Why does the compiler fail to find the right type?

Question

I have a method and a class with the same name. In a case, the compiler understands that I am using the class name, but not in another case:

using System;
using DTO;

namespace DTO
{
    public class Foo
    {
        public string Bar { get; set; }
    }
}

namespace Tests
{
    class Program
    {
        static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            Console.WriteLine("Hello World!");
        }

        private void Foo()
        {
            var foo = new Foo // Ok
            {
                Bar = nameof(Foo.Bar) // Not ok
            };
        }
    }
}

Error:

CS0119 'Program.Foo()' is a method, which is not valid in the given context

I get the same error with a static property:

public class Foo
{
    public static string Bar = "Hello";
}

// ...

private void Foo()
{
    var bar = Foo.Bar; // Error
}

If the compiler understands in the context that the Foo in new Foo is a class, why cannot it understand that Foo in nameof(Foo.Bar) is also a class? This notation makes no sense if Foo is a method.

Answer 1

In the first case the compiler knows you mean the class because of the new keyword. What follows new has to be a type name.

In the second case, there is no such restriction: Foo can be any variable, member, field or type. (Note that if this should work at all, Bar needs to be a static property of class Foo).

But since the method Foo is in the closest scope, the compiler thinks you mean this method group, which has no member called Bar.