What is the default value of a primitive type variable in C#?

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When a primitive type variable is created but not initialized its value is null?

Example:

public int x;

If I don’t do anything with x, which means I don’t assign a value to it, it will be null?

c# variables variable-declaration
  • 4

    Which programming language?

  • Define primitive type

  • 3

    This is not about programming logic. This is a specific behavior that depends on each language.

  • 1

    Each language has a different behavior for initializing variables. Needs to specify which language you refer to.

  • Assuming the tag is correct and the doubt is about C#, see here the default values for each type: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/csharp/language-reference/keywords/default-values-table

  • A statement with no explicit value will not make the variable usable until a value is assigned to it in C#.

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C# does not have so-called primitive types, these types said in the question are by value. Their default value is usually 0, each with its 0 representation.

The null is a reference with a value of 0, so it has no object associated with it. Only types per reference can be effectively null, so one type per value cannot be null. Then one type per reference will be null.

There are even types that simulate nullity, for example a int? may be null, but in practice it is only a composition indicating nullity, and has undesirable side effects.

In the construction of the object this variable will be zeroed. In local variables will not compile, it is mandatory to put a value, even if it is the default value, you can even use default instead of the value, if it is the most appropriate semantics. Since it is clear that the type is not being inferred.

In C# 8 the use of nulls is discouraged. It serves much better than it already is as a valid alternative to exceptions in flow control (which is the wrong mechanism).

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