Posted on • Updated on • Originally published at bytehide.com
👉 C# is a dead programming language
👉 C# is useless
👉 C# is a poor programming language
You’ve obviously heard about it, which is what brought you to this article. I’ll reveal the full truth, and you’ll decide if C# programming should be pursued.
Before we begin, there is a lot of uncertainty regarding C#, particularly among young professionals or developers attempting to get into the sector; when they hear C#, they may mix it with C or *C+++ and think…
“What is that?” 🤔
So now I’d want to explain things up.
🤔 What is C#?
The first thing you should know is that C# is a Microsoft object-oriented programming language. It developed from the necessity for a robust object-oriented language that would allow the building of more complex programs, something the previous Visual Basic .NET could no longer do.
C# is a programming language that was released in 2002 and is implemented in different of applications, including web development, desktop applications, and all phases of scripting languages. So it’s not extremely old; compare it to PHP, Java, JavaScript and Python, which are all considerably older languages.
📚A bit of history
At the time when C# emerged, the reigning language was Java, so Microsoft decided to make a language very similar to Java, but based on C++ and Visual Basic .NET. In fact and C# emerged from this:
We had C++, plus ++, the asterisk was formed and there we have C#.
This doesn’t mean that C# is not mature, it just means that it is a young language compared to the other languages out there, and that it is much better than you probably think, so C# is not dying because it is built and maintained by Microsoft.
🔧 What can we create using C#?
C# is a general-purpose language that can be used to create Full Stack web development.
🖥Desktop applications
C# is also used to create desktop programs for both Windows and Mac OS. Additionally, you may create Web apss in C#.
💻 Web-based apps
Initially, they were built with Web.Forms, then MVC, and finally .NET CORE (soon we will have .NET 6). However, it was not limited to web development. C# was also utilized to create mobile applications.
📱 Mobile applications
In an unsuccessful attempt, Microsoft created the “now-defunct” Windows Phone operating system (which so requires C# for its Backend), and with the launch of Windows 10 and now Windows 11, apps for this operating system are produced with C# (and obviously represents a whole progression of Windows Forms).
But it doesn’t end there since there’s also Xamarin Forms. This enables the development of cross-platform mobile apps, that is, applications that operate on the Android, iOS, and Windows operating systems.
🎮 Games
If you want to create video games, you may do it using Unity as well. I’m not sure whether you were familiar, but the Unity game engine is written in C# and is now one of the most popular game engines (if not the most).
Additionally, video games allow you to construct augmented reality applications, which are programs that allow you to make virtual reality holograms appear using a helmet such as the OculusRift and interact with 3D virtual surroundings. C# may be used to do this within Unity.
If you’re interested in Virtual Reality, Microsoft makes it simple with the HoloLens, which is, in my view, one of the most advanced devices on the market today.
🧠 AI Applications
We can build artificial intelligence services that link to our apps utilizing the C# language thanks to Azure’s cloud services.
🏠 IOT
And, of course, there are cloud services, as well as IoT. Using an Arduino or a Raspberry Pi, you can easily write in C#, connect sensors, and combine electronic and programming components using the same C# language. This has extremely sophisticated applications, such as the issue of home automation and smart houses.
🔀 Integrations
C# also allows you to conduct integrations (such as web services or web api) and develop interconnected services or microservices.
When some individuals say they can achieve it using Ruby or PHP, the answer is yes, but my question is…
Why? 🤔
If you can cover all of those things with C#, it becomes extremely valuable and marketable throughout the world.
💀 Is C# dying?
No.
Microsoft has invested substantially in ensuring that C# is the dominant language today, spending two billion dollars on marketing and attempting to convince developers to embrace this new platform, which is also based on the.NET foundation.
The .NET framework is incredibly popular among many developers; if you looked right now and said C# is dead, there would be no 88.000 C# employment in the United States.
C# provides you with a large number of career chances, and the more openings there are, the more options you have to exhibit your talents and acquire your first job as a Software developer.
✅ Is C# worth learning in 2022?
C# is being integrated into every platform, including desktop, online, future technologies, gaming, and services. So, absolutely, you should study C# right now since it will offer you the best chance of getting in and will keep you employed as you advance in your career.
