If you’re a developer looking to enhance your programming skills, exploring the features in C# 11 is a must. This comprehensive guide will take you through the various helpful features that C# 11 offers, and how they can help improve your code efficiency and productivity.

C# 11 is the latest version of the C# programming language, and it comes packed with a host of new features that can make your coding experience all the more seamless. From pattern matching enhancements to improved performance with records, C# 11 has something to offer for every developer, regardless of their coding expertise.

Simplified Nullability Checking with Nullable Reference Types

With the introduction of C# 11, nullable reference types allow developers to enable warnings and errors for null reference exceptions during compilation. This feature helps catch null-related bugs early on, ensuring code safety and stability.

Developers can easily opt-in to this feature by adding a question mark after the variable name to indicate that it can be null. This simple addition enables developers to write more efficient and safe code. The nullable reference types feature is especially beneficial in large codebases, where null reference exceptions can lead to hard-to-find bugs. By promoting null safety and readability, this feature improves overall code quality.

With simplified nullability checking and nullable reference types, C# 11 empowers developers to write safe and stable code with ease. By leveraging this feature, developers can avoid frustrating bugs and improve their programming skills.

Improved Performance with Records

One of the most significant additions in C# 11 is the introduction of records. Records are immutable reference types that provide an efficient way to create objects. They are similar to classes, but with a focus on data transfer and storage.

Records can significantly improve performance by reducing the number of memory allocations required within an application. Since records are immutable, memory allocation only occurs when the record is first created. Any subsequent changes to the record are done by creating a new record that shares most of its data with the original, reducing the number of memory allocations and improving the application’s performance.

Another way records improve performance is through their support of structural equality. Since records are immutable, their values never change, allowing for a reliable and efficient means of equality comparison. This eliminates the need for expensive deep equality comparisons on larger objects, further improving the application’s performance.

Additionally, record types support inheritance, allowing for the creation of more complex object hierarchies without the performance overhead associated with classes. With these performance benefits, records are a valuable addition to any developer’s toolkit.

Better Interoperability with Native Integers

C# 11 offers better interoperability with native integers, making it easier to integrate with native libraries and improve platform compatibility. Native integers allow developers to manipulate data in its raw binary form without needing to convert it to managed types. By using native integers, you can work more efficiently with low-level platform-specific code and optimize performance. Instead of relying on wrapper classes or additional code, you can directly access and manipulate data in memory.

Native integers also improve interoperation with C and C++ code, providing seamless integration for cross-platform development. With C# 11, developers can now easily pass native integers between managed and native code, streamlining the development process and increasing flexibility.

In short, native integers in C# 11 provide better interoperability, improved performance, and easier integration with native libraries, making it an excellent choice for cross-platform development.

Introduction of Extended Partial Methods

C# 11 brings with it many new and helpful features for developers, including the extended partial methods feature. This feature allows developers to add or modify behavior in generated code, providing more flexibility and customization options. Extended partial methods are an extension of the existing partial methods feature, which allows developers to split the definition of a method into multiple parts.

The extended partial methods feature provides even more flexibility by allowing developers to add or modify behavior in generated code. This is particularly useful when working with code generated by tools such as code generators or IDEs.

With extended partial methods, developers can now add or modify behavior in generated code without touching the generated code itself. This makes it easier to upgrade underlying libraries or frameworks, as the modifications can be made separately from the generated code.

The syntax for extended partial methods is similar to that of regular partial methods. The only difference is that extended partial methods are marked with the “partial” keyword and the “static” keyword.

Increased Security with Anonymous Records

C# 11 introduces anonymous records, which provide increased security by protecting sensitive data and preventing unauthorized access. Anonymous records allow you to create a record type that is immutable, meaning that you cannot change its values once it is created. This feature helps ensure data integrity and confidentiality, making it an excellent tool for security-focused applications.

One of the key benefits of anonymous records is that they allow you to selectively expose only the required properties, hiding any sensitive or unnecessary information from unauthorized access. They also support partial equality comparison, meaning that you can compare only the values that matter, rather than the entire record. Another security benefit of anonymous records is that they provide an object-oriented way of representing data, eliminating the need for external libraries or custom data structures. This feature improves code maintainability and readability, reducing the risk of security breaches due to complex or convoluted data structures.

Overall, anonymous records offer a powerful solution for secure data management, improving code security and enhancing overall application robustness.

Conclusion

Exploring the helpful features in C# 11 can significantly enhance your programming skills and efficiency. From pattern matching enhancements to upgraded global usings, and from increased security with anonymous records to improved async streams, each feature has its unique benefits.

