Should I learn C#?

[washington mac user]

I was looking online and it said that C# is one of the best programming languages. It said it is as easy to use as Visual Basic, but with the power of the C and C++ languages.

I just read that you cannot program using C# on a Mac. Would you be able to do it on an intel based mac with windows?

After I learn more Java, would it be worth it to learn C#?

[chucker]

I was looking online and it said that C# is one of the best programming languages. It said it is as easy to use as Visual Basic, but with the power of the C and C++ languages.

Any .NET language gives you the exact same amount of power, including VB.NET

I just read that you cannot program using C# on a Mac. Would you be able to do it on an intel based mac with windows?

Yes, for Windows.

After I learn more Java, would it be worth it to learn C#?

That depends on what goal you have.

[Brad]

C# is an OO language developed by Microsoft that is based on C++ syntax.

'nuf said? ;)

I kid. I kid.

Actually, there's an open-source project called Mono (http://www.mono-project.com/) that offers compilers and libraries to allow you to build and use C# code on a Mac. I have no idea how well this works, though.

[Gargoyle]

If you know PHP or Java, then you should find it easy to learn C#. I have been doing C# for about 12 months now (moved from PHP with my new job). You will need to install Windows using parallels or boot camp. Although it is technically possible to write C# in a normal text editor, you will find there is a lot less hassle if you use Visual Studio 2005.

As for your final question... It's a very popular language, especially as it gives you .Net programming experience. However, technically is operates very similar to Java. The C# code is compiled into the Common Language Runtime, which is then executed using the .Net framework in a similar fashion to the JVM - except you can run your compiled java code on many machines! :)

At the moment I am doing the opposite of what you are doing. When I create code in work (A custom socket server for example) I sometimes come home and "port" the code to java just so I can start to learn the language.

[chucker]

Actually, there's an open-source project called Mono (http://www.mono-project.com/) that offers compilers and libraries to allow you to build and use C# code on a Mac. I have no idea how well this works, though.

And then there's Cocoa#, allowing you to access Cocoa from your .NET code, technically making it possible to write a "native Mac app" in C#. I wouldn't recommend that, though.

[JayReding]

Should you learn C#? I despise Microsoft, but from a career POV, yes, you should know some .NET just because it's used so frequently in business these days, especially for medium enterprise work. It's not a difficult language to learn, and it is fairly powerful for Windows development.

If you're familiar with Java, you'll find C# to be quite similar, but C# has a much, much easier syntax and the .NET library is less fragmented than all those damnable Java APIs. I have to admit that from a programmer standpoint, C# is much better designed than is Java.

[Kickaha]

Yeah, there's really no reason not to learn C#. Heck, even I'm pretty familiar with the language at this point (not the libraries though), just to learn another implementation of language theory. I've never programmed in it though, and don't expect ever (to have) to. Can't hurt to look into it, at least, so you can have a passing familiarity with it enough to read it on the fly. Employers like that. It's even fun to be able to debug someone's C# program then say "How long have I been programming in C#? Never have" after the fact. Watch their ego go down faster than a $5 hooker during Fleet Week. ;)

[JackBauer]

I was looking online and it said that C# is one of the best programming languages. It said it is as easy to use as Visual Basic, but with the power of the C and C++ languages.

I just read that you cannot program using C# on a Mac. Would you be able to do it on an intel based mac with windows?

After I learn more Java, would it be worth it to learn C#?

If you're looking into becoming a professional software developer, then C#, Java, and their related technologies is a sure way to go. C# is a rip off of Java so going from one to the other isn't night and day. Being competent in both will earn extra points during job interviews. :cancer:

[Banana]

A stupid question. Why is C# supposed to be pronounced C sharp, not C pound or C hash? If they wanted sharp, they should have said C> or C\ or even C/.... :confused:

[JackBauer]

A stupid question. Why is C# supposed to be pronounced C sharp, not C pound or C hash? If they wanted sharp, they should have said C> or C\ or even C/.... :confused:

Ever read music? # is "sharp" in the world of music. Of course, they could've called it C flat but that would be bad marketing :lol:

[Banana]

and I thought music had their notes. But I guess they had to go and borrow some of English characters. Are they going to borrow periods and exclamation points now?!? :mad:


:p

[chucker]

"English" characters? I hope that was part of the joke. ;)

FWIW, the symbol used in music to denote "higher in pitch" may look similar to the hash/pound symbol, but isn't the same.

Here's the two in Unicode, compared:

#: number/pound/hash sign
♯: music sharp sign

Assuming the "sharp" in "C sharp" indeed refers to music, which I suppose makes sense ("higher C"), Microsoft uses the incorrect symbol.

[bostongeek]

It looks like they do use the correct symbol, at least sometimes. See the logo at the top of the following page: http://msdn.microsoft.com/vstudio/express/visualcsharp/

[washington mac user]

they probably use the number sign so much because it is easier to type that then searching symbols everytime to find the sharp symbol.