C# - var

In C#, variables must be declared with the data type. These are called explicitly typed variables.

Example: Explicitly Typed Variable

int i = 100;// explicitly typed variable

C# 3.0 introduced var keyword to declare method level variables without specifying a data type explicitly.

Example: Implicitly Typed Local Variable

var j = 100; // implicitly typed local variable

The compiler will infer the type of a variable from the expression on the right side of the = operator. Above, var will be compiled as int.

The following infers the type from an expression.

Example: var from expression

int i = 10;
var j = i + 1; // compiles as int

var can be used to declare any built-in data type or a user-defined type or an anonymous type variable. The following example shows C# compiler infers type based on the value:

Example: Implicitly-Typed Variable

static void Main(string[] args)
{
    var i = 10;
    Console.WriteLine("Type of i is {0}", i.GetType());

    var str = "Hello World!!";
    Console.WriteLine("Type of str is {0}", str.GetType());

    var dbl = 100.50d;
    Console.WriteLine("Type of dbl is {0}", dbl.GetType());

    var isValid = true;
    Console.WriteLine("Type of isValid is {0}", isValid.GetType());

    var ano = new { name = "Steve" };
    Console.WriteLine("Type of ano is {0}", ano.GetType());

    var arr = new[] { 1, 10, 20, 30 };
    Console.WriteLine("Type of arr is {0}", arr.GetType());

    var file = new FileInfo("MyFile");
    Console.WriteLine("Type of file is {0}", file.GetType());

}

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Implicitly-typed variables must be initialized at the time of declaration; otherwise C# compiler would give an error: Implicitly-typed variables must be initialized.

var i; // Compile-time error: Implicitly-typed variables must be initialized
i = 100;

Multiple declarations of var variables in a single statement are not allowed.

var i = 100, j = 200, k = 300; // Error: cannot declare var variables in a single statement

//The followings are also valid
var i = 100; 
var j = 200; 
var k = 300;

var cannot be used for function parameters.

void Display(var param) //Compile-time error
{
    Console.Write(param);
}

var can be used in for, and foreach loops.

for(var i = 0; i < 10; i++)
{
    Console.WriteLine(i);
}

var can also be used with LINQ queries.

Example: LINQ Query Syntax in C#

// string collection
IList<string> stringList = new List<string>() { 
    "C# Tutorials",
    "VB.NET Tutorials",
    "Learn C++",
    "MVC Tutorials" ,
    "Java" 
};

// LINQ Query Syntax
var result = from s in stringList
            where s.Contains("Tutorials") 
            select s;

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