Writing and Running Your First C# Program

C# (pronounced as “C sharp”) is a versatile and powerful programming language developed by Microsoft. It’s widely used for developing Windows applications, web applications, games, and more. If you’re new to programming and want to get started with C#, this article will guide you through the process of writing and running your first C# program.

Setting Up Your Development Environment

Before you can start writing C# code, you need to set up your development environment. Here are the steps to get you started:

1. Install Visual Studio: Visual Studio is a popular Integrated Development Environment (IDE) for C# development. You can download the community edition for free from the Visual Studio website.
2. Install .NET Core SDK: C# programs are typically built using the .NET framework. Install the .NET Core SDK from the official .NET website.
3. Create a New Project: Open Visual Studio, click on “File” > “New” > “Project…” and choose a template for your project. For your first C# program, you can choose the “Console App (.NET Core)” template.
4. Choose a Name and Location: Give your project a name and choose a location on your computer where you want to save it.
5. Click “Create”: Visual Studio will generate a basic C# project for you with a Program.cs file containing some starter code.

Writing Your First C# Program

With your development environment set up, you’re ready to start writing your first C# program. Follow these steps:

1. Open Program.cs: In Visual Studio, locate the Program.cs file in your project’s Solution Explorer and double-click on it to open it in the code editor.
2. Understand the Starter Code: By default, Visual Studio generates some starter code for you. Here’s what it looks like: using System; namespace MyFirstCSharpApp { class Program { static void Main(string[] args) { Console.WriteLine("Hello World!"); } } }
   • using System;: This line includes the System namespace, which contains essential classes and methods.
   • namespace MyFirstCSharpApp: Namespaces help organize your code. The default one is named after your project.
   • class Program: This defines a class named Program.
   • static void Main(string[] args): This is the entry point of your program. The code inside this method will be executed when you run your program.
   • Console.WriteLine("Hello World!");: This line prints “Hello World!” to the console.
3. Modify the Code: You can modify the Console.WriteLine line to display any message you want. For example, you can change it to: Console.WriteLine("My First C# Program");
4. Save Your Changes: After making your modifications, save the Program.cs file.

Running Your C# Program

Now that you’ve written your C# program, it’s time to run it:

1. Build Your Project: Click on “Build” > “Build Solution” in Visual Studio to compile your code.
2. Run Your Program: After a successful build, click on “Debug” > “Start Without Debugging” or press Ctrl + F5. You’ll see the console window open, and your program will execute, displaying the output you specified.
3. View the Output: In this case, you’ll see “My First C# Program” printed in the console.

Congratulations! You’ve just written and run your first C# program. You’re now on your way to exploring the world of C# development. Continue learning, experimenting, and building more complex applications as you become more comfortable with the language. There are plenty of online resources, tutorials, and communities to help you along the way. Happy coding!