Avoiding Type Name-Clashes using 'using'
You are already aware that the C# using keyword allows you to supply hints to the compiler regarding the fully qualified name of the types within a given *.cs file. However, what you may not know is that the using keyword also allows you to build aliases (very helpful for prevent name clashes). Assume you have the following two namespace definitions:
namespace My2DShapes
{
public class Hexagon{}
}
namespace My3DShapes
{
public class Hexagon{}
}
Now assume you wish to create an instance of the 3D Hexagon from the following application:
using My2DShapes;
using My3DShapes;
public class MyApp
{
public static void Main()
{
// Error! Which Hexagon?
Hexagon h = new Hexagon();
}
}
This name clash can be resolved quite simply by building the following alias:
using My2DShapes;
using The3DHex = My3DShapes.Hexagon;
public class MyApp
{
public static void Main()
{
// This really creates a new My3DShapes.Hexagon.
The3DHex h = new The3DHex();
}
}
Tip from Andrew Troelsen
Posted by: Duncan Mackenzie, MSDN
This post applies to Visual C# .NET 2002/2003/2005
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