Chapter 1. Introducing C

Chapter 1. Introducing C#

C# is a relatively new language that builds on features found in its predecessor C-style languages (C, C++, and Java), making it immediately familiar to many experienced programmers. Part of a larger, more complex execution platform called the Common Language Infrastructure (CLI), C# is a programming language for building software components and applications.

This chapter introduces C# using the traditional HelloWorld program. The chapter focuses on C# syntax fundamentals, including defining an entry point into the C# program executable. This will familiarize you with the C# syntax style and structure, and it will enable you to write the simplest of C# programs. Prior to the discussion of C# syntax fundamentals is a summary of managed execution context, which explains how a C# program executes at runtime. This chapter ends with a discussion of variable declaration, writing and retrieving data from the console, and the basics of commenting code in C#.