C# Automatic Properties - Why Do I Have To Write “get; set;”?

Question

If both get and set are compulsory in C# automatic properties, why do I have to bother specifying \"get; set;\" at all?

Answer 1

Also, because ever since C# 6.0 (in Visual Studio 2015, at the time of this answer available in version Ultimate Preview) you may implement a true read-only property:

public string Name { get; }
public string Name { get; } = "This won't change even internally";

... as opposed to currently imperfect workaround with public getter/private setter pair:

public string Name { get; private set; }

public Constructor() { Name="As initialised"; }
public void Method() { Name="This might be changed internally. By mistake. Or not."; }

Example of the above below (compiled and executable online here).

using System;

public class Propertier {
    public string ReadOnlyPlease { get; private set; }

    public Propertier()  { ReadOnlyPlease="As initialised"; }
    public void Method() { ReadOnlyPlease="This might be changed internally"; }
    public override string ToString() { return String.Format("[{0}]",ReadOnlyPlease); }
}

public class Program {
    static void Main() {
        Propertier p=new Propertier();
        Console.WriteLine(p);

//      p.ReadOnlyPlease="Changing externally!";
//      Console.WriteLine(p);

        // error CS0272: The property or indexer `Propertier.ReadOnlyPlease' cannot be used in this context because the set accessor is inaccessible
        // That's good and intended.

        // But...
        p.Method();
        Console.WriteLine(p);
    }
}

Other tasty news about C# 6.0 available as official preview video here.