Chapter 2
Introduction to C#

Kurt Nørmark ©
Department of Computer Science, Aalborg University, Denmark


Abstract
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In this lecture we will introduce the programming language C#. Recall that we assume that the reader has experience with C, or at least a similar imperative language. In the central part of this lecture we will address how C# differs from C. This is done by 'a tour through C' in which we explain the major similarities and differences between the two languages.


The C# Language and System

C# seen in a historic perspective
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C# has been inspired by earlier object-oriented programming languages

  • Simula (1967)

    • The very first object-oriented programming language

  • C++ (1983)

    • The first object-oriented programming language in the C family of languages

  • Java (1995)

    • Sun's object-oriented programming language

  • C# (2001)

    • Microsoft's object-oriented programming language

Reference

The Common Language Infrastructure
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The Common Language Infrastructure (CLI) is a specification that allows several different programming languages to be used together on a given platform

  • Parts of the Common Language Infrastructure:

    • Common Intermediate language (CIL) including a common type system (CTS)

    • Common Language Specification (CLS) - shared by all languages

    • Virtual Execution System (VES)

    • Metadata about types, dependent libraries, attributes, and more

MONO and .NET are both implementations of the Common Language Infrastructure

The C# language and the Common Language Infrastructure are standardized by ECMA and ISO

CLI Overview from Wikipedia
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Figure. Wikipedia's overview diagram of the CLI

C# Compilation and Execution
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The Common Language Infrastructure supports a two-step compilation process

  • Compilation

    • The C# compiler: Translation of C# source to CIL

    • Produces .dll and .exe files

    • Just in time compilation: Translation of CIL to machine code

  • Execution

    • With interleaved Just in Time compilation

    • On Mono: Explicit activation of the interpreter

    • On Window: Transparent activation of the interpreter

.dll and .exe files are - with some limitations - portable in between different platforms


C# in relation to C

Simple types
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This page is about integers, real numbers, characters, and booleans.

Most simple types in C# are similar to the simple types in C

  • Major differences:

    • All simple C# types have fixed bit sizes

    • C# has a boolean type called bool

    • C# chars are 16 bit long

    • In C# there is a high-precision 128 bit numeric fixed-point type called decimal

    • Pointers are not supported in the normal parts of a C# program

      • In the unsafe part C# allows for pointers like in C

    • All simple types are in reality structs in C#, and therefore they have members

Differences compared to C.

Program: Demonstrations of the simple type bool in C#. Shows boolean constants and how to deal with the default boolean value (false).
using System;

class BoolDemo{

  public static void Main(){
    bool b1, b2;
    b1 = true; b2 = default(bool);
    Console.WriteLine("The value of b2 is {0}", b2);  // False  
  }

}

Program: Demonstrations of the simple type char in C#. Illustrates character constants, hexadecimal escape notation, and character methods.
using System;

class CharDemo{

  public static void Main(){
    char ch1 = 'A',         
         ch2 = '\u0041',                                            
         ch3 = '\u00c6', ch4 = '\u00d8', ch5 = '\u00c5',            
         ch6;

    Console.WriteLine("ch1 is a letter: {0}", char.IsLetter(ch1));  

    Console.WriteLine("{0} {1} {2}", ch3, ch4, char.ToLower(ch5));  

    ch6 = char.Parse("B"); 
    Console.WriteLine("{0} {1}", char.GetNumericValue('3'),         
                                 char.GetNumericValue('a'));        
  }                  

}

Program: Demonstrations of numeric types in C#. Illustrates all numeric types in C#. Exercises minimum and maximum values of the numeric types.
using System;
using System.Globalization;

class NumberDemo{

  public static void Main(){
    sbyte        sb1 = sbyte.MinValue;       // Signed 8 bit integer
    System.SByte sb2 = System.SByte.MaxValue;
    Console.WriteLine("sbyte: {0} : {1}", sb1, sb2);

    byte        b1 = byte.MinValue;          // Unsigned 8 bit integer
    System.Byte b2 = System.Byte.MaxValue;
    Console.WriteLine("byte: {0} : {1}", b1, b2);

    short        s1 = short.MinValue;        // Signed 16 bit integer
    System.Int16 s2 = System.Int16.MaxValue;
    Console.WriteLine("short: {0} : {1}", s1, s2);

    ushort         us1 = ushort.MinValue;    // Unsigned 16 bit integer
    System.UInt16  us2= System.UInt16.MaxValue;
    Console.WriteLine("ushort: {0} : {1}", us1, us2);

    int          i1 = int.MinValue;          // Signed 32 bit integer
    System.Int32 i2 = System.Int32.MaxValue;
    Console.WriteLine("int: {0} : {1}", i1, i2);

    uint           ui1 = uint.MinValue;      // Unsigned 32 bit integer
    System.UInt32  ui2= System.UInt32.MaxValue;
    Console.WriteLine("uint: {0} : {1}", ui1, ui2);

    long         l1 = long.MinValue;         // Signed 64 bit integer
    System.Int64 l2 = System.Int64.MaxValue;
    Console.WriteLine("long: {0} : {1}", l1, l2);

    ulong           ul1 = ulong.MinValue;    // Unsigned 64 bit integer
    System.UInt64   ul2= System.UInt64.MaxValue;
    Console.WriteLine("ulong: {0} : {1}", ul1, ul2);

    float           f1 = float.MinValue;     // 32 bit floating-point
    System.Single   f2= System.Single.MaxValue;
    Console.WriteLine("float: {0} : {1}", f1, f2);

    double          d1 = double.MinValue;    // 64 bit floating-point
    System.Double   d2= System.Double.MaxValue;
    Console.WriteLine("double: {0} : {1}", d1, d2);

    decimal         dm1 = decimal.MinValue;  // 128 bit fixed-point
    System.Decimal  dm2= System.Decimal.MaxValue;
    Console.WriteLine("decimal: {0} : {1}", dm1, dm2);


    string s = sb1.ToString(),
           t = 123.ToString();

  }   
  

}

Program: Output from the numeric demo program. Output from the program above. Reveals minimum and maximum values of all the numeric types.
sbyte: -128 : 127
byte: 0 : 255
short: -32768 : 32767
ushort: 0 : 65535
int: -2147483648 : 2147483647
uint: 0 : 4294967295
long: -9223372036854775808 : 9223372036854775807
ulong: 0 : 18446744073709551615
float: -3,402823E+38 : 3,402823E+38
double: -1,79769313486232E+308 : 1,79769313486232E+308
decimal: -79228162514264337593543950335 : 79228162514264337593543950335

Exercise 2.3. Exploring the type Char

The type System.Char (a struct) contains a number of useful methods, and a couple of constants.

