What is C# ???

C# pronounced as "C-sharp" is an object-oriented programming language from Microsoft that aims to combine the computing power of C++ with the programming ease of Visual Basic. C# is based on C++ and contains features similar to those of Java.

C# is designed to work with Microsoft's .Net platform. Microsoft's aim is to facilitate the exchange of information and services over the Web, and to enable developers to build highly portable applications. C# simplifies programming through its use of Extensible Markup Language (XML) and Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) which allow access to a programming object or method without requiring the programmer to write additional code for each step. Because programmers can build on existing code, rather than repeatedly duplicating it, C# is expected to make it faster and less expensive to get new products and services to market.

The term’s # character derives its name from the musical sharp key, which denotes a one semitone pitch increase. C# improved and updated many C and C++ features, including the following:

C# has a strict Boolean data variable type, such as bool, whereas C++ bool variable types may be returned as integers or pointers to avoid common programming errors.

C# automatically manages inaccessible object memory using a garbage collector, which eliminates developer concerns and memory leaks.

C# type is safer than C++ and has safe default conversions only (for example, integer widening), which are implemented during compile or runtime.No implicit conversions between Booleans, enumeration members and integers (other than 0) may be converted to an enumerated type. User-defined conversions must be specified as explicit or implicit, versus the C++ default implicit conversion operators and copy constructors.

C# used for all sort of applications ranging from computer games, utilities, Operating Systems and compilers. There are also web based applications running on the asp.net platform.

C# syntax is highly expressive, yet it is also simple and easy to learn. The curly-brace syntax of C# will be instantly recognizable to anyone familiar with C, C++ or Java. Developers who know any of these languages are typically able to begin to work productively in C# within a very short time. C# syntax simplifies many of the complexities of C++ and provides powerful features such as nullable value types, enumerations, delegates, lambda expressions and direct memory access, which are not found in Java. C# supports generic methods and types, which provide increased type safety and performance, and iterators, which enable implementers of collection classes to define custom iteration behaviors that are simple to use by client code. Language-Integrated Query (LINQ) expressions make the strongly-typed query a first-class language construct.

As an object-oriented language, C# supports the concepts of encapsulation, inheritance, and polymorphism. All variables and methods, including the Main method, the application's entry point, are encapsulated within class definitions. A class may inherit directly from one parent class, but it may implement any number of interfaces. Methods that override virtual methods in a parent class require the override keyword as a way to avoid accidental redefinition. In C#, a struct is like a lightweight class; it is a stack-allocated type that can implement interfaces but does not support inheritance.