Google C# Style Guide

Official Google C# coding standards for consistent, maintainable .NET code.

Golden Rules

1. Follow .NET naming conventions — PascalCase for public members
2. Use async/await for asynchronous operations
3. LINQ for collections — prefer declarative over imperative
4. XML documentation for public APIs
5. Use var when type is obvious from right side
6. Prefer expression-bodied members when concise
7. Use nullable reference types (C# 8.0+)

Quick Reference

Naming Conventions

Variables and Types

// ✓ CORRECT - use var when type is obvious
var users = new List<User>();
var count = users.Count;

// ✓ CORRECT - explicit type when not obvious
IEnumerable<User> result = GetUsers();

// ✓ CORRECT - nullable reference types (C# 8+)
string? optionalName = null;
string requiredName = "Alice";

Properties and Fields

// ✓ CORRECT - auto-properties
public string Name { get; set; }
public int Count { get; private set; }

// ✓ CORRECT - private fields with underscore prefix
private readonly string _connectionString;
private int _retryCount;

// ✓ CORRECT - expression-bodied property
public string FullName => $"{FirstName} {LastName}";

Methods and Expressions

// ✓ CORRECT - expression-bodied method
public string GetDisplayName() => $"{FirstName} {LastName}";

// ✓ CORRECT - traditional method body
public async Task<User> GetUserAsync(int id)
{
    var user = await _repository.FindAsync(id);
    return user ?? throw new NotFoundException(id);
}

Async/Await

// ✓ CORRECT - async all the way
public async Task<IEnumerable<User>> GetActiveUsersAsync()
{
    return await _db.Users
        .Where(u => u.IsActive)
        .ToListAsync();
}

// ✓ CORRECT - ConfigureAwait in library code
var result = await SomeAsyncMethod().ConfigureAwait(false);

// ✗ INCORRECT - blocking on async code
var result = SomeAsyncMethod().Result;  // can deadlock

LINQ

// ✓ CORRECT - LINQ for queries
var activeUsers = users
    .Where(u => u.IsActive)
    .OrderBy(u => u.LastName)
    .Select(u => new UserDto(u.Id, u.Name))
    .ToList();

// ✓ CORRECT - query syntax for complex joins
var result = from u in users
             join r in roles on u.RoleId equals r.Id
             where u.IsActive
             select new { u.Name, r.Title };

XML Documentation

// ✓ CORRECT - XML docs for public API
/// <summary>
/// Retrieves a user by their unique identifier.
/// </summary>
/// <param name="id">The user's unique ID.</param>
/// <returns>The user, or null if not found.</returns>
/// <exception cref="ArgumentException">Thrown when id is negative.</exception>
public Task<User?> GetUserByIdAsync(int id)
{
    // ...
}

Interfaces and Dependency Injection

// ✓ CORRECT - depend on interfaces
public class UserService
{
    private readonly IUserRepository _repository;

    public UserService(IUserRepository repository)
    {
        _repository = repository;
    }
}

Common Mistakes

When to Use This Guide

• Writing new C# code
• Refactoring existing C#
• Code reviews
• Setting up .editorconfig rules
• Onboarding new team members

Install

npx skills add testdino-hq/google-styleguides-skills/csharp

Full Guide

See csharp.md for complete details, examples, and edge cases.