Getting Started with C# Programming Language: Beginner Gui

Introduction

Have you ever considered how our social networking or banking apps operate? I mean, how were you able to instantly transmit conversations or money to someone thousands of kilometers away? I was able to provide an answer to this question as I advanced as a C# developer. One of the most relevant and easy-to-learn programming languages is C#, and as we advance in our careers, all of our theoretical questions will be resolved.

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Programming is not just about reaching a specific end goal but rather about embracing the ongoing challenges, problem-solving skills, and learning experiences that come with it.

What is C#?

Microsoft released the object-oriented programming language C# as part of the .NET framework. It enables you to create complex, versatile, and manageable programs such as desktop, web, mobile, and gaming applications.

In this article, we will be able to install and configure the development environment, cover fundamental C# syntax, and write our first line of C# code.

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C# is pronounced See-Sharp.

Setting up Code Editor

The first step is to download and install the proper tool for developing C# projects. Microsoft's Visual Studio supports a variety of programming languages, including C#, F#, C++, and others.

Steps to download Visual Studio Editor

Search for 'download Visual Studio' on your browser
Download the Visual Studio 2022 community version Installer; it is free

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Download Visual Studio for Mac if you are using a Macbook. Keep in mind that the editor version is constantly updated.
Once the download is complete, open the file to configure the Visual Studio application before downloading.
Select the supported components and then click the "Install while downloading" button.
After installation, launch Visual Studio on your computer and select "Create a new project."
Search for 'Console App' and then double-click on it to get started
Give your project a name, and then select a framework of your choice.

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It is advisable to use a framework with long-term or standard-term support for security and a seamless coding experience

To get the result shown below, click on the Create button.

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The visual above differs for .NET 5 and older frameworks. In a console application, WriteLine is used to deliver information or data to the user.

Now that we have successfully set up our development environment and created a new project, let's discuss the fundamentals before we create any lines of code.

C# Fundamentals

Comments

In C#, you may explain and describe your code to make it easier to comprehend and read the logic. The compiler ignores comments, so they have no impact on our code.

//this is a single line comment syntax
/* this is a multi-line comment
    syntax*/
///this is an xml documentation comment syntax

Keywords

The C# programming language contains numerous key terms. They are English words that are significant and readable. A few to mention:

namespace, class, interface, int, string, double, bool, between, is, or, ref, out, console, if, else, char, return, enum, struct, static

A namespace keyword is one of the important keywords used in C#. It contains members that are accessible once they are called. It enables us to have organized and maintainable codes.

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If a namespace isn't file-scoped, it can be nested. A file-scoped namespace allows us to wrap and streamline all the code or classes in a file into a single namespace declaration.
A class keyword is used to declare a block of code using the access modifier, modifier (optional), and identifier without a return type or parentheses. A class can implement interface members and inherit other classes.
An interface keyword is used to declare a block of code that contains abstract members such as fields, properties, events, and indexers. An interface identification often starts with the letter "I" and includes an access modifier without a return type or parentheses.

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Curly braces{} are another name for blocks. Namespaces include Classes and interfaces; see the documentation

namespace Project
{
    //ClassZ implements IClassZ members
    public class ClassZ : IClassZ
    {
        //private field
        private string _game;

        //Property
        public string Game
        {
            get => _game;
            set => _game = value;
        }
        //Instance method
        public void Sports()
        {
            //Do something
        }              
    }

    public interface  IClassZ
    {
        public string Game { get; set; }
        public void Sports();
    }
}

Variables and Data Types

Variables are identifiers such as names or characters that are used to store values and appropriate information in the proper data type.

Examples of variables or identifiers include x, lastName, price, isDataType, and gender. Built-in data types include int, string, double, bool, and char.

int x;
string lastName;
double price;
bool isDataType;
char gender;

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When declaring a variable, it must follow the naming conventions, and the C# keywords cannot be used.

Conclusion

Congratulations! By setting up your development environment and learning the basic principles of the C# programming language, you have accomplished two goals. Consider delving further into the topics and branching out to discover more.

Reference

C# documentations

Getting Started with C# Programming Language: A Comprehensive Beginner's Guide

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