Console.ReadLine

C# has a built-in method for reading input from the user via the console: Console.ReadLine.

Technically, the method name is ReadLine, and it is part of the Console class. If you get an error about an unresolved reference to Console, make sure you have the following at the top of your file:

using System;

The Console.ReadLine method reads a line of text from the console until the user presses the Enter key. It then returns that line of text as a string.

For example, the following code prompts the user to enter their name, reads the input using Console.ReadLine, and then greets the user by name:

using System;
class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        Console.Write("Enter your name: ");
        string name = Console.ReadLine();
        Console.WriteLine("Hello, " + name + "!");
    }
}

When you run this program, it will wait for the user to type their name and press Enter. After that, it will display a greeting message.

Example output:

Enter your name: John
Hello, John!

A simpler example

If you want to see a simpler example, here it is:

string input = Console.ReadLine();
Console.WriteLine("You entered: " + input);

This code reads a line of input from the user and then prints it back to the console.

Example output:

Hello, World!
You entered: Hello, World!

Console.ReadLine return value

It’s important to note that Console.ReadLine returns a string - always.

If you need to convert the input to another data type (like an integer or a float), you’ll need to use methods to parse the string into the desired type!

For example:

Console.Write("Enter your age: ");
string input = Console.ReadLine();
int age = int.Parse(input);
int nextYearAge = age + 1;
Console.WriteLine("You will be " + nextYearAge + " years old next year.");