c# - When are the static constructors executed, before or after static fields? -

consider have

public class classa {      public string propertyb { get; set; } } 

and use this

public class classd {      static readonly classa propertye = new classa();       static classd()      {           propertye.propertyb = "valuef";      } } 

but rest of code didn't work expected. rewrote classd, , worked

public class classd {      static readonly classa propertye = new classa { propertyb = "valuef" }; } 

in way these 2 code samples different? expected had same behavior, don't.

according msdn:

if class contains static fields initializers, those initializers executed in textual order prior executing static constructor.

the difference between 2 classes how propertye initialized. in first, sample, classd.propertye assigned first, classa.propertyb. in second sample, classa.propertyb assigned first, classd.propertye. could produce different results.

you might have issues circular dependencies among fields. msdn article states:

it possible construct circular dependencies allow static fields variable initializers observed in default value state.

using system; class {    public static int x;    static a() {       x = b.y + 1;    } } class b {    public static int y = a.x + 1;    static b() {}    static void main() {       console.writeline("x = {0}, y = {1}", a.x, b.y);    } } 

produces output

x = 1, y = 2