In following Class code:

public class MyClass
{
public readonly string name;
private int intval;

public int val
{
get
{
return intval;
}
set
{
if (value>=0 &&value<=10)
intval=value;
else throw (new ArgumentOutOfRangeException("val",value,"val must be assigned a value between 0 and 10"));
}
}
public override string ToString()
{
return "name:" + name + "\nval:" + val;
}

private MyClass() :this("default name")
{
}

public MyClass(string newname)
{
name = newname;
intval = 0;
}


}
}



is the purpose of last code block:


public MyClass(string newname)
{
name = newname;
intval = 0;
}

to define fields which are declared in first block code:

public class MyClass
{
public readonly string name;
private int intval;

or, something else?

The member of the class MyClass named MyClass has the same name as the class and thus is a constructor. See page 217 on constructors. From the book: "...you can provider your own, if required, which enables you to initialize ... your objects...
In the sample code you posted, the fields name and intval are initialized in the constructor.

__________________
Christian
CN innovation
Visit my blog at: csharp.christiannagel.com
Follow me on twitter: @christiannagel