C# 0 The Complete Reference

Main( )

 method 

generates the following sequence of errors when compiled by the 

csc

 command-line 

compiler. (Similar errors are generated when compiling using the IDE.)

EX1.CS(12,21): error CS1002: ; expected

EX1.CS(13,22): error CS1519: Invalid token '(' in class, struct, or

interface member declaration

EX1.CS(15,1): error CS1022: Type or namespace definition, or

end-of-file expected

Clearly, the first error message is completely wrong, because what is missing is not a 

semicolon, but a curly brace. The second two messages are equally confusing.

The point of this discussion is that when your program contains a syntax error, don’t 

necessarily take the compiler’s messages at face value. They may be misleading. You may need 

to “second guess” an error message in order to find the problem. Also, look at the last few lines 

of code immediately preceding the one in which the error was reported. Sometimes an error 

will not be reported until several lines after the point at which the error really occurred.