All About The @T Sign (C# Verbatim Identifier)

Bad form. Bad style. People will hate you. But, its totally legal.

I think I read this back in the language specification, or maybe a college professor said it, but I had forgotten about it until I read it on someone else’s blog.

namespace Test {
    using System;
    public class Test { 
        static void Foo(string @namespace) {
            bool @true = @namespace == "hello";
            if(@true) Console.WriteLine(@namespace);
        }
    }
    
    [STAThread]
    static void Main(string[] args) {
        Test.Foo("hello"); // prints out "hello"
        Test.Foo("world"); // prints nothing
    }
}

namespace Test {
    using System;
    public class Test { 
        static void Foo(string @namespace) {
            bool @true = @namespace == "hello";
            if(@true) Console.WriteLine(@namespace);
        }
    }
    
    [STAThread]
    static void Main(string[] args) {
        Test.Foo("hello"); // prints out "hello"
        Test.Foo("world"); // prints nothing
    }
}

Odd eh?

If you’re ever have a sudden urge to use a reserved word, and just *HAVE* to have the word “true” as a variable name, @true will work.

Now… if you ever use that in public, you may be bludgeoned to death by co-workers.

its called a “verbatim” identifier, and should only be used in tandem with a goto statement for maximum annoyance.