From Java to C#: A Developer's Guide

7.4. Static constructors (Java static initializers)

C# has two different kinds of constructors, static and instance – depending on whether they are declared with the static keyword or not. While C# instance constructors are similar to Java constructors, C#'s static constructors are similar to Java static initializers. Static constructors, like their instance counterparts, must have the same name and case as the class of which it is a member.

However, unlike instance constructors, static constructors:

• cannot have parameters;

• cannot have accessibility modifiers;

• cannot be called explicitly.

Static constructors are automatically invoked before the first static class member is utilized. Here is an example of a static constructor.

 1: using System; ...