Locate the type System.Char in your C# documentation and take a look at the methods available on characters.

You may ask where you find the C# documentation. There are several possibilities. You can find it at the Microsoft MSDN web site at msdn.microsoft.com. It is also integrated in Visual Studio and - to some degree - in Visual C# express. It comes with the C# SDK, as a separate browser. It is also part of the documentation web pages that comes with Mono. If you are a Windows user I will recommend the Windows SDK Documentation Browser which is bundled with the C# SDK.

Along the line of the character demo program above, write a small C# program that uses the char predicates IsDigit, IsPunctuation, and IsSeparator.

It may be useful to find the code position - also known as the code point - of a character. As an example, the code position of 'A' is 65. Is there a method in System.Char which gives access to this information? If not, can you find another way to find the code position of a character?

Be sure to understand the semantics (meaning) of the method GetNumericValue in type Char.

Exercise 2.3. Hexadecimal numbers

In this exercise we will write a program that can convert between decimal and hexadecimal notation of numbers. Please consult the focus boxes about hexadecimal numbers in the text book version if you need to.

You might expect that this functionality is already present in the C# libraries. And to some degree, it is.

The static method ToInt32(string, Int32) in class Convert converts the string representation of a number (the first parameter) to an arbitrary number system (the second parameter). Similar methods exist for other integer types.

The method ToString(string) in the struct Int32, can be used for conversion from an integer to a hexadecimal number, represented as a string. The parameter of ToString is a format string. If you pass the string "X" you get a hexadecimal number.

The program below shows examples:

using System;
class NumberDemo{
  public static void Main(){
     int i = Convert.ToInt32("7B", 16);     // hexadecimal 7B (in base 16) -> 
                                            // decimal 123 
     Console.WriteLine(i);                  // 123

     Console.WriteLine(123.ToString("X"));  // decimal 123 -> hexadecimal 7B 
  }
}

Now, write a method which converts a list (or array) of digits in base 16 (or more generally, base b, b >= 2) to a decimal number.

The other way around, write a method which converts a positive decimal integer to a list (or array) of digits in base 16 (or more generally, base b).

Here is an example where the requested methods are used:

  public static void Main(){
    int r = BaseBToDecimal(16, new List{7, 11});  // 7B  -> 123 
    List s = DecimalToBaseB(16, 123);             // 123 -> {7, 11} = 7B
    List t = DecimalToBaseB(2, 123);              // 123 -> {1, 1, 1, 1, 0, 1, 1 } = 
                                                       // 1111011
    Console.WriteLine(r);
    foreach (int digit in s) Console.Write("{0} ", digit);  Console.WriteLine();
    foreach (int digit in t) Console.Write("{0} ", digit);
  }   

References

Enumerations types
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Enumeration types provide for symbolic names of selected integer values. Use of enumeration types improves the readability of your programs.

Enumeration types are similar to each other in C and C#

Program: Two examples of enumeration types in C#.
  public enum Ranking {Bad, OK, Good}

  public enum OnOff: byte{
    On = 1, Off = 0}

  • An extension of C enumeration types:

    • Enumeration types of several different underlying types can be defined (not just int)

    • Enumeration types inherit a number of methods from the type System.Enum

    • The symbolic enumeration constants can be printed (not just the underlying number)

    • Values, for which no enumeration constant exist, can be dealt with

    • Combined enumerations represent a collection of enumerations

Program: Demonstration of enumeration types in C#. Programming with Ranking and OnOff.
using System;

class NonSimpleTypeDemo{

  public enum Ranking {Bad, OK, Good}

  public enum OnOff: byte{
    On = 1, Off = 0}

  public static void Main(){
    OnOff status = OnOff.On;
    Console.WriteLine();
    Console.WriteLine("Status is {0}", status);                  

    Ranking r = Ranking.OK;
    Console.WriteLine("Ranking is {0}", r  );                      
    Console.WriteLine("Ranking is {0}", r+1);                    
    Console.WriteLine("Ranking is {0}", r+2);                    
 
    bool res1 = Enum.IsDefined(typeof(Ranking), 3);
    Console.WriteLine("{0} defined: {1}", 3, res1);              

    bool res2= Enum.IsDefined(typeof(Ranking), Ranking.Good);    
    Console.WriteLine("{0} defined: {1}", Ranking.Good , res2);  

    bool res3= Enum.IsDefined(typeof(Ranking), 2);    
    Console.WriteLine("{0} defined: {1}", 2 , res3);             

    foreach(string s in Enum.GetNames(typeof(Ranking)))          
       Console.WriteLine(s);
  }

}

Program: Output from the program that demonstrates enumeration types.
Status is On
Ranking is OK
Ranking is Good
Ranking is 3
3 defined: False
Good defined: True
2 defined: True
Bad
OK
Good

Exercise 2.5. ECTS Grades

Define an enumeration type ECTSGrade of the grades A, B, C, D, E, Fx and F and associate the Danish 7-step grades 12, 10, 7, 4, 2, 0, and -3 to the symbolic ECTS grades.

What is the most natural underlying type of ECTSGrade?

Write a small program which illustrates how to use the new enumeration type.

Exercise 2.5. Use of Enumeration types

Consult the documentation of type type System.Enum, and get a general overview of the methods in this struct.

Be sure that you are able to find the documentation of System.Enum

Test drive the example EnumTest, which is part of MicroSoft's documentation. Be sure to understand the program relative to its output.

Write your own program with a simple enumeration type. Use the Enum.CompareTo method to compare two of the values of your enumeration type.

Non-simple types
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This is about arrays, strings, structs. All the classes and structs that we program ourselves also count as non-simple types.

C# allows for a variety of non-simple types, most important Classes

  • Similarities

    • Arrays in C#: Indexed from 0. Jagged arrays - arrays of arrays

    • Strings in C#: Same notation as in C, and similar escape characters

    • Structs in C#: A value type like in C.

  • Differences

    • Arrays: Rectangular arrays in C#

    • Strings: No \0 termination in C#

    • Structs: Much expanded in C#. Structs can have methods.

  • New kinds of non-simple types in C#:

    • Classes

    • Interfaces

    • Delegates

As an object-oriented programming language, C# is much stronger than C when it comes to definition of our own non-simple types

Reference

Arrays and Strings
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Both arrays and strings are classical types, supported by almost any programming language. Both arrays and strings are reference types. It means that arrays and strings are accessed via references.

