C# (pronounced as "C sharp") is a modern, object-oriented programming language developed by Microsoft as part of its .NET initiative. It is designed to be simple, powerful, type-safe, and versatile, making it suitable for building a wide range of applications, from desktop software to web applications, mobile apps, games, and cloud services.
C# syntax is similar to other C-style languages such as C, C++, and Java. It uses curly braces {} to define code blocks and semicolons ; to terminate statements. C# is a statically typed language, meaning that variables must be declared with a specific data type. It also supports object-oriented programming concepts such as classes, inheritance, polymorphism, and encapsulation.
Here is a simple "Hello World" program in C#:
using System;
class Program
{
static void Main()
{
Console.WriteLine("Hello World!");
}
}
Developers can write C# code in a variety of Integrated Development Environments (IDEs) such as Visual Studio, Visual Studio Code, and JetBrains Rider. These IDEs provide features such as code completion, debugging tools, and project management capabilities.
To compile and run C# code, developers need the .NET Framework or .NET Core runtime installed on their machines. These frameworks provide the necessary runtime environment to execute C# programs.
C# code is typically compiled into Intermediate Language (IL) code, which is then executed by the Common Language Runtime (CLR) in a managed environment. This allows C# programs to be platform-independent and run on any system that supports the .NET runtime.