Foundations of Programming Using C#

1302B_IT254_MarkSylvester_Unit1

Mark Sylvester

Kaplan University

Foundations of Programming Using C#

IT 254

Andrew August

March 26, 2013

1302B_IT254_MarkSylvester_Unit1

In 1997, Microsoft started a project called Project Lightning, but was also known by the name Project 42. The name "Project 42" was based from the Microsoft Developer Division which was in Building 42.

The codename of C# was Project Cool and was supposedly a "clean-room" implementation of Java. It was later changed to C# based on a musical scale. Just as C++ added the "++" to "C" since it was considered to be "adding to" or "one greater than" C, the sharp (#) on a musical scale means one semi-tone above the note. So, in both cases the name implies one above or higher than the original. (Kovacs, 2007, para. 2, 6)

Microsoft C# is a new programming language that was meant for a wide range of enterprise applications running on the .NET Framework. It is an evolution of Microsoft C and Microsoft C++. It is simpler, modern, type safe, and object oriented. It benefits from the services of the common language runtime which include language interoperability, garbage collection, enhanced security, and improved versioning support. (MSDN, n.d., para. 1)

Anders Hejlsberg, Scott Wiltamuth, and Peter Golde were the inventors of this language. It was initially released by Microsoft in July 2000, and was widely implemented in at the same time as part of their NET Framework initiative.

The goals used in its design were as follows:

* C# is intended to be a simple, modern, general-purpose, object-oriented programming language.

* The language, and implementations thereof, should provide support for software engineering principles such as strong type checking, array bounds checking, detection of attempts to use uninitialized variables, and automatic garbage collection. Software robustness, durability, and programmer productivity are important.

* The language is intended for...