Both arrays and strings are dealt with as objects in C#

In addition, there is special notation in the C# language of arrays and strings

  • Similarities

    • C# and C have similar syntaxes for arrays and strings

  • Differences

    • Arrays in C# can be rectangular or jagged (arrays of arrays)

    • In C#, an array is not a pointer to the first element

    • Index out of bound checking is done in C#

    • Strings are immutable in C#, but not in C

    • In C# there are two kinds of string literals: "a string\n" and @"a string\n"

Program: Demonstrations of array types in C#.
using System;

class ArrayStringDemo{

  public static void Main(){
     string[]  a1,                          
               a2 = {"a", "bb", "ccc"};     

     a1 = new string[]{"ccc", "bb", "a"};   

     int[,]    b1 = new int[2,4],           
               b2 = {{1,2,3,4}, {5,6,7,8}}; 

     double[][] c1 = { new double[]{1.1, 2.2},               
                       new double[]{3.3, 4.4, 5.5, 6.6} };

     Console.WriteLine("Array lengths. a1:{0} b2:{1} c1:{2}",    
                        a1.Length, b2.Length, c1.Length);        

     Array.Clear(a2,0,3);                                        

     Array.Resize<string>(ref a2,10);                           
     Console.WriteLine("Lenght of a2: {0}", a2.Length);         

     Console.WriteLine("Sorting a1:");                          
     Array.Sort(a1);
     foreach(string str in a1) Console.WriteLine(str);          
  }   

}

Program: Output from the array demonstration program.
Array lengths. a1:3 b2:8 c1:2
Lenght of a2: 10
Sorting a1:
a
bb
ccc

Program: A demonstration of strings in C#.
using System;

class ArrayStringDemo{

  public static void Main(){
     string s1        = "OOP";
     System.String s2 = "\u004f\u004f\u0050";   // equivalent
     Console.WriteLine("s1 and s2: {0} {1}", s1, s2);

     string s3 = @"OOP on                             
            the \n semester ""Dat1/Inf1/SW3""";       
     Console.WriteLine("\n{0}", s3);

     string s4 = "OOP on \n            the \\n semester \"Dat1/Inf1/SW3\"";   
     Console.WriteLine("\n{0}", s4);

     string s5 = "OOP E06".Substring(0,3);
     Console.WriteLine("The substring is: {0}", s5);
  }   

}

Program: Output from the string demonstration program.
s1 and s2: OOP OOP

OOP on
            the \n semester "Dat1/Inf1/SW3"

OOP on 
            the \n semester "Dat1/Inf1/SW3"
The substring is: OOP

Exercise 2.7. Use of array types

Based on the inspiration from the accompanying example, you are in this exercise supposed to experiment with some simple C# arrays.

First, consult the documentation of the class System.Array. Please notice the properties and methods that are available on arrays in C#.

Declare, initialize, and print an array of names (e.g. array of strings) of all members of your group.

Sort the array, and search for a given name using System.Array.BinarySearch method.

Reverse the array, and make sure that the reversing works.

Exercise 2.7. Use of string types

Based on the inspiration from the accompanying example, you are in this exercise supposed to experiment with some simple C# strings.

First, consult the documentation of the class System.String - either in your documentation browser or at msdn.microsoft.com. Read the introduction (remarks) to string which contains useful information! There exists a large variety of operations on strings. Please make sure that you are aware of these. Many of them will help you a lot in the future!

Make a string of your own first name, written with escaped Unicode characters (like we did for "OOP" in the accompanying example). If necessary, consult the unicode code charts (Basic Latin and Latin-1) to find the appropriate characters.

Take a look at the System.String.Insert method. Use this method to insert your last name in the first name string. Make your own observations about Insert relative to the fact that strings in C# are immutable.

In C# it is often more attractive to use a (type parameterized) collection class instead of an array

References

Pointers and references
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References are important in C#. A reference is similar to a point in C, but references are much easier to work with. References can be passed around (via parameters). Objects are always accessed via references, but in contrast to C, the following of a references happens implicitly, and automatically.

References in C# can be understood as a very restricted notion of pointers, as known from C programming

  • Pointers

    • In normal C# programs: Pointers are not used

      • All the complexity of pointers, pointer arithmetic, dereferencing, and the address operator is not found in normal C# programs

    • In specially marked unsafe sections: Pointers can be used almost as in C.

      • Do not use them in your C# programs!

  • References

    • Objects (instance of classes) are always accessed via references in C#

    • References are automatically dereferenced in C#

    • There are no particular operators in C# that are related to references

Program: Demonstrations of references in C#.
using System;

public class C {
  public double x, y;
}

public class ReferenceDemo {

  public static void Main(){

    C cRef, anotherCRef;  
    cRef = null;  
    Console.WriteLine("Is cRef null: {0}", cRef == null);      

    cRef = new C();                                            
    Console.WriteLine("Is cRef null: {0}", cRef == null);

    Console.WriteLine("x and y are ({0},{1})", cRef.x, cRef.y); 
    anotherCRef = F(cRef);      
  }                             

  public static C F(C p){
    Console.WriteLine("x and y are ({0},{1})", p.x, p.y);
    return p;
  }

}

Program: Output from the reference demo program.
Is cRef null: True
Is cRef null: False
x and y are (0,0)
x and y are (0,0)

There is no particular complexity in normal C# programs due to use of references

Structs
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Structs in C and C# are similar to each other. But structs in C# are extended in several ways compared to C.

The concept of structs has been much extended in C#

  • Similarities

    • Structs in C# can be used almost in the same way as structs in C

    • Structs are value types in both C and C#

  • Differences

    • Structs in C# are almost as powerful as classes

      • Structs in C# can have operations (methods) in the same way as classes

      • Structs in C# cannot inherit from other structs or classes

Program: Demonstrations of structs in C#.
using System;

public struct Point {   
  public double x, y;   
  public Point(double x, double y){this.x = x; this.y = y;}   
  public void Mirror(){x = -x; y = -y;}                       
} // end Point

public class StructDemo{

 public static void Main(){
   Point p1 = new Point(3.0, 4.0),      
         p2;                            

   p2 = p1;                             
   
   p2.Mirror();                         
   Console.WriteLine("Point is: ({0},{1})", p2.x, p2.y);  
 }
}

Program: Output from the struct demo program.
Point is: (-3,-4)

Program: An extended demonstration of structs in C#.
/* Right, Wrong */   

using System;

public struct Point1 {  
  public double x, y;
}   

public struct Point2 {  
  public double x, y;   
  public Point2(double x, double y){this.x = x; this.y = y;}  
  public void Mirror(){x = -x; y = -y;}                       
}   

public class StructDemo{

 public static void Main(){

   /*   
   Point1 p1;  
   Console.WriteLine(p1.x, p1.y);   
   */
   
   Point1 p2;  
   p2.x = 1.0; p2.y = 2.0;    
   Console.WriteLine("Point is: ({0},{1})", p2.x, p2.y);   

   Point1 p3;
   p3 = p2;                    
   Console.WriteLine("Point is: ({0},{1})", p3.x, p3.y);   
   
   Point2 p4 = new Point2(3.0, 4.0);   
                                       

   p4.Mirror();                        
   Console.WriteLine("Point is: ({0},{1})", p4.x, p4.y);   
 }

}

Operators
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References Textbook 
This pages shows an overview of all operators in C#.

