What is the difference between C# and Java?
They are both high-level object-oriented programming languages with somewhat similar syntax. Java (as originally implemented by Sun) is cross-platform language that relies on its own system foundation called “Java virtual machine”. A Java program is usually complied into an intermediate code (called “byte code”), which can theoretically be executed on any computer with any operating system, as long as a standards-compliant Java virtual machine exists on that computer. The function of the Java virtual machine is to translate the byte code into executable code native for the operating system on which the computer runs. C# is a Windows-specific language that relies on Windows system foundation (more specifically, on the .Net framework). Programs written in C# generally can run only on Windows (although it is sometimes possible to make them cross-platform). Depending on the nature of the program, it can be compiled into a Windows executable or into Microsoft Intermediate Language (MSIL), w
There are several interesting language differrences between Java and C#, but the two languages share much more in common than they differ from one another. At a glance, it can often be a bit tricky to tell which language you’re looking at. C# is largely based on Java, and provides a few extra bonuses, such as delegation and (in my opinion) a slightly better exception handling mechanism. Java (especially 1.5) has some abilities that C# lacks, such as static imports, dynamic class loading, and mandatory checked exceptions (sometimes I like those). A good list of the technical differences can be found here: http://www.25hoursaday.com/CsharpVsJava.html As a developer, the primary benefit of one vs. the other is the environments in which they can be used. C# enjoys tremendous Microsoft support, and there are all sorts of neat things you can do with it that relate to Microsoft products and Microsoft platforms. If you’re going to be working on a project that does something with Microsoft Offi
