A field initializer cannot reference the non-static field, method, or property

Question

Following is my code :

private BitsManager manager;
private const string DisplayName = "Test Job";       

public SyncHelper()
{
    manager = new BitsManager();
}        

BitsJob uploadBitsJob = manager.CreateJob(DisplayName, JobType.Upload);

I am getting following error :

A field initializer cannot reference the non-static field, method, or property 'BITSIntegrationModule.SyncService.SyncHelper.manager'

Answer 1

The line

BitsJob uploadBitsJob = manager.CreateJob(DisplayName, JobType.Upload);

can't access manager because it hasn't been set to anything yet - you could move the allocation into the constructor -

private readonly BitsManager manager;
private const string DisplayName = "Test Job";       
BitsJob readonly uploadBitsJob;

public SyncHelper()
{
  manager = new BitsManager();
  uploadBitsJob = manager.CreateJob(DisplayName, JobType.Upload);
}   

Answer 2

uploadBitsJob is declared at the class level which makes it a field. Field instances can't be used to initialize other fields.

Instead, you can declare the field without initializing it:

BitsJob uploadBitsJob;

Then initialize the field in the constructor:

public SyncHelper()
{
  manager = new BitsManager();
  uploadBitsJob = manager.CreateJob(DisplayName, JobType.Upload);//here.  Now manager is initialized
}  

Answer 3

That usually happens when trying to access non-static property from static method. Please provide a bit more code.