The C# Programming Language:-
C# is a modern object-oriented, general-purpose programming language, created and developed by Microsoft together with the .NET platform. There is highly diverse software developed with C# and on the .NET platform: office applications, web applications, websites, desktop applications, mobile applications, games and many others. C# is a high-level language that is similar to Java and C++ and, to some extent, languages like Delphi, VB.NET and C. All C# programs are objectoriented. They consist of a set of definitions in classes that contain methods and the methods contain the program logic – the instructions which the computer executes. You will find out more details on what a class, a method and C# programs are in the next chapter. Nowadays C# is one of the most popular programming languages. It is used by millions of developers worldwide. Because C# is developed by Microsoft as part of their modern platform for development and execution of applications, the .NET Framework, the language is widely spread among Microsoft-oriented companies, organizations and individual developers. For better or for worse, as of this book writing, the C# language and the .NET platform are maintained and managed entirely by Microsoft and are not open to third parties. Because of this, all other large software corporations like IBM, Oracle and SAP base their solutions on the Java platform and use Java as their primary language for developing their own software products.
The Microsoft .NET Framework:-
The C# language is not distributed as a standalone product – it is a part of the Microsoft .NET Framework platform (pronounced "Microsoft dot net framework"). .NET Framework generally consists of an environment for the development and execution of programs, written in C# or some other language, compatible with .NET (like VB.NET, Managed C++, J# or F#). It consists of: - the .NET programming languages (C#, VB.NET and others); - an environment for the execution of managed code (CLR), which executes C# programs in a controlled manner; - a set of development tools, such as the csc compiler, which turns C# programs into intermediate code (called MSIL) that the CLR can understand; - a set of standard libraries, like ADO.NET, which allow access to databases (such as MS SQL Server or MySQL) and WCF which connects applications through standard communication frameworks and protocols like HTTP, REST, JSON, SOAP and TCP sockets. The .NET Framework is part of every modern Windows distribution and is available in different versions. The latest version can be downloaded and installed from Microsoft’s website. As of this book’s publishing, the latest version of the .NET Framework is 4.5. Windows Vista includes out-of-thebox .NET Framework 2.0, Windows 7 – .NET 3.5 and Windows 8 – .NET 4.5.
Why C#?
There are many reasons why we chose C# for our book. It is a modern programming language, widely spread, used by millions of programmers around the entire world. At the same time C# is a very simple and easy to learn (unlike C and C++). It is natural to start with a language that is suitable for beginners while still widely used in the industry by many large companies, making it one of the most popular programming languages nowadays.
C# or Java?
Although this can be extensively discussed, it is commonly acknowledged that Java is the most serious competitor to C#. We will not make a comparison between Java and C#, because C# is undisputedly the better, 20 Fundamentals of Computer Programming with C#more powerful, richer and just better engineered. But, for the purposes of this book, we have to emphasize that any modern programming language will be sufficient to learn programming and algorithms. We chose C#, because it is easier to learn and is distributed with highly convenient, free integrated development environment (e.g. Visual C# Express Edition). Those who prefer Java can prefer to use the Java version of this book, which can be found here.
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