You can see that C# is completely everywhere right now. Anyone who claims that it is no longer helpful is totally incorrect. In fact, learning C# is the finest choice you have right now, while you are reading this post.
So, if you’re wondering if C# is dying, don’t worry; it’s really expanding at an exponential pace.
⌛ How Much Time It Took to Learn C#?
If you dedicate an hour or so every day to learning, it will take you around two to three months to understand the fundamentals of C#. If you study part-time or full-time, you may learn C# faster.
But don’t be misled by this figure. If you want to be a professional C# developer, you’ll need to devote a lot more time learning the language. A solid mastery of C# that will go you far in a professional context usually takes at least a year.
Your educational path will never end. You will always be able to learn something new. However, in a few months, you should be able to construct some sophisticated apps on your own.
🟢 Conclusion
C# is a programming language that is worth learning. If you know the basics, then the skills that you learn will be applicable to a wide variety of platforms and can be used to create anything.
You can use it as a Full Stack language and programming in C# will be the best decision. In 2022, It will be a widely used language and is widely recognized among other programming languages such as Java and Python.
Top comments (48)
Subscribe
I feel the title is somewhat "clickbaity". It would be best rephrased as, perhaps, "is my investment in learning C# likely to be lost in the short term?" or something akin. I find it interesting, amusing even, that the notion is even entertained, but.. .oh well.
I feel it is extremely clickbaity, and unfortunately for the author, makes me not take the article seriously before I even look at it. Please don't do this.
No one found the article because we thought C# was dead, we found it because we like looking up C# stuff, saw it, and thought to ourselves "wtf is this person going on about".
From my personal point of view, I see it as very correct. The title is made based on what many people say, which is that C# is dead. And this article simply talks about whether those people are right.
Regarding your idea of "is my investment in learning C# likely to be lost in the short term?" I find it very curious and good. I really think they could do an article like this analyzing data and statistics!
We will simply type in Google "C# dyi..."
Google autocomplete = Lots of people searching for it.
Ohh, no small number of people are looking for it.
"Other user questions" = The article, post, video or whatever best answers the user's search (and no, it's not for SEO for typing 4634069 times the search term) but based on user acceptance, reading and session time.
Conclusion: That I say that many people say, write, search and ask that C# is dead and/or dying is correct. Another thing is ignorance (which seems to be your case).
For every language that exists, there are people thinking it's going to die.
Holds true: whether it's C#, C, C++, Rust, Java, Kotlin, Go, D..
Discussions about the rise and fall of programming languages have always been around. From looking at the popularity measure of C# though, it hasn't gained or lost much for many years. Together with C++ and Java, C# has maintained ground even as Python, TypeScript, Swift, Kotlin, Go, and Rust gained rapid popularity.
When newer languages explode in popularity it is natural to talk about whether the momentum is big enough to replace an existing popular language. But to suggest that typing in "C# dyi" into Google, which basically only has one English word that would fit that pattern, and two results coming up containing the word "dying" indicating that many people think that the language is dying, is misleading oneself. It means that significant number of searches containing "C# dying" were requested in the past. It doesn't mean that it is being searched much, nor that the searches were recent. In fact, despite it being a mismatch, the first suggested completion is "C# dynamic" - which indicates that most people do not question whether C# is dying. (I.e. Google seach thinks it is a stretch, but if you really are looking for it, then other people have search those terms too.)
Ultimately it doesn't matter, I'm sure that the author and the commenter meant well, and there is no harm done in jotting one's opinions down for a discussion. I am going to point out that from what I have observed from various technical forums and social media, at least from programmers who don't use C# day-to-day, C# is definitely not considered by any significant portion of people as a dying language.
I am a Undergraduate B.tech Student . Want To learn Blockchain now, and some more things afterwards.
-
Location
India
-
Work
itsh*tzz at Student
-
Joined
But if its not for the title , I think most of them had skipped this article.
And this is why I am okay with somewhat clickbaity titles. It's a balancing act. I do hope that the articles motivates, or develops the story though. What I mean is, for clickbait titles, if the article then does not justify why that title was chosen, then there is a discontinuity in the story, and that is not satisfying to the reader.
