title: C# field vs. property
body: <blockquote>
    <p><strong>Possible Duplicate:</strong><br>
    <a href="https://stackoverflow.com/questions/653536/difference-between-property-and-field-in-c-sharp">Difference between Property and Field in C#</a>  </p>
  </blockquote>
  
  
  
  <p>I thought that basic properties (<code>{ get; set; }</code>) where the same as public fields, with only the advantage of being able to change them without breaking binary compatibility. Following the answer I got here <a href="https://stackoverflow.com/a/8735303/331785">https://stackoverflow.com/a/8735303/331785</a>, I found out there is also a disadvantage to properties. They cannot be accessed by reference if they are of a value type. Why is this, and what other differences are there?</p>