Most operators in C are also found in C#

Table. The operator priority table of C#. Operators with high level numbers have high priorities. In a given expression, operators of high priority are evaluated before operators with lower priority. The associativity tells if operators at the same level are evaluated from left to right or from right to left.
LevelCategoryOperatorsAssociativity (binary/tertiary)
14Primaryx.y      f(x)      a[x]      x++      x--      new      typeof      checked      unchecked      default      delegateleft to right
13Unary+      -      !      ~      ++x      --x      (T)x      true      false      sizeofleft to right
12Multiplicative*      /      %left to right
11Additive+      -left to right
10Shift<<      >>left to right
9Relational and Type testing<      <=      >      >=      is      asleft to right
8Equality==      !=left to right
7Logical/bitwise and&left to right
6Logical/bitwise xor^left to right
5Logical/bitwise or|left to right
4Conditional and&&left to right
3Conditional or||left to right
2Null coalescing??left to right
1Conditional?:right to left
0Assignment or Lambda expression=      *=      /=      %=      +=      -=      <<=      >>=      &=      ^=      |=      =>right to left
 

Reference

It is possible to overload many of the C# operators

This allows for terse and convenient notation in many classes

Commands and Control Structures
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References Textbook 
On this page we discuss control structures for selection and iteration. As usual, we concentrate on the differences between C an C#.

Almost all control structures in C can be used the same way in C#

  • Similarities

    • Expression statements, such as a = a + 5;

    • Blocks, such as {a = 5; b = a;}

    • if, if-else, switch, for, while, do-while, return, break, continue, and goto in C# are all similar to C

  • Differences

    • The C# foreach loop provides for easy traversal of all elements in a collection

    • try-catch-finally and throw in C# are related to exception handling

    • Some more specialized statements have been added: checked, unchecked, using, lock and yield.

Program: Demonstrations of definite assignment.
using System;

class DefiniteAssignmentDemo{

  public static void Main(){
    int a, b;                                       
    bool c;                                         

    if (ReadFromConsole("Some Number") < 10){       
       a = 1; b = 2;                                
    } else {
       a = 2;
    }

    Console.WriteLine(a);  
    Console.WriteLine(b);  // Use of unassigned local variable 'b'

    while (a < b){
      c = (a > b);
      a = Math.Max(a, b);
    }

    
    Console.WriteLine(c);  // Use of unassigned local variable 'c'

  }

  public static int ReadFromConsole(string prompt){     
    Console.WriteLine(prompt);                          
    return int.Parse(Console.ReadLine());               
  }
}

Program: Demonstrations of if.
/* Right, Wrong */
using System;

class IfDemo {

  public static void Main(){
    int i = 0;

    /*  
    if (i){    
      Console.WriteLine("i is regarded as true");
    }
    else {
      Console.WriteLine("i is regarded as false");
    }    
    */
    
    if (i != 0){    
      Console.WriteLine("i is not 0");
    }
    else {
      Console.WriteLine("i is 0");
    }    
  }      
}

Program: Demonstrations of switch.
/* Right, Wrong */
using System;

class SwitchDemo {
  public static void Main(){
    int j = 1, k = 1;

    /* 
    switch (j) {                                    
      case 0:  Console.WriteLine("j is 0");         
      case 1:  Console.WriteLine("j is 1");
      case 2:  Console.WriteLine("j is 2");
      default: Console.WriteLine("j is not 0, 1 or 2");
    }   
    */

    switch (k) {                                      
      case 0:  Console.WriteLine("m is 0"); break;    
      case 1:  Console.WriteLine("m is 1"); break;
      case 2:  Console.WriteLine("m is 2"); break;
      default: Console.WriteLine("m is not 0, 1 or 2"); break;
    }   

    switch (k) {                                                 
      case 0: case 1:  Console.WriteLine("n is 0 or 1"); break;  
      case 2: case 3:  Console.WriteLine("n is 2 or 3"); break;
      case 4: case 5:  Console.WriteLine("n is 4 or 5"); break;
      default: Console.WriteLine("n is not 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5"); break;
    }   

    string str = "two"; 
    switch (str) {                                          
      case "zero":  Console.WriteLine("str is 0"); break;   
      case "one":  Console.WriteLine("str is 1"); break;    
      case "two":  Console.WriteLine("str is 2"); break;
      default: Console.WriteLine("str is not 0, 1 or 2"); break;
    }   
  }      
}

Program: Demonstrations of foreach.
/* Right, Wrong */
using System;

class ForeachDemo {
  public static void Main(){

    int[] ia = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5};
    int sum = 0;

    foreach(int i in ia)
      sum += i;

    Console.WriteLine(sum);
  }      
}

Program: Demonstrations of try catch.
/* Right, Wrong */
using System;

class TryCatchDemo {
  public static void Main(){
    int i = 5, r = 0, j = 0;

    /*
    r = i / 0;  
    Console.WriteLine("r is {0}", r);   
    */

    try {       
      r = i / j;
      Console.WriteLine("r is {0}", r);
    } catch(DivideByZeroException e){
        Console.WriteLine("r could not be computed");
    }   
  }      
}

Functions
Slide Annotated slide Contents Index
References Textbook 
On this page we will look at parameter passing techniques. C only supports call by value. Call by reference in C is in reality call by value passing of pointers. C# offers a variety of different parameter passing modes. We also discuss overloaded functions - functions of the same name distinguished by parameters of different types.

All functions in C# are members of classes or structs

C# supports are variety of different function members: methods, properties, events, indexers, operators, and constructors

  • Similarities

    • The basic ideas of function definition and function call are the same in C and C#

  • Differences

    • Several different parameter passing techniques in C#

      • Call by value. For input. No modifier.

