<?xml version="1.0"?>
<clause number="8.7.1" title="Constants" informative="true">
  <paragraph>A constant is a class member that represents a constant value: a value that can be computed at compile-time. Constants are permitted to depend on other constants within the same program, as long as there are no circular dependencies. The rules governing constant expressions are defined in <hyperlink>14.15</hyperlink>. The example <code_example><![CDATA[
class Constants  
{  
   public const int A = 1;  
   public const int B = A + 1;  
}  
]]></code_example>shows a class named Constants that has two public constants. </paragraph>
  <paragraph>Even though constants are considered static members, a constant declaration neither requires nor allows the modifier static. Constants can be accessed through the class, as in <code_example><![CDATA[
using System;  
class Test  
{  
   static void Main() {  
      Console.WriteLine("{0}, {1}", Constants.A, Constants.B);  
   }  
}  
]]></code_example>which prints out the values of Constants.A and Constants.B, respectively. </paragraph>
</clause>
