C#

C# (pronounced “C sharp”) is a modern, type-safe, object-oriented programming language that has evolved from a Java competitor to one of the most versatile languages in the software industry. Created by Anders Hejlsberg at Microsoft, C# combines the raw power of C++ with the simplicity of Visual Basic and the elegance of Java.

History & Origins

In the late 1990s, Microsoft faced a challenge: Java was gaining momentum, but Sun Microsystems’ licensing restrictions prevented Microsoft from creating their own Java implementation. Anders Hejlsberg, the legendary designer behind Turbo Pascal and Delphi, was tasked with creating a new language.

The project, initially codenamed “Cool” (C-like Object Oriented Language), became C# - named as a musical sharp note, one half step above C. Version 1.0 was released in 2002 alongside the .NET Framework and Visual Studio .NET.

The Anders Hejlsberg Effect

Hejlsberg’s influence on programming language design cannot be overstated. His previous work on Turbo Pascal made Pascal accessible to millions of developers, and Delphi pioneered visual rapid application development. With C#, he brought this same philosophy of developer productivity to the enterprise.

The .NET Platform

C# was designed specifically for the .NET platform, a managed runtime environment similar to Java’s JVM. Key features include:

• Common Language Runtime (CLR): Provides memory management, security, and cross-language interoperability
• Just-In-Time Compilation: Bytecode (IL) is compiled to native code at runtime
• Base Class Library: Rich standard library for everything from I/O to networking to XML
• Language Interoperability: C# code can seamlessly interact with F#, VB.NET, and other .NET languages

Evolution & Modern C#

C# has undergone dramatic evolution, with major features added in each version:

Early Years (C# 1.0-2.0)

• Object-oriented fundamentals
• Generics (C# 2.0)
• Partial classes and nullable types

LINQ Revolution (C# 3.0)

The introduction of Language Integrated Query in 2007 was transformative:

1
2
3

var results = from customer in customers
              where customer.City == "Seattle"
              select customer.Name;

Async/Await (C# 5.0)

C# pioneered the async/await pattern that has since been adopted by JavaScript, Python, Rust, and many other languages:

1
2
3
4
5

async Task<string> FetchDataAsync()
{
    var response = await httpClient.GetAsync(url);
    return await response.Content.ReadAsStringAsync();
}

Modern C# (9.0+)

Recent versions have embraced functional programming with records, pattern matching, and init-only properties:

1

public record Person(string Name, int Age);

Cross-Platform Revolution

The biggest shift came in 2016 with .NET Core, making C# truly cross-platform:

• Linux & macOS Support: Full first-class support for non-Windows platforms
• .NET 5+ Unification: One .NET for all platforms (Windows, Linux, macOS, iOS, Android)
• Container-Friendly: Official Docker images and excellent container support
• Cloud-Native: First-class support for microservices and serverless

Why C# Today?

C# remains highly relevant in 2025 for several reasons:

1. Unity Dominance: The game development market relies heavily on C# through Unity
2. Enterprise Stability: Large enterprises trust Microsoft’s long-term support and tooling
3. Modern Language Features: C# continuously adopts modern features while maintaining backward compatibility
4. Cross-Platform: From web APIs to mobile apps to games to cloud functions
5. Excellent Tooling: Visual Studio, VS Code, and Rider provide world-class development experiences
6. Active Community: Strong community, extensive documentation, and Microsoft’s continued investment

Whether you’re building games with Unity, web APIs with ASP.NET Core, mobile apps with .NET MAUI, or cloud services on Azure, C# provides a powerful, elegant, and well-supported path forward.