      • Call by reference. For input and output or output only

        • Input and output: Modifier ref

        • Output: Modifier out

        • Modifiers used both with formal and actual parameters

    • Functions with a variable number of input parameters in C# (cleaner than in C)

    • Overloaded function members in C#

    • First class functions (delegates) in C#

Program: Demonstration of simple functions in C#.
/* Right, Wrong */

using System;


/* 
public int Increment(int i){   
  return i + 1;                
}                              

public void Main (){
  int i = 5,
      j = Increment(i);
  Console.WriteLine("i and j: {0}, {1}", i, j);
} // end Main     
*/

public class FunctionDemo {

  public static void Main (){
    SimpleFunction();
  }

  public static void SimpleFunction(){   
    int i = 5,
        j = Increment(i);
    Console.WriteLine("i and j: {0}, {1}", i, j);
  }

  public static int Increment(int i){
    return i + 1;
  }    
}

Program: Demonstration of parameter passing in C#.
using System;
public class FunctionDemo {

  public static void Main (){
    ParameterPassing();
  }

  public static void ValueFunction(double d){
    d++;}

  public static void RefFunction(ref double d){
    d++;}

  public static void OutFunction(out double d){
    d = 8.0;}

  public static void ParamsFunction(out double res, 
                                    params double[] input){
    res = 0;
    foreach(double d in input) res += d;
  }

  public static void ParameterPassing(){
    double myVar1 = 5.0;
    ValueFunction(myVar1);
    Console.WriteLine("myVar1: {0:f}", myVar1);            // 5.00

    double myVar2 = 6.0;
    RefFunction(ref myVar2);
    Console.WriteLine("myVar2: {0:f}", myVar2);            // 7.00

    double myVar3; 
    OutFunction(out myVar3);
    Console.WriteLine("myVar3: {0:f}", myVar3);            // 8.00

    double myVar4;
    ParamsFunction(out myVar4, 1.1, 2.2, 3.3, 4.4, 5.5);  // 16.50
    Console.WriteLine("Sum in myVar4: {0:f}", myVar4);
  }

}

Program: Demonstration of overloaded methods in C#.
using System;

public class FunctionDemo {

  public static void Main (){
    Overloading();
  }

  public static void F(int p){
    Console.WriteLine("This is F(int) on {0}", p);
  }    

  public static void F(double p){
    Console.WriteLine("This is F(double) on {0}", p);
  }    

  public static void F(double p, bool q){
    Console.WriteLine("This is F(double,bool) on {0}, {1}", p, q);
  }    

  public static void F(ref int p){
    Console.WriteLine("This is F(ref int) on {0}", p);
  }    

  public static void Overloading(){
    int i = 7;

    F(i);             // This is F(int) on 7
    F(5.0);           // This is F(double) on 5
    F(5.0, false);    // This is F(double,bool) on 5, False
    F(ref i);         // This is F(ref int) on 7
  }

}

Input and output
Slide Annotated slide Contents Index
References Textbook 
Input and output (IO) is handled by a number of different classes in C#. In both C and C# there very few traces of IO in the languages as such.

Output to the screen and input from the keyboard is handled by the C# Console class

File IO is handled by various Stream classes in C#

  • Similarities

    • Console.Write and Console.WriteLine in C# correspond to printf in C

  • Differences

    • There is no direct counterpart to C's scanf in C#

    • Comprehensive formatting support of DateTime objects in C#

Program: Demonstrations of Console output in C#.
/* Right, Wrong */

using System;
public class OutputDemo {

// Placeholder syntax: {<argument#>[,<width>][:<format>[<precision>]]} 

  public static void Main(){
    Console.Write(    "Argument number only: {0} {1}\n", 1, 1.1);   
//  Console.WriteLine("Formatting code d: {0:d},{1:d}", 2, 2.2);    

    Console.WriteLine("Formatting codes d and f: {0:d}  {1:f}", 3, 3.3);  
    Console.WriteLine("Field width: {0,10:d}  {1,10:f}", 4, 4.4);  
    Console.WriteLine("Left aligned: {0,-10:d}  {1,-10:f}", 5, 5.5);  
    Console.WriteLine("Precision: {0,10:d5}  {1,10:f5}", 6, 6.6);  
    Console.WriteLine("Exponential: {0,10:e5}  {1,10:e5}", 7, 7.7);  
    Console.WriteLine("Currency: {0,10:c2}  {1,10:c2}", 8, 8.887);   
    Console.WriteLine("General: {0:g}  {1:g}", 9, 9.9);  
    Console.WriteLine("Hexadecimal: {0:x5}", 12); 

    Console.WriteLine("DateTime formatting with F: {0:F}", DateTime.Now);  
    Console.WriteLine("DateTime formatting with G: {0:G}", DateTime.Now);  
    Console.WriteLine("DateTime formatting with T: {0:T}", DateTime.Now);  
  }   
}

Program: Output from the output demo program.
Argument number only: 1 1,1
Formatting codes d and f: 3  3,30
Field width:          4        4,40
Left aligned: 5           5,50      
Precision:      00006     6,60000
Exponential: 7,00000e+000  7,70000e+000
Currency:    kr 8,00     kr 8,89
General: 9  9,9
Hexadecimal: 0000c
DateTime formatting with F: 4. juli 2008 15:35:31
DateTime formatting with G: 04-07-2008 15:35:31
DateTime formatting with T: 15:35:31

Program: Demonstrations of Console input in C#.
/* Right, Wrong */

using System;
public class InputDemo {

  public static void Main(){
    Console.Write("Input a single character: ");
    char ch = (char)Console.Read();          
    Console.WriteLine("Character read: {0}", ch);
    Console.ReadLine();                      

    Console.Write("Input an integer: ");
    int i  = int.Parse(Console.ReadLine());
    Console.WriteLine("Integer read: {0}", i);

    Console.Write("Input a double: ");
    double d  = double.Parse(Console.ReadLine());
    Console.WriteLine("Double read: {0:f}", d);
  }   
}

Program: A sample dialog with the Console IO demo program. Input is shown in bold style. Boldface items represent the input entered by the user of the program.
Input a single character: a   
Character read: a
Input an integer: 123   
Integer read: 123
Input a double: 456,789   
Double read: 456,79

References

Comments
Slide Annotated slide Contents Index
References Textbook 

C# supports two different kinds of comments and XML variants of these

  • Single-line comments like in C++
    // This is a single-line comment

  • Delimited comments like in C
    /* This is a delimited comment */

  • XML single-line comments:
    /// <summary> This is a single-line XML comment </summary>

  • XML delimited comments:
    /** <summary> This is a delimited XML comment </summary> */

XML comments can only be given before declarations, not inside other fragments

Delimited comments cannot be nested


C# in relation to Java

C# versus Java
Slide Annotated slide Contents Index
References Textbook 

With respect to the basic language constructs, C# and Java are very close to each other

  • Types

    • Richer repertoire in C# than in Java

  • Operations

    • Richer repertoire in C# than in Java

Strong overall similarities - Different with respect to a lot of details

Types
Slide Annotated slide Contents Index
References Textbook 

  • Similarities.