It is crucial to keep up with the latest programming trends and advancements to stay ahead of the curve. By leveraging these helpful features, you can optimize your coding abilities and deliver superior-quality work in less time. So what are you waiting for? Start exploring the features in C# 11 and take your programming skills to the next level!

I have a strong interest in knowing what software development technologies are in demand in today’s market. In light of this ongoing progress and change, I find it fascinating that one of the prevailing themes in 2023 is the continued dominance of .NET development with the C# programming language.

The Stack Overflow Developer Poll shows that despite the rise of other technologies, the.NET framework has maintained its popularity. Although the tech industry is always changing, Microsoft’s main developer platform, .NET has been successful since 2000. I’m confident that .NET and C# will continue to be competitive and important for many years to come given Microsoft’s newly announced desire to continue investing in them.

The adaptability of.NET and C# is something I really like. They can be applied to a variety of projects, including desktop, web, and mobile development. They’re also perfect for creating cloud-based apps, which are hugely significant in the tech world of today. Applications are becoming more reliant on distributed systems as a result of the growth of cloud computing.

The basics of C# and .NET

It started out as Microsoft’s answer to Sun Microsystems and its Java platform, but it has now evolved into an open-source framework for creating various types of applications. .NET has you covered whether you want to write web development code, mobile app code, or even contemporary desktop programs.

About .NET

• Microsoft developed the.NET software development framework, which offers a platform for creating and running apps across a variety of operating systems, including Windows, macOS, and Linux.
• From its initial release in 2000, it has developed into a collection of strong tools and frameworks for creating cutting-edge and reliable applications.
• C#, Visual Basic, F#, and many other programming languages are supported by.NET.
• The.NET Framework Class Library, a sizable library of pre-built classes and functions, is a feature of NET that boosts the productivity of application development.
• The Common Language Runtime (CLR), the runtime environment for NET, controls how.NET applications are executed and offers features like memory management, security, and exception handling.
• NET is cross-platform and open-source.

About C#

• Microsoft created the contemporary, object-oriented programming language C#.
• It debuted in 2000 as a component of Microsoft’s.NET framework.
• Simple, potent, and type-safe describe C#.
• Building desktop, web, gaming, and mobile applications uses C#.
• Both static and dynamic typing are supported in C#.
• It has a garbage collector that controls memory allocation and deallocation automatically.

The Reasons .NET and C# are still relevant

Scalability

Enterprise-level applications are best served by C# and.NET because they are highly scalable technologies suitable for both small and large applications, including desktop, online, gaming, and mobile apps. Because of their adaptability, these technologies can be used to create any kind of application that best meets the needs of you and your company.

Cross-platform development

You can build programs using C# and .NET that can operate on a variety of operating systems, including Windows, macOS, Linux, and even mobile devices running iOS and Android. You may create applications that work on a variety of devices and reach a large audience.

Including Microsoft goods in the integration

If you’re working for a company that significantly relies on technologies like Azure and Visual Studio, mastering C# and.NET will make it simpler to develop and deploy applications on the Microsoft platform. With these talents, you may also be able to work on future AI models like Microsoft’s ChatGPT and Bing AI, which are already gaining ground across a wide range of industries.

Strong demand for jobs in the market

Both large tech organizations and startups are in high demand for C# and.NET developers. Since.NET and C# are now extensively utilized in enterprise-level applications, employers are constantly looking for developers with these skills. Given this demand, dedicating time and effort to learning these abilities can set you apart and significantly improve your chances of landing a job, even in the current unstable economic climate.

Simple to learn

Particularly if you’re already familiar with other object-oriented programming languages like Java or C++, C# is a comparatively simple programming language to learn. You may start building applications fast and effectively without relying on a challenging learning curve thanks to its straightforward syntax, which is designed to be both powerful and type-safe.

Community of active developers

There is a sizable and vibrant developer community for C# and.NET that offers a wealth of learning and development resources, including online tutorials, forums, and documentation. Hence, whether you’re a new or seasoned developer, you may find enough support to aid in your learning and development.

The Outlook of .NET and C#

Finally, the potential for these technologies to advance in the future is intriguing and worth following. Microsoft pledges to keep improving C# to accommodate developers’ changing needs and keep it a cutting-edge programming language.

