Semantic improvement for the access modifiers.

[Nefcanto]

We have these access modifiers in C#:

1. private
2. file
3. protected
4. internal
5. public

The compound word access modifier is very clear and understandable. It's related to access and it modifies how this access.

Now let's understand each access modifier without looking at the docs:

1. Private => It's probably related to a closure. Something inside curly braces. Just the way a TV could be called private if it's in my room.
2. File => If we consider a file to be the room, then access is given for the entire file. It's available in the entire file.
3. Protected => ?
4. Internal => It's related to something related to us vs. them. Then how it's different from the private?
5. Public => Oh, it's clear. Everyone can access it.

The point is that keywords of access modification are not self-explanatory enough. Now let's consider these terms:

1. Type => It's only accessible inside this type (class or struct)
2. File => Accessible within the same file
3. Derivation => Accessible within the derivation tree. This type or derived types at any level of derivation can access.
4. Assembly => Accessible only in the same assembly.
5. Public => World-accessible

The point is the terms used for denoting access modifiers are very vague when it comes to their relations to their true implementations and functionality.

I know after decades of existence, this change might not be possible. But just wanted to give you the feedback. Thanks.

[HaloFour]

Those names would just confuse someone else, who would have their own suggestions.

private, protected and public were all taken from C++, from which C# derives. internal was intentionally chosen over assembly, despite the latter being the name of the access modifier in IL.

[huoyaoyuan]

IL/System.Reflection	C#	VB	System.CodeDom.MemberAttributes
public	public	Public	Public
family	protected	Protected	Family
assembly	internal	Friend	Assembly
private	private	Private	Private
famorassem	protected internal	Protected Friend	FamilyOrAssembly
famandassem	private protected	Private Protected	FamilyAndAssembly

[TahirAhmadov]

I kind of like the proposed keywords, actually. Not sure about "derivation", but agree, still better than "protected".

[HaloFour]

The IL name of that accessibility modifier is family.