A member-access consists of a primary-expression or a predefined-type, followed by a "." token, followed by an identifier.

member-access

primary-expression . identifier

predefined-type . identifier

predefined-type

bool byte char decimal double float int long

object sbyte short string uint ulong ushort

A member-access of the form E.I, where E is a primary-expression or a predefined-type and I is an identifier, is evaluated and classified as follows:

• If E is a namespace and I is the name of an accessible member of that namespace, then the result is that member and, depending on the member, is classified as a namespace or a type.
• If E is a predefined-type or a primary-expression classified as a type, and a member lookup (14.3) of I in E produces a match, then E.I is evaluated and classified as follows:
• If I identifies a type, then the result is that type. If I identifies one or more methods, then the result is a method group with no associated instance expression. If I identifies a static property, then the result is a property access with no associated instance expression. If I identifies a static field:
  • If the field is readonly and the reference occurs outside the static constructor of the class or struct in which the field is declared, then the result is a value, namely the value of the static field I in E.
  • Otherwise, the result is a variable, namely the static field I in E.
  If I identifies a static event:
  • If the reference occurs within the class or struct in which the event is declared, and the event was declared without event-accessor-declarations (17.7), then E.I is processed exactly as if I was a static field.
  • Otherwise, the result is an event access with no associated instance expression.
  If I identifies a constant, then the result is a value, namely the value of that constant. If I identifies an enumeration member, then the result is a value, namely the value of that enumeration member. Otherwise, E.I is an invalid member reference, and a compile-time error occurs.
• If E is a property access, indexer access, variable, or value, the type of which is T, and a member lookup (14.3) of I in T produces a match, then E.I is evaluated and classified as follows:
• First, if E is a property or indexer access, then the value of the property or indexer access is obtained (14.1.1) and E is reclassified as a value. If I identifies one or more methods, then the result is a method group with an associated instance expression of E. If I identifies an instance property, then the result is a property access with an associated instance expression of E. If T is a class-type and I identifies an instance field of that class-type:
  • If the value of E is null, then a System.NullReferenceException is thrown.
  • Otherwise, if the field is readonly and the reference occurs outside an instance constructor of the class in which the field is declared, then the result is a value, namely the value of the field I in the object referenced by E.
  • Otherwise, the result is a variable, namely the field I in the object referenced by E.
  If T is a struct-type and I identifies an instance field of that struct-type:
  • If E is a value, or if the field is readonly and the reference occurs outside an instance constructor of the struct in which the field is declared, then the result is a value, namely the value of the field I in the struct instance given by E.
  • Otherwise, the result is a variable, namely the field I in the struct instance given by E.
  If I identifies an instance event:
  • If the reference occurs within the class or struct in which the event is declared, and the event was declared without event-accessor-declarations (17.7), then E.I is processed exactly as if I was an instance field.
  • Otherwise, the result is an event access with an associated instance expression of E.
• Otherwise, E.I is an invalid member reference, and a compile-time error occurs.

In This Section:

• 14.5.4.1: Identical simple names and type names