For example, this article could have benefitted from an opening that says something along the lines of "I have come across recent blog posts about the falling popularity of C# (references such blogs). Why are these people suggesting this and is it true? Let's find out." - you know, something like that.
As it is written, the article says:
- C# was made by Microsoft, and is kinda like Java but kinda like C++.
- C# is used in many areas of computing.
- Is it dying? No.
- Consider learning it. It will take you however long it takes you.
It doesn't really get to the title "is C# dying?" in a meaningful way: questions like who is asking, or why it is being asked, or whether there is merit to the question - questions that readers might have are never resolved.
THE DUALITY OF MAN
I love how C# is evolving, especially Unity.😍
Software Engineer 👨🏻💻 | Technical Writer ✍️|
-
Email
assiszang@gmail.com
-
Location
Carazinho, Rio Grande do Sul - Brazil
-
Education
Systems for internet
-
Work
Senior Developer
-
Joined
C# is getting more and more like Javascript, and that's really cool!!! I love C#, for me it's the most beautiful and elegant language there is ✨🎉💖 Great article!
I agree with what you said! I really like the versatility that C# has compared to other programming languages 🔥🔥.
How long have you been developing in .NET? (Just curiosity, I've been developing for a little while hehe😅)
Software Engineer 👨🏻💻 | Technical Writer ✍️|
-
Email
assiszang@gmail.com
-
Location
Carazinho, Rio Grande do Sul - Brazil
-
Education
Systems for internet
-
Work
Senior Developer
-
Joined
Hey vballester! I've been programming in C# for 7 years, I can say that the language has evolved a lot.
Passionate web-developer since 1998 using various languages, databases and tools. Opinions all my own.
-
Joined
His name is Anders Hejlsberg 😉
Could you explain some of it's elegant features for me?
-
Location
New York, NY
-
Work
DevOps
-
Joined
Ignoring all the typos, Unity Engine is not written in C#. It's written in C/C++ and there is even a Pro subscription for actually using some of the internal functionality and modifying in C/C++. Unity uses JavaScript or C# for scripting. Some of the other topics about C# were a bit off. Try focusing more on the actual content for each paragraph, review, get some internal critiques from former C# devs instead of spending time on each emoji next time. Good Luck! 🤘
I think Microsoft says it all in "Unity Developing Your First Game with Unity and C#": docs.microsoft.com/en-us/archive/m...
Microsoft is Microsoft, Unity is Unity(Which is why that post hasn't been updated since 2015). Every Pro subscriber has access to the Source Code which is written in C/C++ as detailed on their official website in the Source Code section 😉: store.unity.com/products/unity-pro
Time's 2006 Person of the Year
-
Location
Undefined, Null
-
Education
School of Hard Knocks
-
Work
Retired Freelancer
-
Joined
Unity used to support a javascript-like language known as UnityScript, however support for UnityScript was deprecated in 2017 and is no longer officially supported. The rest of your comment is spot on.
Thanks Jay! This is very important especially for those that later on plan on taking the Unity Certifications.
UnityScript (JS dialect) has been discontinued
I love C# is one of the easiest programing language to learn
-
Location
Tbilisi, Georgia
-
Education
San Diego State University
-
Joined
Unity, the game engine, is actually written in C and C++. But we developers do indeed write scripts for our Unity games in C#.
I'm also not sure I agree with your time estimate on learning the language. If you're a complete beginner, maybe, but if you already have some experience in programming, it shouldn't take long at all. I had learned Java in college and jumped into writing games in Unity without ever having to explicitly learn C#. Of course, I picked up many of C#'s unique features and nuances over the years, but little of it was necessary to use the language effectively.
I think that the title is very yellowish and facilitates the confucion of people who dont finish the article
If they would not make using async/await less painful, i would say it might be dead soon. Now, make an unconscious move and add an async call somewhere deep in your app and you will regret. You would need to change tons of interfaces and not only. VS built-in analyzer support for missing awaits is not that good.
Just to add, i like c# a lot and especially later change to more functional direction. But they should do something with async...
Ultra-fullstack software developer. Python, JavaScript, C#, C.
-
Location
Earth
-
Education
I am a master of science
-
Pronouns
He/him/his/his
-
Work
Software Engineer
-
Joined
I have never heard anyone say c# is dying or dead. Where did you hear that?