We anticipate that C# developers will work closely with the.NET library and developer tool teams on innovative projects that will boost the language’s potential while preserving its essential characteristics. I therefore completely anticipate that.NET and C# technologies will continue to be preferred solutions for many high-performance software development projects due to their continued popularity among developers.

Wrapping Up

There is an acute scarcity of highly qualified software developers, particularly those with C# and .NET knowledge. Software development is still a strong professional path with lots of room for advancement, despite recent severe layoffs. There will only be more chances and demand for developing scalable apps in the .NET ecosystem using C# and other programming languages as the technology develops and improves under Microsoft’s stewardship.

.NET is a cross-platform and open-sourced developer platform for building different types of applications. The tech-giant Microsoft developed it. It’s also designed for new developers trying to learn how to use .NET by making games. Here we will discuss why and what are the benefits of using .NET in game development. We will also talk about the different game engines in .NET and its tools, which make .NET a perfect choice for developing games. .NET is also part of Microsoft Game Stack, a comprehensive suite of tools and services just for game development.

Why use .NET in game development?

The major plus for .NET is that it is a cross-platform, a single code base can be used on different operating systems, be it Windows, MAC, or Linux. So developing a game in .NET means it is compatible with all these platforms.

.NET works seamlessly with game engines like Monogame and Unity, and many more. You can create incredible 2D and 3D games using these. Game engines and framework developers are using .NET to ensure secure cross-platform scripting for multiple gaming platforms. Another significant advantage is developing your game and its mobile application, website, and other online services using the same platform. So why not use .NET in game development.

What is a Game Engine?

Not so long ago, developers used to make their games from scratch, but now they have made a lot of reusable code in their games and have made APIs and tools they can reuse for each game. So whenever a developer is developing a new game, they can make use of all these.

A game engine is a software development environment designed to build video games. They contain abstraction of graphics, input, and media API. And also, asset managers and design tools for audio and visuals.

With the increasing popularity of C#, more engines are now being used .NET. The mono runtime compatible with .NET 5 can run C# code on many platforms like Android, iOS, Mac, etc. It is one of the main reasons for using .NET in game development.

Available game engines

The first step to developing games in .NET is to choose a game engine. You can think of engines as the frameworks and tools you use for developing your game. There are many game engines that use .NET and they differ widely.

Stride

It was developed by Silicon Studios, an utterly integrated engine with a graphic editor. It is a complete C# and .NET engine which is open-source and royalty-free. Another advantage is you can use parts of these engines independently

Mono Game

Mono Game is a very flexible engine; other game engines even use this as their base. FlatRedBall is an example of this. It can be used as a framework to build other game engines. Many game developers use it for their cross-platform game development.

Wave Engine

Another game engine that is fully developed in .NET is WaveEngine. It has a lot of reality features like spatial audio and ready to use out of the box. It has many of its components open-sourced and free.

NeoAxis

NeoAxis is yet another game engine written purely in .NET. It is also free and open-sourced. It supports a whole lot of features like the latest Android release

Online services for your game

If you’re building your game with .NET, then you have many choices on how to build your online game services. You can use ready-to-use services like Microsoft Azure PlayFab. You can also build from scratch on Microsoft Azure. .NET also runs on multiple operating systems, clouds, and services, it doesn’t limit you to use Microsoft’s platforms.

The ecosystem

The .NET game development ecosystem is rich. Some of the .NET game engines depend on foundational work done by the open-source community to create managed graphics APIs like SharpDX, SharpVulkan, Vulkan.NET, and Veldrid. Xamarin also enables using platform native features on iOS and Android. Beyond the .NET community, each game engine also has their own community and user groups you can join and interact with. .NET is an open-source platform with over 60,000+ contributors. It’s free and a solid stable base for all your current and future game development needs.

Rich set of .NET tools

.NET is vibrant in terms of game development tools. As it is an open-source platform with a rich community of developers and users. Most of the .NET engines also depend on the base of other open-source work. In addition to the community of .NET developers, each of these game engines also has a different user base. They need different kinds of tools according to their needs and .Net has a variety of tools to help them. .NET tools you are used to are also used for making games. Visual Studio is a great IDE that works with all .NET game engines on Windows and macOS. It provides word-class debugging, AI-assisted code completion, code refactoring, and cleanup. It works seamlessly with all of the game engines. In addition, it provides real-time collaboration and productivity tools for remote work. Another feature is assisted in code completion and cleanup. Also, it includes code refactoring. This perfect environment is the reason for the growing demand for .NET in game development. GitHub also provides all your DevOps needs. Host and review code, manage projects, and build software alongside 50 million developers with GitHub.

