Correct use of C# properties
private List<Date> _dates; public List<Date> Dates { get { return _dates; } set { _dates = value; } } OR public List<Date> Dates { get; set; } I have always used the former, is that incorrect or bad practice? It never occurred to me that I could just use the second option. I do like having my encapsulated variables to begin with an underscore so I can distinguish them from method parameters. And I've just always done it that way. Is it possible that using the first option would result in an extra List<Date> object being instantiated and then the whole of _dates being replaced with value , or