title: Why do we use fields & properties instead of just a variable?
body: <blockquote>
    <p><strong>Possible Duplicate:</strong><br>
    <a href="https://stackoverflow.com/questions/295104/what-is-the-difference-between-a-field-and-a-property-in-c">What is the difference between a field and a property in C#?</a><br>
    <a href="https://stackoverflow.com/questions/653536/difference-between-property-and-field-in-c-sharp-net-3-5">Difference between Property and Field in C# .NET 3.5+</a>  </p>
  </blockquote>
  
  
  
  <p>I have seen that in c# the following pattern is common:  </p>
  
  <pre><code>   private string m_name = string.Empty;
  
  public string Name
  {
      get
      {
          return m_name;
      }
      set
      {
          m_name = value;
      }
  }
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>why do we use a field and a property to hold a value when we can use a simple variable?
  why should I use fields and properties instead of a simple variable?</p>