    • Classes in both C# and Java

    • Interfaces in both C# and Java

  • Differences.

    • Structs in C#, not in Java

    • Delegates in C#, not in Java

    • Nullable types in C#, not in Java

    • Class-like Enumeration types in Java; Simpler approach in C#

Operations
Slide Annotated slide Contents Index
References Textbook 

  • Similarities: Operations in both Java and C#

    • Methods

  • Differences: Operations only in C#

    • Properties

    • Indexers

    • Overloaded operators

    • Anonymous methods

Other substantial differences
Slide Annotated slide Contents Index
References Textbook 

  • Program organization

    • No requirements to source file organization in C#

  • Exceptions

    • No catch or specify requirement in C#

  • Nested and local classes

    • Classes inside classes are static in C#: No inner classes like in Java

  • Arrays

    • Rectangular arrays in C#

  • Virtual methods

    • Virtual as well as non-virtual methods in C#


C# in relation to Visual Basic

The Overall Picture
Slide Annotated slide Contents Index
References Textbook 

Program: Typical overall program structure of a Visual Basic Program.
Module MyModule

    Sub Main()
        Dim name As String   ' A variable name of type string
        name = InputBox("Type your name")
        MsgBox("Hi, your name is " & name)
    End Sub

End Module

Program: Typical overall program structure of a C# Program.
using System;

class SomeClass{

  public static void Main(){
    string name;    // A variable name of type string
    Console.WriteLine("Type your name");
    name = Console.ReadLine();
    Console.WriteLine("Hi, your name is " + name);
  }

}

The Overall Picture
Slide Annotated slide Contents Index
References Textbook 

  • Program organization

    • Similar: Modul/Class in explicit or implicit namespace

  • Program start

    • Similar: Main

  • Separation of program parts

    • VB: Via line organization

    • C#: Via use of semicolons

  • Comments

    • VB: From an apostrophe to the end of the line

    • C#: From // to the end of the line or /* ... */

  • Case sensitiveness

    • VB: Case insensitive. You are free to make your own "case choices".

    • C#: Case sensitive. You must use the correct case for both keywords and you must be "case consistent" with respect to names.

Declarations and Types
Slide Annotated slide Contents Index
References Textbook 

Program: A Visual Basic Program with a number of variable declarations.
Option Strict On
Option Explicit On

Module DeclarationsDemo

    Sub Main()
        Dim ch As Char = "A"C     ' A character variable
        Dim b As Boolean = True   ' A boolean variable
        Dim i As Integer = 5      ' An integer variable (4 bytes)
        Dim s As Single = 5.5F    ' A floating point number (4 bytes)
        Dim d As Double = 5.5     ' A floating point number (8 bytes)
    End Sub

End Module

Program: The similar C# program with a number of variable declarations.
using System;

class DeclarationsDemo{

  public static void Main(){
    char ch = 'A';          // A character variable
    bool b = true;          // A boolean variable
    int i = 5;              // An integer variable (4 byges)
    float s = 5.5F;         // A floating point number (4 bytes)
    double d = 5.5 ;        // A floating point number (8 bytes) 
  }

}

Declaration and Types
Slide Annotated slide Contents Index
References Textbook 

  • Declaration structure

    • VB: Variable before type

    • C#: Variable after type

  • Types provide by the languages

    • The same underlying types

    • Known under slightly different names in VB and C#

VB and C# share the .NET types

Expressions and Operators
Slide Annotated slide Contents Index
References Textbook 

Program: A Visual Basic Program with expressions and operators.
Option Strict On
Option Explicit On

Module ExpressionsDemo

    Sub Main()
        Dim i as Integer = 13 \ 6       ' i becomes 2
        Dim r as Integer = 13 Mod 6     ' r becomes 1
        Dim d as Double = 13 / 6        ' d becomes 2,16666666666667
        Dim p as Double = 2 ^ 10        ' p becomes 1024

'       Dim b as Boolean i = 3          ' Illegal - Compiler error
        Dim b as Boolean, c as Boolean  ' b and c are false (default values)
        c = b = true                    ' TRICKY: c becomes false 
    End Sub

End Module

Program: The similar C# program with a number of expressions and operators.
using System;
class ExpressionsDemo{

  public static void Main(){
    int i = 13 / 6;             // i becomes 2
    int r = 13 % 6;             // r becomes 1
    double d = 13.0 / 6;        // d becomes 2.16666666666667
    double p = Math.Pow(2,10);  // p becomes 1024

    bool b = i == 3;            // b becomes false
    bool c = b = true;          // both b and c become true
  }

}

Program: A Visual Basic Program with expressions and operators.
Option Strict On
Option Explicit On

Module ExpressionsDemo

    Sub Main()
        Dim i as Integer = 2, r as Integer = 1

        If i <> 3 Then
          Console.WriteLine("OK")    ' Writes OK
        End If               

        If Not i = 3 Then
          Console.WriteLine("OK")    ' Same as above
        End If  
    End Sub

End Module

Program: The similar C# program with a number of expressions and operators.
using System;
class ExpressionsDemo{

  public static void Main(){
    int i = 2, r = 1;

    if (i != 3) Console.WriteLine("OK");       // Writes OK
    if (!(i == 3)) Console.WriteLine("OK");    // Same as above
  }

}

Program: A Visual Basic Program with expressions and operators.
Option Strict On
Option Explicit On

Module ExpressionsDemo

    Sub Main()
        Dim i as Integer = 2, r as Integer = 1

        If i = 3 AndAlso r = 1  Then   ' Writes OK
          Console.WriteLine("Wrong") 
        Else 
          Console.WriteLine("OK") 
        End If  

        If i = 3 OrElse r = 1  Then   ' Writes OK
          Console.WriteLine("OK") 
        Else 
          Console.WriteLine("Wrong") 
        End If  
    End Sub
End Module

Program: The similar C# program with a number of expressions and operators.
using System;
class ExpressionsDemo{

  public static void Main(){
    int i = 2, r = 1;

    if (i == 3 && r == 1)
      Console.WriteLine("Wrong");
    else
      Console.WriteLine("OK");

    if (i == 3 || r == 1)
      Console.WriteLine("OK");
    else
      Console.WriteLine("Wrong");
  }
}

Expressions and Operators
Slide Annotated slide Contents Index
References Textbook 

