What are attributes in C# and how do I use them?

What are attributes in C# and how do I use them?

Attributes in C# are special tags that provide metadata about your code. They can be applied to classes, methods, properties, and more. You use them by placing them in square brackets above the code element you want to annotate.

Can you give me an example of how to create a custom attribute?

Sure! Here's a simple example:

[AttributeUsage(AttributeTargets.Class)]
public class MyCustomAttribute : Attribute
{
    public string Description { get; }
    public MyCustomAttribute(string description)
    {
        Description = description;
    }
}

How do I apply this custom attribute to a class?

You can apply it like this:

[MyCustomAttribute("This is a custom attribute")]
public class MyClass
{
    // Class implementation
}

What are some built-in attributes in C#?

Some common built-in attributes include [Obsolete], [Serializable], and [DllImport]. Each serves a specific purpose in the framework.