C#

C# is a new language created by Microsoft and submitted to the ECMA for standardization. This new language was created by a team of people at Microsoft led by Anders Hejlsberg . Interestingly, Hejlsberg is a Microsoft Distinguished Engineer who has created other products and languages, including Borland Turbo C++ and Borland Delphi. With C#, they focused on taking what was right about existing languages and adding improvements to make something better.

C# is a powerful and flexible programming language. Like all programming languages, it can be used to create a variety of applications. Your potential with C# is limited only by your imagination. The language does not place constraints on what you can do. C# has already been used for projects as diverse as dynamic Web sites, development tools, and even compilers.

C# was created as an object-oriented programming (OOP) language. Other programming languages include object-oriented features, but very few are fully object-oriented. In my book you can learn how C# compares to some of these other programming languages. My book also covers what it means to use an object-oriented language as well as the details of doing object-oriented programming with C#.

Why C#?

Many people believed that there was no need for a new programming language. Java, C++, Perl, Microsoft Visual Basic, and other existing languages were believed to offer all the functionality needed.

C# is a language derived from C and C++, but it was created from the ground up. Microsoft started with what worked in C and C++ and included new features that would make these languages easier to use. Many of these features are very similar to what can be found in Java. Ultimately, Microsoft had a number of objectives when building the language. These objectives can be summarized in the claims Microsoft makes about C#:

• C# is simple.
• C# is modern.
• C# is object-oriented.

In addition to Microsoft’s reasons, there are other reasons to use C#:

• C# is powerful and flexible.
• C# is a language of few words.
• C# is modular.
• C# will be popular.

C# Is Simple

C# removes some of the complexities and pitfalls of languages such as Java and C++, including the removal of macros, templates, multiple inheritance, and virtual base classes. These are all areas that cause either confusion or potential problems for C++ developers. If you are learning C# as your first language, rest assured — these are topics you won’t have to spend time learning!

C# is simple because it is based on C and C++. If you are familiar with C and C++, or even Java, you will find C# very familiar in many aspects. Statements, expressions, operators, and other functions are taken directly from C and C++, but improvements make the language simpler. Some of the improvements include eliminating redundancies. Other areas of improvement include additional syntax changes. For example, C++ has three operators for working with members: ::, ., and ->. Knowing when to use each of these three symbols can be very confusing in C++. In C#, these are all replaced with a single symbol–the “dot” operator. For newer programmers, this and many other features eliminate a lot of confusion.

Note:?If you have used Java and you believe it is simple, you will find C# to be simple. Most people don’t believe that Java is simple. C# is, however, easier than Java and C++.

C# Is Modern

What makes a modern language? Features such as exception handling, garbage collection, extensible data types, and code security are features that are expected in a modern language. C# contains all of these.

C# Is Object-Oriented

The keys to an object-oriented language are encapsulation, inheritance, and polymorphism. C# supports all of these.?Encapsulation?is the placing of functionality into a single package.?Inheritance?is a structured way of extending existing code and functionality into new programs and packages.?Polymorphism?is the capability of adapting to what needs to be done. Understand, these are very simplistic definitions. The implementation of these is a bit more complicated.

C# Is Powerful and Flexible

As mentioned before, with C# you are limited only by your imagination. The language places no constraints on what can be done. C# can be used for projects as diverse as creating word processors, graphics, spreadsheets, and even compilers for other languages.

C# Is a Language of Few Words

C# is a language that uses a limited number of words. C# contains only a handful of terms, called?keywords, which serve as the base on which the language’s functionality is built. Table 1.1 lists the C# keywords. A majority of these keywords are used to describe information. You might think that a language with more keywords would be more powerful. This isn’t true. As you program with C#, you will find that it can be used to do any task.C