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C# Keywords

  • Article

Keywords are predefined, reserved identifiers that have special meanings to the compiler. They cannot be used as identifiers in your program unless they include @ as a prefix. For example, @if is a valid identifier but if is not because if is a keyword.

The first table in this topic lists keywords that are reserved identifiers in any part of a C# program. The second table in this topic lists the contextual keywords in C#. Contextual keywords have special meaning only in a limited program context and can be used as identifiers outside that context. Generally, as new keywords are added to the C# language, they are added as contextual keywords in order to avoid breaking programs written in earlier versions.

abstract

event

new

struct

as

explicit

null

switch

base

extern

object

this

bool

false

operator

throw

break

finally

out

true

byte

fixed

override

try

case

float

params

typeof

catch

for

private

uint

char

foreach

protected

ulong

checked

goto

public

unchecked

class

if

readonly

unsafe

const

implicit

ref

ushort

continue

in

return

using

decimal

int

sbyte

virtual

default

interface

sealed

volatile

delegate

internal

short

void

do

is

sizeof

while

double

lock

stackalloc

 

else

long

static

 

enum

namespace

string

 

Contextual Keywords

A contextual keyword is used to provide a specific meaning in the code, but it is not a reserved word in C#. Some contextual keywords, such as partial and where, have special meanings in two or more contexts.

add

from

get

global

group

into

join

let

orderby

partial (type)

partial (method)

remove

select

set

value

var

where (generic type constraint)

where (query clause)

yield

See Also

Concepts

C# Programming Guide

Other Resources

C# Reference

Change History

Date

History

Reason

July 2009

Added add, remove, and global to the contextual keywords.

Information enhancement.