C#  

How does C# differ from C or .NET?

🖥️ Introduction

If you’re new to programming, the terms C, C#, and .NET might seem interchangeable, but they are very different.
In this article, we’ll break down what each is, how they’re related, and when to use them.

🛠️ What is C?

  • Type: Procedural programming language
  • Year Created: 1972 (by Dennis Ritchie at Bell Labs)
  • Purpose: Low-level system programming, operating systems, embedded systems
  • Key Traits:
    • No object-oriented features
    • Manual memory management
    • Extremely fast and close to hardware

Example in C:

#include <stdio.h>
int main() {
    printf("Hello from C!");
    return 0;
}

💻 What is C#?

  • Type: Modern, object-oriented programming language
  • Year Created: 2000 (by Microsoft)
  • Purpose: General-purpose development — web, desktop, mobile, games, cloud
  • Key Traits:
    • Fully object-oriented
    • Runs on .NET runtime
    • Automatic garbage collection

Example in C#:

using System;
class Program {
    static void Main() {
        Console.WriteLine("Hello from C#!");
    }
}

🌐 What is .NET?

  • Type: Development platform/framework (not a programming language)
  • Purpose: Provides the runtime environment and libraries to build and run applications written in C#, F#, VB.NET, etc.
  • Components:
    • CLR (Common Language Runtime) → Executes code
    • BCL (Base Class Library) → Provides ready-to-use APIs
    • SDK & Tools → Compilers, debuggers, CLI

🔍 Key Differences Table

Feature C C# .NET
Type Programming Language Programming Language Framework / Platform
Paradigm Procedural Object-Oriented Multi-language runtime environment
Memory Management Manual Automatic (Garbage Collector) N/A
Platform Any (depends on compiler) Requires .NET runtime Runs on Windows, Linux, macOS
Use Cases OS, firmware, low-level programming Apps, games, web, cloud Hosting and running .NET languages

⚡ Relationship Between Them

  • C# needs .NET to run → It compiles into IL (Intermediate Language) which the CLR executes.
  • C does not need .NET → It compiles directly to machine code.
  • .NET is language-agnostic → It can run C#, F#, VB.NET, etc., but not C directly.

📌 When to Use Which?

  • C → Best for performance-critical systems (kernels, drivers, embedded software)
  • C# → Ideal for business apps, web development, games (Unity), cross-platform solutions
  • .NET → You don’t “use” .NET directly — you pick a language (like C#) that runs on it

✅ Final Thoughts

Think of C# as the actor, .NET as the stage, and C as a different play entirely.
Understanding these differences will help you choose the right technology for your project.

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