Conclusion

Indeed, the future of .NET in game development is bright. Game Engines use the latest versions of .NET, and it even gets upgraded as the new version releases. With strong game engines, a rich set of tools, and C# .NET’s growing popularity is gamers’ favorite. That’s why it has become one of the best choices for game developers.

I have a friend who is just starting to learn C#, so I am getting some interesting questions whose answers seem obvious to me but apparently not to beginners.  Today I answer the question: What’s the best way to initialize Flags enumerations in C#?

As a quick review, here is how Microsoft describes the Flags enumeration:  “You can use an enumeration type to define bit flags, which enables an instance of the enumeration type to store any combination of the values that are defined in the enumerator list.  (Of course, some combinations may not be meaningful or allowed in your program code.)  You create a bit flags enum by applying the System.FlagsAttribute attribute and defining the values appropriately so that AND, OR, NOT and XOR bitwise operations can be performed on them.”

In other words, each enumeration value must correspond to a single, unique bit.  So one way to initialize flags is to use integers that are a power of 2.  The disadvantage of this method is it’s not easy to see which bit is being set, and errors might creep in enumerations with many flags, especially when you start getting up into the range of 16384, 32768, 65536, and 131072.  But there is nothing inherently wrong with this approach either:

[Flags]
public enum DaysOfTheWeek
{
	None = 0,
	Sunday = 1,
	Monday = 2,
	Tuesday = 4,
	Wednesday = 8,
	Thursday = 16,
	Friday = 32,
	Saturday = 64,
}

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Wow, I nearly fell out of my chair when I read this little gem on TechCrunch:

Android chief Andy Rubin wrote in a 2005 email, “If Sun doesn’t want to work with us, we have two options: 1) Abandon our work and adopt MSFT CLR VM and C# language – or – 2) Do Java anyway and defend our decision, perhaps making enemies along the way.”

Imagine how different the world would be today if Google had chosen .NET instead of Java as the native development framework for the Android mobile operating system…

Read more at DevTopics >>

An enumerator enables you to iterate over a collection in a foreach loop.  You can use foreach to iterate over all C# collection classes, because all C# collection classes inherit from the IEnumerable interface (regular or generic).  IEnumerable contains the GetEnumerator method, which returns an enumerator.

Occasionally you may find a need to create a custom enumerator, which used to be somewhat of a challenge until the yield keyword was introduced.  Here is how Microsoft describes yield:

The yield keyword signals to the compiler that the method in which it appears is an iterator block.  The compiler generates a class to implement the behavior that is expressed in the iterator block.  In the iterator block, the yield keyword is used together with the return keyword to provide a value to the enumerator object.  This is the value that is returned, for example, in each loop of a foreach statement.

So rather than creating your own enumerator class and managing the enumeration state — which is time consuming and tricky — you can simply write the enumeration logic in the GetEnumerator method, and the yield keyword will automagically wrap your code in a handy-dandy enumerator.

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I jump into the controversy about the future of the .NET Framework and HTML5+JavaScript.

Read “.NET Isn’t Dead” on DevTopics.com >>

YourLanguageSucks is a wiki on theory.org that lists reasons why the most popular programming languages suck.  There are long lists of reasons why Java, JavaScript, C++ and PHP suck.  But the list for C# is very short:

• Supports ‘goto’.
• Two distinct sets of collections: non-generic and generic.  Stack and Queue have the same name in both their generic and non-generic flavors, but then we have Hashtable (non-generic) and Dictionary (generic).

The first reason is easy to discount: just avoid using goto!  The second reason is valid, but not really an issue if you use only generic collections, as I do.

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When building a C# interface, you may find a need for both public and internal methods, such as:

public class MyClass : IMyInterface
{
    public void MyPublicMethod() { }
    internal void MyInternalMethod() { }
}
public interface IMyInterface
{
    public void MyPublicMethod();
    internal void MyInternalMethod();
}

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There is No PaddingF

There is Point and PointF, Size and SizeF, Rectangle and RectangleF, Padding and… wait, there is no PaddingF!

System.Drawing vs. System.Windows.Forms

The 2-D drawing functions in the System.Drawing namespace accept both integer and floating point measurements.  That’s why the main 2-D drawing structures have both int and float versions such as Point and PointF, respectively.

However, the Padding structure is defined separately in the System.Windows.Forms namespace where most 2-D measurements are in integers.  Hence, there is an integer Padding structure but no floating point PaddingF.

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