implicit (C# Reference)
The implicit keyword is used to declare an implicit user-defined type conversion operator. Use it to enable implicit conversions between a user-defined type and another type, if the conversion is guaranteed not to cause a loss of data.
Example
class Digit
{
public Digit(double d) { val = d; }
public double val;
// ...other members
// User-defined conversion from Digit to double
public static implicit operator double(Digit d)
{
return d.val;
}
// User-defined conversion from double to Digit
public static implicit operator Digit(double d)
{
return new Digit(d);
}
}
class Program
{
static void Main(string[] args)
{
Digit dig = new Digit(7);
//This call invokes the implicit "double" operator
double num = dig;
//This call invokes the implicit "Digit" operator
Digit dig2 = 12;
Console.WriteLine("num = {0} dig2 = {1}", num, dig2.val);
Console.ReadLine();
}
}
By eliminating unnecessary casts, implicit conversions can improve source code readability. However, because implicit conversions do not require programmers to explicitly cast from one type to the other, care must be taken to prevent unexpected results. In general, implicit conversion operators should never throw exceptions and never lose information so that they can be used safely without the programmer's awareness. If a conversion operator cannot meet those criteria, it should be marked explicit. For more information, see Using Conversion Operators.
C# Language Specification
For more information, see the C# Language Specification. The language specification is the definitive source for C# syntax and usage.
See Also
Tasks
How to: Implement User-Defined Conversions Between Structs (C# Programming Guide)