Why can't you use the keyword 'this' in a static method in .Net?

I'm trying to use the this keyword in a static method, but the compiler won't allow me to use it.

Why not?

Solution 1:

That's an easy one. The keyword 'this' returns a reference to the current instance of the class containing it. Static methods (or any static member) do not belong to a particular instance. They exist without creating an instance of the class. There is a much more in depth explanation of what static members are and why/when to use them in the MSDN docs.

Solution 2:

As an additional note, from a Static method, you can access or static members of that class. Making the example below valid and at times quite useful.

public static void StaticMethod(Object o)
{
     MyClass.StaticProperty = o;
}