C# Language Fundamentals

This section provides a comprehensive overview of the fundamental building blocks and concepts of the C# programming language. Understanding these core elements is crucial for developing robust and efficient applications.

Core Concepts

Variables and Data Types

Variables are containers for storing data values. C# is a statically-typed language, meaning the type of a variable must be declared before it can be used. This helps catch errors at compile time. Key data types include:

• Value Types: Store data directly (e.g., int, float, bool, char, struct).
• Reference Types: Store references to data stored elsewhere in memory (e.g., string, class, interface, delegate, array).

Example declaration:

int age = 30;
string name = "Alice";
bool isActive = true;
            

Operators

Operators are symbols that perform operations on variables and values. C# supports a wide range of operators:

• Arithmetic Operators: +, -, *, /, %
• Comparison Operators: ==, !=, >, <, >=, <=
• Logical Operators: && (AND), || (OR), ! (NOT)
• Assignment Operators: =, +=, -=, *=, /=

Control Flow Statements

These statements allow you to control the execution path of your program:

• Conditional Statements: if, else if, else, switch
• Looping Statements: for, foreach, while, do-while
• Branching Statements: break, continue, return, goto

Methods (Functions)

Methods are blocks of code that perform a specific task. They can accept parameters and return values, promoting code reusability and modularity.

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

Classes and Objects

Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) is a core paradigm in C#. Classes are blueprints for creating objects, which are instances of classes. Key OOP concepts include encapsulation, inheritance, and polymorphism.

Further Reading

• Detailed guide on Variables and Data Types
• Comprehensive Operator Reference
• In-depth on Control Flow Statements