Compiler Error CS1656

Cannot assign to 'variable' because it is a 'read-only variable type'

This error occurs when an assignment to variable occurs in a read-only context. Read-only contexts include foreach iteration variables, using variables, and fixed variables. To resolve this error, avoid assignments to a statement variable in using blocks, foreach statements, and fixed statements.

Example

The following example generates error CS1656 because it tries to replace complete elements of a collection inside a foreach loop. One way to work around the error is to change the foreach loop to a for loop. Another way, not shown here, is to modify the members of the existing element; this is possible with classes, but not with structs.

using System;
using System.Collections;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Text;

namespace CS1654_2
{

    class Book
    {
        public string Title;
        public string Author;
        public double Price;
        public Book(string t, string a, double p)
        {
            Title=t;
            Author=a;
            Price=p;

        }
    }

    class Program
    {
        private List<Book> list;
        static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            Program prog = new Program();
            prog.list = new List<Book>();
            prog.list.Add(new Book ("The C# Programming Language",
                                    "Hejlsberg, Wiltamuth, Golde",
                                     29.95));
            prog.list.Add(new Book ("The C++ Programming Language",
                                    "Stroustrup",
                                     29.95));
            prog.list.Add(new Book ("The C Programming Language",
                                    "Kernighan, Ritchie",
                                    29.95));
            foreach(Book b in prog.list)
            {
                // Cannot modify an entire element in a foreach loop 
                // even with reference types.
                // Use a for or while loop instead
                if(b.Title == "The C Programming Language")
                    b = new Book("Programming Windows, 5th Ed.", "Petzold", 29.95); //CS1654
            }

            //With a for loop you can modify elements
            //for(int x = 0; x < prog.list.Count; x+)
            //{
            //    if(prog.list[x].Title== "The C Programming Language")
            //        prog.list[x] = new Book("Programming Windows, 5th Ed.", "Petzold", 29.95);
            //}
            //foreach(Book b in prog.list)
            //    Console.WriteLine(b.Title);

        }
    }
}

The following sample demonstrates how CS1656 can be generated in other contexts besides a foreach loop:

// CS1656.cs
// compile with: /unsafe
using System;

class C : IDisposable
{
    public void Dispose() { }
}

class CMain
{
    unsafe public static void Main()
    {
        using (C c = new C())
        {
            c = new C(); // CS1656
        }

        int[] ary = new int[] { 1, 2, 3, 4 };
        fixed (int* p = ary)
        {
            p = null; // CS1656
        }
    }
}