Understanding the meaning of this c# code

Question

I'm trying to understand the following code:

  flow = new GoogleAuthorizationCodeFlow(new GoogleAuthorizationCodeFlow.Initializer
  {
    DataStore = new FileDataStore("Tasks.ASP.NET.Sample.Store"),
    ClientSecretsStream = stream,
    Scopes = new[] { TasksService.Scope.TasksReadonly }
  });

From my understanding, the code between the first and last {...} is the body of an anonymous function. The new FileDataStore creates a new instance of FileDataStore. What I don't understand is what the comma at the end of it means. The two lines following it also have commas at the end. What kind of construct is this called in C#? I'm not familiar with it.

Answer 1

No, it isn't the body of an anonymous function. It is an initialization list.. and it serves to set the fields of the new object of type GoogleAuthorizationCodeFlow.Initializer all in-line.

It is the "in-line" version of this:

var initializer = new GoogleAuthorizationCodeFlow.Initializer();
initializer.DataStore = new FileDataStore("Tasks.ASP.NET.Sample.Store");
initializer.ClientSecretsStream = stream;
initializer.Scopes = new[] { TasksService.Scope.TasksReadonly };

flow = new GoogleAuthorizationCodeFlow(initializer);

The two are equivalent functionally. It is just more compact.

Answer 2

It's a constructor initializer. The code is creating a new GoogleAuthorizationCodeFlow.Initializer object, and setting DataStore, ClientSecretsStream and Scopes properties on the object.

This is then being passed to a GoogleAuthorizationCodeFlow constructor as an argument.

Answer 3

You have a class Sample.

public class Sample()
{
    public string id { get; set; }
    public int key { get; set; }
}

This can be initialized as

var sample = new Sample {id = 1, key = "one"};

Then pass this sample as argument.

In your example they have done same thing to the parameter. This is called as class initializer.

Hope it helps.