Question: I am getting this error while creating a `public` method on a class for explicitly implementing the `interface`. I have a workaround: by removing the explicit implementation of `PrintName` method. But I am surprised why I am getting this error.

Can anyone explain the error?

Code for Library:

```
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;
using System.Text;

namespace Test.Lib1
{

    public class Customer : i1 
    {
        public string i1.PrintName() //Error Here...
        {
            return this.GetType().Name + " called from interface i1";
        }
    }

    public interface i1
    {
        string PrintName();
    }

    interface i2
    {
        string PrintName();
    }
}

```

Code for Console Test Application:

```
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;
using System.Text;
using Test.Lib1;

namespace ca1.Test
{
    class Program
    {
        static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            Customer customer = new Customer();
            Console.WriteLine(customer.PrintName());

            //i1 i1o = new Customer();
            //Console.WriteLine(i1o.printname());

            //i2 i2o = new Customer();
            //Console.WriteLine(i2o.printname());

        }
    }
}

```

Answer: 
<http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa288461(VS.71).aspx> :
When a member is explicitly implemented, it cannot be accessed through a class instance, but only through an instance of the interface.

```
Customer customer = new Customer();

```

`Console.WriteLine(customer.PrintName());`

Violates this
You cannot use access modifiers when implementing interface explicitly. Member will be binded to the interface anyway, so it is no need to specify access modifier, because all interface members are always public, also all explicitly implemented members can be accessed only through member of interface type (see statichippo's answer for example).