  • Operator Precedence

    • Major differences between the two languages

References

  • Equality and Assignment

    • VB: Suffers from the choice of using the same operator symbol = for both equality and assignment

    • VB: The context determines the meaning of the operator symbol =

    • C#: Separate equality operator == and assignment operator =

  • Remarkable operators

    • VB: Mod, &, \, And, AndAlso, Or, OrElse

    • C#: ==, !, %, ?:

Control Structures for Selection
Slide Annotated slide Contents Index
References Textbook 

Program: A Visual Basic Program with an If Then Else control structure.
Module IfDemo

    Sub Main()
      Dim i as Integer, res as Integer
      i = Cint(InputBox("Type a number"))

      If i < 0 Then
        res = -1
        Console.WriteLine("i is negative")
      Elseif i = 0
        res = 0
        Console.WriteLine("i is zero")
      Else 
        res = 1
        Console.WriteLine("i is positive")
      End If
      Console.WriteLine(res)

    End Sub

End Module

Program: The similar C# program with an if else control structure.
using System;

class IfDemo{

  public static void Main(){
    int i, res;
    i = Int32.Parse(Console.ReadLine());

    if (i < 0){
      res = -1;
      Console.WriteLine("i is negative");
    } 
    else if (i == 0) {
      res = 0;
      Console.WriteLine("i is zero");
    } 
    else { 
       res = 1;
       Console.WriteLine("i is positive");       
    }
    Console.WriteLine(res);
  }

}

Program: A Visual Basic Program with a Select control structure.
Module IfDemo

    Sub Main()
      Dim month as Integer = 2
      Dim numberOfDays as Integer

      Select Case month
        Case 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 10, 12 
          numberOfDays = 31
        Case 4, 6, 9, 11
          numberOfDays = 30
        Case 2
          numberOfDays = 28             ' or 29
        Case Else 
          Throw New Exception("Problems")
      End Select

      Console.WriteLine(numberOfDays)  ' prints 28
    End Sub
End Module

Program: The similar C# program with a switch control structure.
using System;

class CaseDemo{

  public static void Main(){
    int month = 2,
        numberOfDays;

    switch(month){
      case 1: case 3: case 5: case 7: case 8: case 10: case 12:
        numberOfDays = 31; break;
      case 4: case 6: case 9: case 11:
        numberOfDays = 30; break;        
      case 2: 
        numberOfDays = 28; break;     // or 29
      default: 
        throw new Exception("Problems");
    }

    Console.WriteLine(numberOfDays);  // prints 28
  }

}

Control structures for Selection
Slide Annotated slide Contents Index
References Textbook 

  • If-then-else

    • Similar in the two languages

  • Case

    • C#: Efficient selection of a single case - via underlying jumping

    • VB: Sequential test of cases - the first matching case is executed

    • VB: Select Case approaches the expressive power of an if-then-elseif-else chain

    • Case "fall through" is disallowed in both languages

Control Structures for Iteration
Slide Annotated slide Contents Index
References Textbook 

Program: A Visual Basic Program with a while loop.
Module WhileDemo

    Sub Main()
      Dim large As Integer = 106, small As Integer = 30
      Dim remainder As Integer

      While small > 0
        remainder = large Mod small
        large = small
        small = remainder
      End While

      Console.WriteLine("GCD is {0}", large)   ' Prints 2
    End Sub
End Module

Program: The similar C# program with a while loop.
using System;
class WhileDemo{

  public static void Main(){
    int large = 106, small = 30, remainder;

    while (small > 0){
      remainder = large % small;
      large = small;
      small = remainder;
    }

    Console.WriteLine("GCD is {0}", large);   // Prints 2
  }
}

Program: A Visual Basic Program with a for loop.
Module ForDemo

    Sub Main()
      Dim sum As Integer = 0

      For i as Integer = 1 To 10
        sum = sum + i
      Next i

      Console.WriteLine("The sum is {0}", sum)   ' Prints 55
    End Sub
End Module

Program: The similar C# program with a for loop.
using System;
class ForDemo{

  public static void Main(){
    int sum = 0;

    for(int i = 1; i <= 10; i++)
      sum = sum + i;

    Console.WriteLine("The sum is {0}", sum);  // Prints 55
  }
}

Program: A Visual Basic Program with a Do Loop.
Option Strict On
Option Explicit On
Module DoDemo

    Sub Main()
      Const PI As Double = 3.14159
      Dim radius As Double, area As Double

      Do 
        radius = Cdbl(InputBox("Type radius"))
        If radius < 0 Then
          Exit Do
        End If
        area = PI * radius * radius 
        Console.WriteLine(area)
      Loop

    End Sub
End Module

Program: The similar C# program with a similar for and a break.
using System;
class ForDemo{

  public static void Main(){
    const double PI = 3.14159;
    double radius, area;

    for(;;){
      radius = double.Parse(Console.ReadLine());
      if (radius < 0) break;
      area = PI * radius * radius;
      Console.WriteLine(area);
    }
  }
}

Control structures for iteration
Slide Annotated slide Contents Index
References Textbook 

  • While

    • Very similar in C# and VB

    • C#: Does also support a do ... while

  • Do Loop

    • VB: Elegant, powerful, and symmetric.

    • No direct counterpart in C#

  • For

    • C#: The for loop is very powerful.

    • VB: Similar to classical for loop from Algol and Pascal

Arrays
Slide Annotated slide Contents Index
References Textbook 

Program: A Visual Basic Program with an array of 10 elements.
Option Strict On
Option Explicit On
Module ArrayDemo

    Sub Main()
      Dim table(9) as Integer  ' indexing from 0 to 9. 

      For i as Integer = 0 To 9
        table(i) = i * i
      Next

      For i as Integer = 0 To 9
        Console.WriteLine(table(i))
      Next

    End Sub
End Module

Program: The similar C# program with an array of 10 elements.
using System;

class ArrayDemo{

  public static void Main(){
    int[] table = new int[10];  // indexing from 0 to 9

    for(int i = 0; i <= 9; i++)
      table[i] = i * i;

    for(int i = 0; i <= 9; i++)
      Console.WriteLine(table[i]);
  }
}

Arrays
Slide Annotated slide Contents Index
References Textbook 

  • Notation

    • VB: a(i)

    • C#: a[i]

  • Range

    • Both from zero to an upper limit

    • VB: The highest index is given in an array variable declaration

    • C#: The length of the array is given in an array variable declaration

Procedures and Functions
Slide Annotated slide Contents Index
References Textbook 

Program: A Visual Basic Program with a procedure - Subprogram.
Option Strict On
Option Explicit On
Module ArrayDemo

