" == "0" goto success
:fail
echo This application has failed!
echo return value = %ERRORLEVEL%
goto end
:success
echo This application has succeeded!
echo return value = %ERRORLEVEL%
goto end
:end
echo All Done.

Note that MyConsoleApplication is nothing but application name.


Now open VS command prompt and navigate to the folder where our bat file we
have just created. Execute the bat file by typing its name and press enter. You
will see the output as shown below with message as This application has failed.

Change the return value as 0 in the main method as shown below.


Hide Copy Code
static int Main(string[] args)
{
Console.WriteLine("***** My First C# App *****");
Console.WriteLine("Hello World!");
Console.WriteLine();
Console.ReadLine();
return 0;
}

Again run the bat file from command prompt. You will get the message as This
application has succeeded as shown in the following figure:

How to use Command line


arguments in main method?
We can process the command line arguments pass to main method. One of the
possible way is using for loop.
Hide Copy Code
static int Main(string[] args)
{
for(int i = 0; i < args.Length; i++)
Console.WriteLine("Arg: {0}", args[i]);
Console.ReadLine();
return -1;
}

We can pass the arguments using VS command prompt. Just go to the path
where our application resides and execute the application exe by passing the
arguments value as shown in following figure:

During development we can set possible command line arguments for testing
purpose. To do this, right click on project and click on properties. Select Debug
tab and write you command line arguments under the start options section as
shown in the following figure:

So when we run the application, we will get the output as shown in the following
figure.

Summary
In this article we have learned about:

Main method
How to set a particular main method as the entry point of our application?
How to use return value of the main method to show an error.
What the arguments are in main method and how to use them.

Reference

Pro C# 2010 .NET 4 Platform book by Andrew Troelsen.

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