What Is C# and Why Is It Important?

Originally created by Microsoft-based software engineer Anders Hejlsberg in 2000, C# was designed as a C-adjacent language with properties like reification and garbage collection to make it more convenient for users. It has been used extensively for desktop and web application development as well as video game development.

C# can be implemented across multiple platforms but is particularly well suited for Microsoft applications. Its object-oriented nature allows developers to give clear, firm structure to programs and to reuse sections of code. C#’s most prominent features include:

• Clear syntax
• Wide array of library functions
• Efficient garbage collection (for memory management)
• Backward compatibility
• High performance and speed
• Large, dedicated user community

How Does C# Work?

C# uses Language Integrated Query (LINQ) syntax, which allows programmers to engage in different types of data manipulation with minimal code. This makes writing in C# simple, efficient, and easily digestible. The LINQ syntax—combined with C#’s strong, unified type system—results in highly structured, polished, and secure code statements that are then entered into a compiler.

The compiler checks for coding errors before translating C# source code into Common Intermediate Language (CIL) code. It is then converted to native machine code by CLR. Once compiled, C# programs are placed into assembly files to be executed.

Building applications or software with C# means becoming familiar with variables, control structures, stacks, data types, and delegates. Types define the behavior of data (usually categorized as value types and reference types) while variables are labels for changeable data. Some examples of C# code phrases include “int,” “class,” “namespace,” and “bool.”