    Sub Sum(ByVal table() As Integer, ByRef result as Integer) 
      result = 0
      For i as Integer = 0 To 9
        result += table(i)
      Next
    End Sub

    Sub Main()
      Dim someNumbers(9) as Integer  
      Dim theSum as Integer = 0

      For i as Integer = 0 To 9
        someNumbers(i) = i * i
      Next
      Sum(someNumbers, theSum)
      Console.WriteLine(theSum)
    End Sub

End Module

Program: The similar C# program with void method.
using System;
class ProcedureDemo{

  public static void Sum(int[] table, ref int result){
    result = 0;
    for(int i = 0; i <= 9; i++)
      result += table[i];
  }

  public static void Main(){
    int[] someNumbers = new int[10];
    int theSum = 0;

    for(int i = 0; i <= 9;i++)
      someNumbers[i] = i * i;

    Sum(someNumbers, ref theSum);
    Console.WriteLine(theSum);
  }
}

Program: A Visual Basic Program with a function.
Option Strict On
Option Explicit On
Module ArrayDemo

    Function Sum(ByVal table() As Integer) as Integer
      Dim result as Integer = 0 
      For i as Integer = 0 To 9
        result += table(i)
      Next
      return result
    End Function

    Sub Main()
      Dim someNumbers(9) as Integer  
      Dim theSum as Integer = 0
      For i as Integer = 0 To 9
        someNumbers(i) = i * i
      Next
      theSum = Sum(someNumbers)
      Console.WriteLine(theSum)
    End Sub

End Module

Program: The similar C# program with int method.
using System;
class ProcedureDemo{

  public static int Sum(int[] table){
    int result = 0;
    for(int i = 0; i <= 9; i++)
      result += table[i];
    return result;
  }

  public static void Main(){
    int[] someNumbers = new int[10];
    int theSum = 0;

    for(int i = 0; i <= 9;i++)
      someNumbers[i] = i * i;

    theSum= Sum(someNumbers);
    Console.WriteLine(theSum);
  }
}

Procedures and Functions
Slide Annotated slide Contents Index
References Textbook 

  • Procedures

    • VB: Subprogram

    • C#: void method (void function)

  • Functions

    • VB: Functions

    • C#: int method or someType method

  • Parameter passing

    • Both languages support call by value and call by reference

Combined C# and Visual Basic Programming
Slide Annotated slide Contents Index
References 

A client written in Visual Basic and a server written in C#

Program: A class Die programmed in C#.
using System;

public class Die {
  private int numberOfEyes;
  private Random randomNumberSupplier; 
  private const int maxNumberOfEyes = 6;

  public Die(){
    randomNumberSupplier = new Random(unchecked((int)DateTime.Now.Ticks));
    numberOfEyes = NewTossHowManyEyes();
  }   
    
  public void Toss(){
    numberOfEyes = NewTossHowManyEyes();
  }

  private int NewTossHowManyEyes (){
    return randomNumberSupplier.Next(1,maxNumberOfEyes + 1);
  }

  public int NumberOfEyes() {
    return numberOfEyes;
  }

  public override String ToString(){
    return String.Format("[{0}]", numberOfEyes);
  }
}     

Program: A client of class Die programmed in Visual Basic.
Imports System

Module DieApplication

  Sub Main()
    Dim D1 as new Die()
    Dim D2 as new Die()
    D1.Toss()
    Console.WriteLine(D1)
    Console.WriteLine()

    For i as Integer = 1 To 10
      D2.Toss()
      Console.WriteLine(D2)
    Next i
  End Sub 

End Module

Program: Compilation and execution.
csc /t:library die.cs
vbc /r:die.dll client.vb

client

Object-oriented programming in Visual Basic
Slide Annotated slide Contents Index
References Textbook 

Both VB and C# supports object-oriented programming on the .Net platform


C# Tools and IDEs

C# Tools on Windows
Slide Annotated slide Contents Index
References Textbook 

Microsoft supplies several different set of tools that support the C# programmer

  • .NET Framework SDK 3.5

    • "Software Development Kit"

    • Command line tools, such as the C# compiler csc

  • Visual C# Express

    • IDE - An Integrated Development Environment

    • A C# specialized, free version of Microsoft Visual Studio 2008

  • Visual Studio

    • IDE - An Integrated Development Environment

    • The professional, commercial development environment for C# and other programming languages

Reference

Only on Windows...

C# Tools on Unix
Slide Annotated slide Contents Index
References Textbook 

The MONO project provides tools for C# development on Linux, Solaris, Mac OS X, Windows, and Unix.

  • MONO

    • An open source project (sponsored by Novell)

    • Corresponds the the Microsoft SDK

    • Based on ECMA specifications of C# and the Common Language Infrastructure (CLI) Virtual Machine

    • Command line tools

    • Compilers: mcs (C# 1.5) and gmcs (C# 2.0)

  • MONO on cs.aau.dk

    • Mono is already installed on the application servers at cs.aau.dk

  • MONO on your own Linux machine

    • You can install MONO yourself if you wish

  • MonoDevelop

    • A GNOME IDE for C#

MONO is not as updated as the Microsoft C# solutions

Documentation Tools
Slide Annotated slide Contents Index
References Textbook 

It is important to have access to documentation of the C# standard class library

  • Local documentation

    • The SDK 3.5 comes with a special documentation browser

    • Visual C# Express has integrated documentation available

  • Documentation from a Microsoft webserver

    • Link from the course home page - C# resources


Collected references
Contents Index
Computer Language History
The struct System.Decimal MSDN2 API Documentation
The struct System.Double MSDN2 API Documentation
The struct System.Single MSDN2 API Documentation
The struct System.UInt64 MSDN2 API Documentation
The struct System.Int64 MSDN2 API Documentation
The struct System.UInt32 MSDN2 API Documentation
The struct System.Int32 MSDN2 API Documentation
The struct System.UInt16 MSDN2 API Documentation
The struct System.Int16 MSDN2 API Documentation
The struct System.Byte MSDN2 API Documentation
The struct System.Sbyte MSDN2 API Documentation
Decimal Floating Point in .NET
The struct System.Char MSDN2 API Documentation
System.Enum MSDN2 API Documentation
System.String MSDN2 API Documentation
System.Array MSDN2 API Documentation
Similar table for C
System.Double MSDN2 API Documentation
System.Int32 MSDN2 API Documentation
System.Console MSDN2 API Documentation
System.String.Format MSDN2 API Documentation
VB operator precedence Internet Resource
Operator precedence in C# Later in these notes
C# Express Video Lectures

 

Chapter 2: Introduction to C#
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Generated: February 7, 2011, 12:12:17