C# 0 The Complete Reference

The .NET Framework Class Library

The sample programs shown in this chapter make use of two built-in methods: 

WriteLine( )

and

Write( )

. As mentioned, these methods are members of the 

Console

 class, which is part 

of the 

System

 namespace, which is defined by the .NET Framework’s class library. As 

explained earlier in this chapter, the C# environment relies on the .NET Framework class 

library to provide support for such things as I/O, string handling, networking, and GUIs. 

Thus, C# as a totality is a combination of the C# language itself, plus the .NET standard 

classes. As you will see, the class library provides much of the functionality that is part 

of any C# program. Indeed, part of becoming a C# programmer is learning to use these 

standard classes. Throughout Part I, various elements of the .NET library classes and 

methods are described. Part II examines portions of the .NET library in detail.

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3

Data Types, Literals, 

and Variables

T

his chapter examines three fundamental elements of C#: data types, literals, and 

variables. In general, the types of data that a language provides define the kinds of 

problems to which the language can be applied. As you might expect, C# offers a rich 

set of built-in data types, which makes C# suitable for a wide range of applications. You can 

create variables of any of these types, and you can specify constants of each type, which in 

the language of C# are called 

literals.