C# Programming Language Introduction

Microsoft’s .NET Framework represents the most significant change in software development methodology for a Microsoft operating system since the introduction of Windows. It is built using an architecture that allows software languages to work together, sharing resources and code, to provide developers with the advanced tools necessary to build the next generation of desktop and Internet-enabled applications.

C# is an object-oriented programming language developed by Microsoft as part of the .NET initiative and later approved as a standard by ECMA and ISO. It was first released in its alpha version in the middle of 2000.C#’s chief architect was Anders Hejlsberg. Hejlsberg is one of the world’s leading language experts, with several notable accomplishments to his credit, including Borland Turbo C++ and Borland Delphi.

C# is a powerful and flexible programming language. Like all programming languages, it can be used to create a variety of applications. It will immediately be familiar to C and C++ programmers. C# combines the high productivity of Rapid Application Development (RAD) languages and the raw power of C++. The C# language does not place constraints on what you can do; therefore, your potential with it is limited only by your Imagination. C# has already been used for projects as diverse as dynamic Web sites, development tools, and even compilers.

Visual C# .NET is Microsoft's C# development tool. It includes an interactive development environment, visual designers for building Windows and Web applications, a compiler, and a debugger. Visual C# .NET is part of a suite of products, called Visual Studio .NET, that also includes Visual Basic .NET, Visual C++ .NET, and the JScript scripting language. All of these languages provide access to the Microsoft .NET Framework, which includes a common execution engine and a rich class library. The .NET Framework defines a"Common Language Specification" (CLS), a sort of lingua franca that ensures seamless interoperability between CLS-compliant languages and class libraries. For C# developers, this means that even though C# is a new language, it has complete access to the same rich class libraries that are used by seasoned tools such as Visual Basic .NET and Visual C++ .NET. C# itself does not include a class library.

C# Feature over C and C++

• There are no global variables or functions.
• All methods and members must be declared within classes.
• Unsafe code need appropriate permissions to run.
• Most object access is done through safe references, which cannot be made
  invalid.
• An unsafe pointer can point to an instance of a value-type, array,
  string, or a block of memory allocated on a stack.
• Multiple inheritances are not supported, although a class can implement
  any number of interfaces.
• C# is more typesafe than C++.
• Enumeration members are placed in their own namespace.