<?xml version="1.0"?> <clause number="8.7.10" title="Static constructors" informative="true"> <paragraph>A static constructor is a member that implements the actions required to initialize a class. Static constructors cannot have parameters, they cannot have accessibility modifiers, and they cannot be called explicitly. The static constructor for a class is called automatically. </paragraph> <paragraph>The example <code_example><![CDATA[ using Personnel.Data; class Employee { private static DataSet ds; static Employee() { ds = new DataSet(...); } public string Name; public decimal Salary; ... } ]]></code_example>shows an Employee class with a static constructor that initializes a static field. </paragraph> </clause>