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c#.netstatic-methodsstatic-classesstatic-initialization

How can I run a static initializer method in C# before the Main() method?


Given a static class with an initializer method:

public static class Foo
{
    // Class members...

    internal static init()
    {
        // Do some initialization...
    }
}

How can I ensure the initializer is run before Main()?

The best I can think of is to add this to Foo:

private class Initializer
{
    private static bool isDone = false;
    public Initializer()
    {
        if (!isDone)
        {
            init();
            isDone = true;
        }
    }
}

private static readonly Initializer initializer = new Initializer();

Will this work or are there some unforeseen caveats? And is there any better way of doing this?


Solution

  • Simply do the initialization inside a static constructor for Foo.

    From the documentation:

    A static constructor is called automatically to initialize the class before the first instance is created or any static members are referenced.