Programming languages are like wine – they get better with age. Two decades after it was created by Microsoft, C# continues to remain one of the most popular and versatile programming languages in the world. Providing support to all kinds of software development, the future of C# looks bright as it’s been consistently used to build applications including desktop, web, mobile, IoT, cloud, games, and APIs.
Initially, C# was only developed for Windows applications. However, programmers have integrated emerging concepts like value types, properties, and events to further the language. These innovations have helped to secure the future of C# which can now be used for consoles and machine learning software apart from building apps that target Linux, macOS, iOs, and Android operating systems.
The use of C# in machine learning is well documented on ML.NET, a cross-platform, open-source machine learning framework that makes machine learning accessible to .NET developers. It means that if C# is your language of choice, you no longer have to learn a new programming language to develop your own machine learning models and applications.
According to Stack Overflow Developer Survey 2021, C# is used by 29.81% of professional developers while SlashData says 6.5 million active software developers use C# as their preferred language. This is because of the language’s fast compilation features, structure, scalability, compatibility with other languages, and its ability to completely integrate with the .NET library.
In this article, we’ll give you a lowdown on the current state of C#, and C# trends, and determine the future of C#:
Ease of learning C#:
C# is one of the easiest programming languages to learn. The syntax of the language is being updated and getting cleaner with every new version and code. The focus has been to provide developers the freedom to write safe and efficient codes. Like other languages, it supports a variety of modern features and thereby helps programmers become more productive.
C# provides the best speed:
With the help of tools like Visual Studio and its several features, programmers are able to code faster. In fact, C# is fast compared to the same interpreted programming languages such as Python and Javascript.
Cross platform use:
Earlier, the use of C# programs was restricted to only Microsoft-owned products. Recent innovations have allowed the programs to be run on multiple platforms instead of just Windows machines. It means that C# has become open source even though the language is still being managed by Microsoft. The developers are now actively involved in enhancing the language.
Frameworks:
Keeping in mind the future of C# as a language, it has been designed to be a part of the overall .NET framework. It means that you can run C# programs on multiple operating systems.
For example, after building a web application, you would want it to be hosted on a platform. And .Net will allow you to host it on a platform of your choice. Earlier, C# was only reserved for Windows and only those with Microsoft operating systems had exclusive access to the .NET framework. It would eventually result in becoming a more expensive affair compared to a Linux host. But this is no longer the case as an enterprise can now host on AWS, Heroku, Windows, Azure, and Linux.
Similarly, when it comes to developing mobile apps, you are not restricted to choosing only Microsoft’s Xamarin framework. You can essentially build programs in C# for iOS, Android, macOS, and Linux.
Libraries:
C# has a huge library that helps developers to implement many functions easily. The programmers have access to a vast collection of types to implement the most common tasks like using the file system, sending and receiving data over the network, performing math operations, and much more.
C# for emerging technologies:
A few of the emerging technologies include machine learning, cloud-native, blockchain, augmented and virtual reality, and intelligent chatbots. With C# being a cloud-native programming language, it means, you can build cloud-native apps using C# and the .NET platform. In fact, you can use it to develop any software including data science, AI and machine learning, and report-centric applications.
Hire dedicated .Net developers from India
“Will learning this language help me find a job?” This is the most common question a person asks before choosing a programming language. The answer, according to HackerRank, is that approximately one of every five hiring managers is looking for a developer that can code with C#.
According to salary.com, the median salary of C# developers in the US is $80,000 while a mid-senior level C# developer in India earns an average total compensation of ₹750,570. So hiring a dedicated .Net developer from India always proves to be a viable option for organizations.
The constant evolution of C#:
C# is one of the fastest evolving programming languages. C# 9 was the last version of the language which was released a couple of years back and it introduced significant improvements to support modern workloads and application types. Some of the features of C# 9 are record types, structural equality, default in deconstruction, relaxed ordering of ref and partial modifiers, improvements in expression matching, lambda discard parameters, attributes on local functions, function pointers, and many more.
Summary:
C# does come with its share of disadvantages – it offers less flexibility when compared to C++, allows pointers in unsafe blocks, and prioritizes its focus on the Windows platform – but the pros definitely outweigh the cons. The USP of C# is the ease of use and ability to speed up development. The language is not only constantly evolving but it is easy to write and learn too, providing developers with most of the modern programming features. Another vital factor is C# has become an open-source recently and it has encouraged developers to enrich the language.
The versatile nature of the language also goes a long way in the use of C# in machine learning and supporting a majority of emerging technologies including data science, AI, and much more. So if you are a C# developer or are willing to hire a C# developer, there is nothing to worry about. The future of C# is bright and secure.