We will simply type in Google "C# dyi..."
Google autocomplete = Lots of people searching for it.
Ohh, no small number of people are looking for it.
"Other user questions" = The article, post, video or whatever best answers the user's search (and no, it's not for SEO for typing 4634069 times the search term) but based on user acceptance, reading and session time.
Conclusion: That I say that many people say, write, search and ask that C# is dead and/or dying is correct. Another thing is ignorance (which seems to be your case).
Ultra-fullstack software developer. Python, JavaScript, C#, C.
-
Location
Earth
-
Education
I am a master of science
-
Pronouns
He/him/his/his
-
Work
Software Engineer
-
Joined
Google put us each in our own bubbles. I get no such auto complete.
It's a ludicrous thought that C# is dying, given the large number of jobs and the fact that MS supports it. It seems the people who think it is dying are quite ignorant indeed!
That's why I think they made this article, especially for ignorant people. Just because they are ignorant people doesn't mean that "C# is dying" is not wanted.
(I did the search with incognito mode. That way Google doesn't take preference from my previous searches. Which means that's what people are really searching for).
Trying to break into Game Dev, studied Electrical and Electronic Engineering. Java Android then game development. I have built a full 2D Android game a VR, finishing a 3D android game at the moment.
-
Education
Heriot Watt University
-
Work
Unemployed Aspiring Game Developer
-
Joined
C# is my top language and my go to language for Unity and .Net Core, C++/Blueprints for Unreal Engine is a close 2nd . These days learning JS and Python is necessary as there are new frameworks and tools popping up left right and centre and JS(Ecmascript 20**) is getting better every year, learning Typescript should be on the list too, Python you can't escape the "New" beginner developer who just sticks with Python and blows that hissing trumpet as if it's the only language in the world, passionate lot these guys! I like Java but prefer C# and use it more because of Unity and .Net Core, I've had a go at well GO and find it ok, reminds me of C and Python had a baby, goroutines are pretty nice though. Swift I've read up on but not built anything yet, maybe a small iOS app in the future. I've read some F# as well as I do like Microsofts Languages, they sure know how to make them. I always wondered if MS would try make a "python" type language since TS for JS and C# for Java/C++, F# for Functional, but see they have IronPython, might have a look into that but doesn't seem to have taken off much? I'm sure MS will pull another language out the bag as they seem to make popular languages even better! Oh well bk to C# 😋
Jessica Williams is an SEO Executive and content creator in IT Industry and have an implacable experience of 5+ years, also as a freelancer.
-
Location
California, USA
-
Joined
As a software development company, we have closely observed the trends in programming languages. While the tech landscape constantly evolves, it's highly unlikely that C# will die in 2022. With its strong foundation, versatility, and continuous advancements by Microsoft, C# remains a popular choice for building robust applications. It powers various domains such as web, desktop, mobile, and game development. In fact, the demand for skilled C# developers is on the rise, making it a smart choice for companies looking to hire talent for their projects. So, it's safe to say that C# is here to stay!
-
Email
cbordeman@gmail.com
-
Education
School of hard knock, U.S. Marine Corps
-
Work
Lead dev at D&G, futurist dev at Shellpoint. All .Net, but want to do some Go or Rust.
-
Joined
This author should be banned for an extremely click baitey article that provides absolutely no useful content.
why?
Comment deleted
Software automation guy to pay for my mountain biking equipment. Read some of my Dev.to blog entries on Automation, XUnit, dotnet, Azure!
-
Email
tswiftma@gmail.com
-
Location
Boston, Massachusetts
-
Work
Principal Software Automation Engineer
-
Joined
I've been using C# for almost 20 years it's very easy to learn, write and debug and has lots of great libraries. There are many jobs developing with C# but they tend to be with the more established established companies not startups. I've also written in C++ (hate), Java (like) and Javascript (interesting but very different). I'm pretty content at my current job to use both C# and Javascript. Best to learn it all!
C sharp has one of the most active developer discords I have ever seen in my entire life. There's no way c sharp is going to die. If anything I'd say it's having a resurgence.
Some comments may only be visible to logged-in visitors. Sign in to view all comments.
For further actions, you may consider blocking this person and/or reporting abuse
