MSDN Documentation

Getting Started with C#

Welcome to the C# documentation! This section provides the essential information you need to begin your journey with C# programming, one of the most popular and versatile languages for building a wide range of applications.

What is C#?

C# (pronounced "See Sharp") is a modern, object-oriented, and type-safe programming language developed by Microsoft. It is part of the .NET framework and is widely used for building Windows applications, web services, mobile apps (with Xamarin/MAUI), cloud solutions on Azure, and even games with Unity.

Key Features of C#

• Object-Oriented: Supports encapsulation, inheritance, and polymorphism.
• Type-Safe: Helps catch errors at compile time, leading to more robust code.
• Component-Oriented: Facilitates the development of reusable software components.
• Managed Code: Runs within the .NET Common Language Runtime (CLR), which provides memory management, security, and exception handling.
• Versatile: Suitable for a broad spectrum of applications.

Setting Up Your Development Environment

To start coding in C#, you'll need a development environment. The most common and recommended tool is Visual Studio. You can download Visual Studio Community Edition for free, which is suitable for individual developers, open-source projects, and academic research.

Your First C# Program: "Hello, World!"

Let's write a simple "Hello, World!" program to get your feet wet.

using System;

namespace HelloWorldApp
{
    class Program
    {
        static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            Console.WriteLine("Hello, World!");
        }
    }
}

Explanation:

• using System;: Imports the `System` namespace, which contains fundamental classes like `Console`.
• namespace HelloWorldApp: Declares a namespace to organize your code.
• class Program: Defines a class, the basic building block of C# applications.
• static void Main(string[] args): This is the entry point of your application. Execution begins here.
• Console.WriteLine("Hello, World!");: Writes the string "Hello, World!" to the console, followed by a new line.

Next Steps

Now that you've set up your environment and written your first program, you're ready to explore more advanced C# concepts. We recommend moving on to:

• C# Tutorials for hands-on learning.
• C# Programming Guide for a deeper dive into the language's features.
• C# Language Reference for detailed syntax and semantics.

Happy coding!