Using "this" inside an object initializer

Question

I have the following issue:

public class ChildClass{
   public Object Parent = null;
}
public class ParentClass{
   public ChildClass CreateChild(){
        return new ChildClass{ Parent = this; }
   }
}

I got a bit stuck understanding object initializers. In the CreateChild() method, does this refer to ParentClass or ChildClass?

Oded · Accepted Answer · 2012-06-06 19:19:30Z

5

this will refer the the class it is in.

In the example, this will be an instance of ParentClass, since it is declared within the body of ParentClass.

answered Jun 6, 2012 at 19:19

Oded

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7 Comments

GETah Over a year ago

Thanks for the answer, but isn't this belong to ChildClass in this case as it is inside its inializer?

Oded Over a year ago

@GETah - No it doesn't. The object initializer is still within the ParentClass body.

Anthony Pegram Over a year ago

@GETah, the initializer is shorthand to make your life somewhat easier and it isn't occuring inside the object being created. But step through the code, then you'll know.

Olivier Jacot-Descombes Over a year ago

No. How would you be able to pass the current instance of ParentClass to the new ChildClass object if it behaved like that. Only inside the ChildClass this refers to ChildClass. var c = new ChildClass{ Parent = this }; is the same as var c = new ChildClass(); c.Parent = this;

Olivier Jacot-Descombes Over a year ago

The object initializer is NOT within ChildClass but within ParentClass. Therfore this refers to the current instance of ParentClass. The object initializer does NOT belong to ChildClass but is a code which belongs to the method CreateChild of ParentClass. Everything which is between "public class ParentClass{" and the final "}" belongs to ParentClass.

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YavgenyP · Accepted Answer · 2012-06-06 19:21:39Z

1

To the instance of the ParentClass on which the CreateChild is executed (Though in its current way your code probably wont compile). this = the instance of the current class, which in this case is the parentclass

answered Jun 6, 2012 at 19:21

YavgenyP

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1 Comment

GETah Over a year ago

It does compile, the Parent member variable can be anything that is why it is of type Object

Olivier Jacot-Descombes · Accepted Answer · 2012-06-06 20:08:01Z

1

It refers always to the class where it is textually imbedded. In this case to ParentClass.

UPDATE

The object initializer is NOT within ChildClass but within ParentClass. Therfore this refers to the current instance of ParentClass. The object initializer does NOT belong to ChildClass but is a code which belongs to the method CreateChild of ParentClass. Everything which is between "public class ParentClass{" and the final "}" belongs to ParentClass.

edited Jun 6, 2012 at 20:08

answered Jun 6, 2012 at 19:21

Olivier Jacot-Descombes

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