Introduction to C#

C# (pronounced “C sharp”) is a modern, object-oriented programming language developed by Microsoft as part of its .NET initiative. It was first released in 2000 and has since become one of the most popular programming languages in the world.

Why Choose C#?

Cross-platform: C# can be run on Windows, macOS, and Linux platforms.
Object-oriented: C# is based on object-oriented principles, making it easy to write reusable code.
High-performance: C# is a high-performance language that can take advantage of multi-core processors.
Large community: C# has a large and active community, with numerous resources available for learning and troubleshooting.

Basic Syntax

A basic C# program consists of the following elements:

1. Namespace

The namespace is used to organize code into logical groups. It’s similar to a package in Java or a module in Python.

using System;

2. Class

In C#, everything is an object, and classes are the blueprint for creating objects. A class typically contains properties (data), methods (functions), and events.

public class Calculator {
public int Add(int a, int b) {
return a + b;
}
}

3. Method

Methods in C# are used to perform specific actions. They can take arguments and return values.

public void PrintHello() {
Console.WriteLine("Hello World!");
}

4. Property

Properties in C# are used to encapsulate data, providing a controlled interface for accessing it.

public int X { get; set; }

Data Types

C# supports various data types:

Integers: int, uint, long, ulong
Floating-point numbers: float, double, decimal
Characters: char
Boolean: bool
Strings: string

Operators

C# supports various operators:

Arithmetic: +, -, *, /, %
Assignment: =, +=, -= , etc.
Comparison: ==, !=, <, >, etc.

Control Flow Statements

Control flow statements are used to control the flow of a program:

If-else: Used for conditional execution
Switch: Used for multiple-case selection
Loops (For, While, Do-While): Used for repeated execution

Exception Handling

C# provides robust exception handling mechanisms:

Try-catch: Used to catch and handle exceptions
Throw: Used to throw custom exceptions
Finally: Used to ensure cleanup code is executed

Arrays and Collections

C# supports various array and collection types:

Arrays: One-dimensional collections of elements
Lists: Ordered collections of elements (e.g., List<T>)
Sets: Unordered collections of unique elements (e.g., HashSet<T>)

Multithreading

C# supports multithreading:

Threads: Used to execute multiple threads concurrently
Tasks: Used for asynchronous execution

Best Practices

When writing C# code, follow these best practices:

Use meaningful variable names and class names.
Follow object-oriented principles (encapsulation, inheritance, polymorphism).
Use exception handling mechanisms to handle errors.
Use multithreading to improve performance.

By following these fundamentals of C#, you’ll be well on your way to writing efficient, scalable code in this powerful language.

Fundamentals of C# Programming Language