Mono: A Developer's Notebook

Chapter 2. Getting Started with C#

C# (pronounced see-sharp) is a powerful, modern, object-oriented language whose syntax will be familiar for developers who have used C, C++, or Java. C# takes the simplicity of Java, with its automatic garbage collection, monolithic inheritance, and standard class library, and adds a number of advanced features, such as properties, delegates, and attributes.

This chapter will get you up to speed on C# syntax, the Common Language Infrastructure types, and some features unique to C#. To run the labs in this chapter, you must have a working Mono installation as described in Chapter 1.

Say “Hello” to the World

This lab introduces some basic features of C# and the Framework Class Library (FCL). You’ll see how to write and compile a simple “Hello, world!” program in C# and learn how C# is similar to other modern, object-oriented computer languages, as well as some of the keywords and language features unique to C#. Choosing from among the panoply of Mono IDEs and installing your IDE of choice is discussed in Chapter 1.

How do I do that?

Fire up your editor or IDE of choice, and create the file Hello.cs. Enter the following code (see Example 2-1) in your editor.

Example 2-1. 01-languagebasics/Hello.cs

// 02-csharp/01-languagebasics public class HelloWorld { public static void Main (string [ ] args) { if (args.Length != 1) { System.Console.Error.WriteLine("You must tell me your name."); System.Environment.Exit(-1); } string name = args[0]; System.Console.WriteLine ...