You want to know which programming language suits your needs. Read your article to learn the differences between these two programming languages.
What is C#?
C-Sharp is a Microsoft-developed object-oriented program language that operates on the .Net Framework. It has characteristics such as powerful typing, conditional, prescriptive, (class-based) object-oriented programming. It was built on the .NET platform by Microsoft.
What is C++?
C++ is a programming language containing both the C language and Simula67 features ( a first OO language) ( a first object Oriented language). C++ developed the Class and Objects concept. High and low-level language characteristics are encapsulated. So, it’s used as a language at the advanced or intermediate stage. It was previously referred to as “C with classes” because it had all the C language attributes.
Language Usage Statistics
Are C++ and C# popular? The list below is based on how often tutorials on them are searched on Google.
The more you look for a language tutorial, the more common the language is presumed to be. It is an indication that leads. This data comes from Google Trends. As far as we can see here, both C# and C++ are in the top 5 programming languages based on popularity.
Worldwide, Dec 2020 compared to a year ago:
| Rank | Change | Language | Share | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Python | 30.34 % | +1.2 % | |
| 2 | Java | 17.23 % | -1.7 % | |
| 3 | JavaScript | 8.65 % | +0.6 % | |
| 4 | C# | 6.44 % | -0.8 % | |
| 5 |  |
C/C++ | 6.11 % | +0.1 % |
| 6 |  |
PHP | 5.88 % | -0.3 % |
| 7 | R | 3.84 % | +0.1 % | |
| 8 | Objective-C | 3.75 % | +1.2 % | |
| 9 | Swift | 2.17 % | -0.3 |
History of C#
The main contributor to C# language creation is Anders Hejlsberg. He made a crew in 1999 to create a unique language that was then named “Cool.” At the .Net Developers Conference, the concept was accepted and revealed in July 2000. The language was eventually called C#.
C# has several releases. An upgrade to the programming language that strives to diversify the use of the language has been made for each edition of C#. The 1st version of C# was developed as a basic general programming language for multi-purposes. That 1st version has been almost generally bland in comparison to what C# is like now.
Version 2
In 2005, the 2nd version of C# was published and started moving away from just being classically object-oriented. This upgrade added the option of using iterators for programmers, which effectively allows programmers to glance at a wider image of data at one time.
Version 3
Published in 2007, the 3d edition of C# had many innovations, including expression trees, extension methods, and both query and lambda functions. With this build of C#, it really started to deviate from Java, and C# had become a language of the future.
Version 4
In 2010, the 4th version of C# was published. It included embedded interlope types and dynamic keywords that solved problems, giving C# the certain sophistication lacking in other languages.
Version 5 & 6
In 2012, focusing on asynchronous programming, the 5th version of C# was published. Asych and wait for C# patches are considered to be language characteristics that enhance the ease of managing long operating codes. In 2013, the 6th version of C# was published, emphasizing building C# a competitive programming language. This update, along with a simpler general command language, added various filters and initializers that made it much simpler than before to input code.
Version 7
In 2017, the last and ongoing version of C# was published. This release of C# has extended the coding language’s scope and innovative characteristics that make codes cleaner and simpler, as this variant can be used for database and other storage demands with the .NET Core and software platforms.
History of C++
Bjarne Stroustrup at AT & T Bell Laboratories invented the C++ programming language. A big fan of C, Stroustrup was an appreciator of Simula67 as well. He came up with an idea to take both of them’ best features and merge them into one programming language. He attempted to develop a language that supports object-oriented programming features and still maintains the power of C. C++ contributed to this.
With all of the other attributes of the C programming language, C++ included classes, simple inheritance, inlining, default function arguments, and good type checking. In 1983, several additional innovations were introduced: virtual and overloading functions, the & symbol references, the const keyword, and single-line commenting with 2 forward slashes.
As a consumer product, C++ was introduced in 1985. The language has not yet been formally standardized. In 1989, the vocabulary was again revised to include safe and static members and a legacy from many classes.
Turbo C++ was published as a commercial product in 1990. Turbo C++ has introduced many extra libraries that have had a huge effect on the growth of C++. The latest C++ standard (C++11) was completed in mid-2011. The additional versions contained support for Regex, a randomization library, a modern C++ time library, as well as support for some other libraries. It had new container classes, improved union support, and array initialization lists, and variadic models.
Syntax Rules: C# VS C++
It is not hard to answer the C++ vs. C# syntax query. The layout and protocols of C++ might be hard to understand for beginners. Let’s look at the biggest difference in the C# vs. C++ syntax rules:
- There are no global functions at C#. Developing static classes is the answer to this.
- There are header files in C++, but C# does not have those.
- Instead of #include headline at the beginning of the C++ code, C# applies using statements (for instance, using System;).
- C# encourages single inheritance, and C++ includes multiple inheritances.
- In C#, pointers aren’t really applicable. In the vulnerable code, C# uses references.
- For every loop, C++ doesn’t support it; C# does.
Memory Management
In C++, you could either allocate static storage objects such that they are around for the entire program, allocate them on the stack when they are local to a function (in which case when the containing block exits are destroyed), or allocate them on the heap (in which case they are only destroyed when you say so by explicitly calling the appropriate de-allocation function).
C# provides an illusion of infinite memory — you cannot free memory explicitly, only allocate memory and construct an object with new. Instead, the GC reclaims the memory for objects you can no longer access to be reused for new objects.
In C++, class destructors are run when an object is destroyed. This gives each object a chance to release any associated resources, whether they are more objects or external resources such as file handles or database handles.
In C#, you must explicitly manage the release of non-memory resources by calling a release function. The using facility allows you to get the compiler to call Dispose() automatically for you, but this is still separate from the object lifetime — the memory for the object is reclaimed when the GC system decides to (which may never happen).
OOP Feature Support
- C++ has more complex features comparing to C#.
- C# has no complex features whatsoever. It has a simple hierarchy and can be understood very easily.
Performance
This is a bit tricky. By default, C# isn’t as fast as C++ in most instances. But the difference isn’t that big, actually, and it doesn’t usually matter. You may optimize C# and reach near-similar efficiency to C++ once you have performance-sensitive code. Including stack allocations, avoiding LINQ, recycling of memory, as well, like many other performance enhancements, this can be achieved.
Which You Should Learn First C# or C++
If case you are just looking to study either C++ or C#, then since it’s quicker and simpler to learn and widely available, you may want to choose C#.
It’s not a mistake to learn C# only because with the C#, you can create any kind of program. However, if you feel you want to learn both languages eventually, then C++ will get you ready effectively and help your eventual learning easier. It will give you even broader skills that you will need in the future.
Project Use Cases for C# and C++
A good rule of thumb would be that a higher-level language like C# is used for web and desktop creation. C# is part of the .NET language, which is particularly aimed at web creation but fits well with a Windows-based program. Although Microsoft is attempting to port its language to Linux, sticking with C# and Windows environments is safer.
Conclusion
If you got through the whole article, you should know by now which programming language is the right fit for you, C# or C++. You can’t make a mistake, but our advice is to learn both of them eventually. C# is a bit easier to understand, and it may be easier to start with. C++ may be a bit harder for beginners to understand, but it’s an excellent base for any programming language you will learn in the future.
