How Do Static Methods Differ from Instance Methods in C#?

In-depth understanding of static methods in C#

In C#, a static method is a special function that is not bound to any specific instance of a class. This is in contrast to regular methods (called instance methods), which act on an instance of a class and have access to its specific data members.

When you add the static keyword to a method, it changes the behavior of the method:

• Cannot access instance: Static methods cannot access non-static members of the class, such as instance variables or properties. They can only access static members, which are shared by all instances of the class.
• Class scope availability: Static methods can be called directly using the class name without creating an instance of the class. This makes them useful for tasks that do not require access to instance-specific data.

Static class

In addition to static methods, C# also supports static classes. A static class can only contain static members, which means it cannot be instantiated. Static classes are often used to encapsulate common functionality or static data that can be accessed from any part of the program.

For example, consider the following code:

<code class="language-csharp">public static class Utilities
{
    public static int CalculateArea(int width, int height) { return width * height; }
    public static string FormatDate(DateTime date) { return date.ToString("dd/MM/yyyy"); }
}</code>

UtilitiesA class contains only static members and cannot be instantiated. It can be used to perform common operations, such as calculating area or formatting dates, without creating an instance of the class.

Static classes are useful for organizing and grouping static functionality, reducing the need for scattered helper methods or global functions.

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