C# C1 CSC 298 Elements of C# code (part 1)

C# C2 Style for identifiers  Identifier: class, method, property (defined shortly) or variable names  class, method, property: capitalize the first letter of each word in the name, e.g. class ThisIsMyClass  variable: same except for the first letter which is lowercase, e.g. myVariable  constant: capitalize every letter. Write an underscore between the words in the name MAX_VALUE (this style is not always followed)

C# C3 Common types  Similar list as in C/C++ and Java  int for an integer (-1, 3, …)  float or double for a floating point value (1.2f, -4.24, …) Careful: double x = 4. // error: need 4.0  char for a character ('F', …)  bool for boolean values (true or false)  Others (but we won't use them much): byte, sbyte, short, ushort, uint, long, ulong

C# C4 Other common types  string: for text string s = "Hello, world!";  The string type has many useful methods (Substring, StartsWith,…). Check the documentation.  Note that a string is immutable.  decimal: for precise manipulation of floating point values (e.g. for currency amounts). decimal d = m;

C# C5 const keyword  Sometimes, a variable should not change (e.g. a mathematical constant such as pi)  To make a variable constant, use const when declaring it const double PI=3.1416;... PI = 4.0; // Error // PI is a constant  All constants are implicitly static (one copy shared by all instances of the class).

C# C6 Doing Arithmetic  Usual arithmetic operations: *, /, + and –  Between integers, / is the integer division 27/12 is 2 (not 2.25)  % : a%b is the remainder of the division of a by b, e.g. 27%12 is 3 since %5 is 4 2%3 is 2 6.2%2.9 is 0.4

C# C7 An example  Input 2 integers and test if the first one is a multiple of the second one  input: use Console.ReadLine, which gives back a string  translate the string to an int with int.Parse  test : if (i1%i2==0)…  display the result with MessageBox.Show  See CommonTypeExample.cs on the web site

C# C8 Casting  Consider double x = 3.8; int i = x; // Error!  Convert to an int using a cast, i.e. write int i = (int)x; // OK, i is 3  C# is strongly typed. It only performs safe automatic conversions (int to double…). Other conversions are the programmer's responsibility.  In general, sometype var; var = (sometype)expression; /* not always allowed. The compiler will tell you (e.g. bool b = (bool)3.4 is an error) */

C# C9 Formatting output  Use placeholders {} to write values within a string when using Console.Write (or WriteLine) double x = 3.41, y = 5.6; Console.Write("x={0}, y={1}, x<y is {2}", x, y, x<y); // prints x=3.41, y=5.6, x<y is True  The placeholder can contain display information, e.g. Console.Write("x={0:E}",x); //prints x= E+000  Many other options: check the documentation (search for String.Format method)

C# C10 string formatting  A good trick: string filename means that \ doesn't mark escape // characters as in \n \t  string.Format to get a formatted string. double x = 3.14; string s = string.Format("x={0}",x); // s is x=3.14 // s = "x=" + x; is also OK (but // formatting can't be controlled as well)

C# C11 Types in C#  Every property, method and variable has a type  2 categories  value types, for simple objects. An example is an integer value (int).  reference (or class) types, e.g. string

C# C12 Defining your own type  Value type: use a struct  Reference type: use a class  How to choose?  if the type is lightweight (contains only simple data), use a struct. If not, use a class.  Differences?  In terms of programming, not many: a struct can have fields, methods, properties (static or not) like a class.  small differences, e.g. a struct has always a default constructor (though you can't write it). The compiler will tell you these details.  Major difference is how the type is handled by the CLR.

C# C13 struct ≠ class  a value type object (=an instance of a struct) is stored on the stack of the method that uses it.  a reference type object (=an instance of a class) is defined on the heap.  stack: defined by the compiler. The size of every object that goes on the stack must be known at compile time.  heap: managed at run time  Accessing the stack is more efficient than accessing the heap.

C# C14 Example public struct PointS { public int x, y;} public class PointC { public int x, y;} // in some method PointS ps = new PointS(); PointC pc = new PointC(); ps x 0 y 0 pc x 0 y 0 stack heap address of the PointC object on the heap

C# C15 ref keyword (1)  Arguments in a method call are passed by value public class MyClass{ public void Frodo(int n){n++;} } // in some method of some other class MyClass c = new MyClass(); int j = 10; c.Frodo(j); Console.WriteLine(j); // What is printed?  Answer: 10 (not 11!). Why? Because Frodo works on a copy of j  What if we want Frodo to change j? Use the ref keyword.

C# C16 ref keyword (2) public class MyClass{ public void Frodo(ref int n){n++;} } // in some method of some other class MyClass c = new MyClass(); int j = 10; c.Frodo(ref j); Console.WriteLine(j); // What is printed?  Answer: 11. Now, Frodo works directly with j (the variable is called n in the context of Frodo, but it refers to the same memory location as j).  A detail: a variable passed by reference (with ref) must be initialized before being passed. Use the out keyword if you don't want to initialize the variable (see documentation).

C# C17 C# aliases  The types available in C# are defined by the CLR.  C# offers the option to use C# specific names for some (of the more common) types.  e.g. int for the CLR defined Int32, string for the CLR defined String, short for the CLR defined Int16, etc…  you can use either notation in your programs int.Parse(...) is the same as Int32.Parse(...)