Overloading function call operator in C#

c# operator-overloading
Asaf R picture Asaf R · Mar 15, 2010 · Viewed 17.3k times · Source

Is it possible to overload the default function operator (the () operator) in C#? If so - how? If not, is there a workaround to create a similar affect?

Thanks,
Asaf

EDIT:
I'm trying to give a class a default operator, something along the lines of:

class A {
    A(int myvalue) {/*save value*/}

    public static int operator() (A a) {return a.val;}
    ....
   }

...
A a = new A(5);
Console.Write(A());

EDIT 2:
I've read the spec and I understand there's no straight forward way to do this. I was hoping there's a workaround.

EDIT 3: The motivation is to make a class, or an instance behave like a function, to make a convenient logging interface. By the way, this is doable and reasonable in C++.

Answer

Chris B. Behrens picture Chris B. Behrens · Mar 15, 2010

There is not. Section 7.2.2 of the C# specification defines the overloadable operators as:

UNARY: + - ! ~ ++ -- true false
BINARY: + - * / % & | ^ << >> == != > < >= <=

Your readability would go to all hell anyway. Maybe there's another way to achieve what you're trying to do?

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