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In C#, the ToString() method gives us a String representation of an object. The ToString() method is implicitly called whenever an object is printed, though you can even explicitly call the ToString() method of any object.

This string representation is a fully qualified name of the type of the object i.d. name of its class preceded by the namespace(if there is any) in which its class is defined.

The ToString() is a method of Object class, which is a parent class of all the classes in C#, therefore like other methods of Object class, the ToSting() method is available to all the classes by default.

Signature of ToString() method -

Method	Description
String ToString()	This method returns a String representation of the invoked object.

Note :

ToString() method is implicitly called when any object of a class is printed.

Example of the ToString() method

ToString() method is implicitly called when an object is printed.

//C# Example of ToString() method


using System;

class A
{ 
public static void Main()
{
	//Creating a String object
	A ob = new A();

	// Printing the object, which implicitly calls the ToString() method
	//Which will print fully qualified name of the object type
	Console.WriteLine(ob); 
}
}

Output

A

As you can see in the output of the program, printing the object has implicitly called the ToString() method, which returns the fully qualified name of the object type i.e. A, the class name of the object.

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Overriding ToString() method to give a same message for every object.

In the upcoming program, we have overridden the ToString() method in a class, to give a same message for all of its objects i.e. whenever any of its objects is printed.

//C# Overriding the ToString() method

using System;

class A
{ 

//Overriding the ToString() method
public override String ToString()
{
	return "We have created an object";
}

//Defining the Main() method
public static void Main()
{
	//Creating two objects of class A
	A ob1 = new A();
	A ob2 = new A();

	//Printing two objects of class A
	Console.WriteLine(ob1);
	Console.WriteLine(ob2);
}
}

Output -

We have created an object
We have created an object

Program Analysis

We have created two objects of A class and ToString() method gives a same basic repetitive message for each of these object, whenever any of it is directly printed.

Overriding ToString() method to give a different message for every object.

Now we are going override ToString() method in a class, to give a specific message for each object, when it is directly printed.

//C# Overriding the ToString() method to give a specific String message for each object, when it is printed.


using System;

class Database
{ 
//Instance variables
String name;
String city;
int age;
float donation;


//Defining the PutName() method 
public void PutName(String str)
{
	name = str;
}

//Defining the PutCity() method 
public void PutCity(String str)
{
	city = str;
}

//Defining the PutName() method 
public void PutAge(int i)
{
	age = i;
}

//Defining the PutDonation() method 
public void PutDonation(float f)
{
	donation = f;
}

//Overriding the ToString() method 
public override String ToString()	
{
	return name + " from " + city + " aged " + age + " has donated - " + donation + "$";
}


//Defining the Main() method
public static void Main()
{
	//Creating the first object
	Database ob1 = new Database();
	ob1.PutName("Howard");
	ob1.PutCity("New York");
	ob1.PutAge(40);
	ob1.PutDonation(1000.50f);

	//Printing the first object
	Console.WriteLine(ob1); 	

	//Creating the second object
	Database ob2 = new Database();
	ob2.PutName("Steve");
	ob2.PutCity("Sydney");
	ob2.PutAge(30);
	ob2.PutDonation(500.50f);

	//Printing the second object
	Console.WriteLine(ob2); 	
}
}

Output-

Howard from New York aged 40 has donated - 1000.5$
Steve from Sydney aged 30 has donated - 500.5$

Program Analysis

In the last code, we have a class Database in which we have overridden ToString() method to give a specific message that presents values in a particular printed object.

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