C# Advanced Topics

Deep dive into the powerful and sophisticated features of the C# programming language.

This section covers advanced concepts in C# that will help you write more efficient, robust, and maintainable code. Understanding these topics is crucial for building complex applications and leveraging the full power of the .NET ecosystem.

Generics

Generics provide a way to define type-safe collections and methods without sacrificing flexibility. They allow you to write code that operates on a set of types without knowing those types until compile time or runtime.

  • Generic Classes and Interfaces
  • Generic Methods
  • Constraints on Generic Types

public class Box {
    private T content;
    public void SetContent(T value) {
        content = value;
    }
    public T GetContent() {
        return content;
    }
}

LINQ (Language Integrated Query)

LINQ is a powerful feature that adds native data querying capabilities to C#. It allows you to query collections, databases, XML documents, and other data sources using a consistent syntax.

  • LINQ to Objects
  • LINQ to SQL and LINQ to Entities
  • Query Syntax vs. Method Syntax

var numbers = new List { 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 };
var evenNumbers = from num in numbers
                  where num % 2 == 0
                  select num;

Asynchronous Programming (async/await)

The async and await keywords simplify asynchronous programming, making it easier to write responsive applications that don't block the UI thread during I/O-bound operations.

  • Understanding Asynchronous Operations
  • Task and Task<TResult>
  • Common Async Patterns

public async Task<string> GetDataAsync() {
    using (var client = new HttpClient()) {
        return await client.GetStringAsync("https://api.example.com/data");
    }
}

Delegates and Events

Delegates represent references to methods with a particular parameter list and return type. Events are a mechanism that allows an object to notify other objects when something happens.

  • Delegate Declaration and Usage
  • Multicast Delegates
  • Event Publishers and Subscribers

public delegate void MyEventHandler(object sender, EventArgs e);

public class Publisher {
    public event MyEventHandler SomethingHappened;

    protected virtual void OnSomethingHappened(EventArgs e) {
        SomethingHappened?.Invoke(this, e);
    }
}

Reflection

Reflection allows you to inspect and manipulate types, methods, and properties at runtime. This is useful for building dynamic applications, frameworks, and debugging tools.

  • Getting Type Information
  • Invoking Methods Dynamically
  • Working with Attributes

Advanced Concepts