C# Academy · Lesson

Constants and readonly Fields

Distinguish const from static readonly.

Lesson 3 of 413 steps

Constants and readonly Fields is a free C# Academy lesson on CoddyKit. This is lesson 3 of 4. You can read the complete lesson below for free — then practise it hands-on in the browser with a built-in code editor and a 24/7 AI tutor. It is part of the C# Academy learning path, and your progress syncs across the web and the CoddyKit app. The C# Academy course includes 4 lessons in total.

Two Ways to Make Values Fixed

C# offers const and readonly for values that should not change. They look similar but behave very differently. This lesson compares them.

using System;

class Config
{
    public const double Pi = 3.14159;
    public static readonly DateTime StartedAt = DateTime.Now;
}

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        Console.WriteLine("Pi = " + Config.Pi);
    }
}

const: Compile-Time Constant

A const must be assigned a literal value at declaration and is baked in at compile time. It is implicitly static.

using System;

class Circle
{
    public const double Pi = 3.14159;

    public static double Area(double r) => Pi * r * r;
}

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        Console.WriteLine(Circle.Area(2).ToString("0.00"));
    }
}

const Must Be a Literal

Because it is resolved at compile time, a const can only hold a constant expression: numbers, strings, booleans, or other consts.

using System;

class Limits
{
    public const int MaxRetries = 3;
    public const int Timeout = MaxRetries * 1000;   // const expression OK
}

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        Console.WriteLine(Limits.MaxRetries + ", " + Limits.Timeout);
    }
}

readonly: Runtime Constant

A readonly field is set once, either at declaration or in a constructor, and then cannot change. Its value can be computed at runtime.

using System;

class Session
{
    public readonly string Id;

    public Session(string id)
    {
        Id = id;   // allowed: inside constructor
    }
}

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        var s = new Session("abc-123");
        Console.WriteLine("Session: " + s.Id);
    }
}

readonly Can Use Runtime Values

Unlike const, a readonly field can hold a value only known when the program runs, such as a generated id or current time.

using System;

class Order
{
    public readonly Guid OrderId;

    public Order()
    {
        OrderId = Guid.NewGuid();
    }
}

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        var o = new Order();
        Console.WriteLine("Has id: " + (o.OrderId != Guid.Empty));
    }
}

static readonly

Combine static readonly for a class-wide value computed once at runtime. This is the usual replacement for a const when the value is not a literal.

using System;

class AppInfo
{
    public static readonly string[] Roles = { "admin", "user", "guest" };
}

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        Console.WriteLine("Roles: " + Roles());
    }

    static int Roles() => AppInfo.Roles.Length;
}

Why const Can Be Risky Across Assemblies

Because const values are inlined into calling code at compile time, changing a public const in a library requires recompiling all callers. static readonly avoids this.

using System;

class Lib
{
    public const int Version = 2;              // inlined into callers
    public static readonly int Build = 100;     // read at runtime
}

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        Console.WriteLine(Lib.Version + "." + Lib.Build);
    }
}

Cannot Reassign Either One

After initialization, neither a const nor a readonly field can be changed. Attempting to do so is a compile error.

using System;

class Demo
{
    public const int A = 10;
    public readonly int B;

    public Demo() { B = 20; }
    // A = 11;  // would not compile
    // B = 21;  // would not compile outside constructor
}

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        var d = new Demo();
        Console.WriteLine(Demo.A + ", " + d.B);
    }
}

Choosing Between Them

Use const for true literals that never change (Pi, MaxInt). Use readonly when the value is computed at runtime or may differ per instance.

using System;

class Physics
{
    public const double Gravity = 9.81;          // universal literal
    public readonly double Mass;                  // per object

    public Physics(double mass) { Mass = mass; }
    public double Weight() => Mass * Gravity;
}

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        var p = new Physics(10);
        Console.WriteLine("Weight: " + p.Weight());
    }
}

readonly Reference Caveat

readonly locks the field, not the object it points to. A readonly list reference cannot be reassigned, but its contents can still change.

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;

class Cart
{
    public readonly List<string> Items = new List<string>();
}

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        var c = new Cart();
        c.Items.Add("Pen");   // allowed: mutating the object
        c.Items.Add("Book");
        Console.WriteLine("Items: " + c.Items.Count);
    }
}

Putting It Together

A typical class uses const for fixed literals and readonly for values fixed per instance at construction time.

using System;

class Account
{
    public const decimal MinBalance = 0m;
    public readonly string Owner;

    public Account(string owner)
    {
        Owner = owner;
    }
}

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        var a = new Account("Rin");
        Console.WriteLine(a.Owner + " min=" + Account.MinBalance);
    }
}

Quick Check

Test your understanding of const vs readonly.

Answer it in the interactive lesson

Recap

const is a compile-time literal, implicitly static, and inlined into callers. readonly is set once at declaration or in a constructor and can use runtime values. Use const for true literals, static readonly for runtime-computed shared values, and remember readonly locks the reference, not the object.

using System;

class Demo
{
    public const int Max = 100;
    public readonly int Created;
    public Demo(int c) { Created = c; }
}

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        var d = new Demo(7);
        Console.WriteLine(Demo.Max + ", " + d.Created);
    }
}

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