C# language documentation

The C# guide contains articles, tutorials, and code samples to help you get started with C# and the .NET platform. Experienced developers can learn about new features in the What's new section. Experienced developers can learn details of language behavior from the reference and language specifications.

Get started

Tour of C#

Concept

Fundamentals

What's new

What's new

video

Learn C# video series

Training

C# learning paths

Training

Foundational C# Certification - freeCodeCamp

Learn to program

Major concepts and features of the C# language

Get started

• A tour of C#
• Beginner C# tutorials
• Try C# in your browser
• Inside a C# program
• C# for beginners video series
• Foundational C# Certification

Fundamentals

• Type system
• Object oriented programming
• Functional techniques
• Exceptions
• Coding style
• C# language strategy

Language concepts

• Programming concepts
• LINQ
• Asynchronous programming

Advanced language concepts

• Reflection and attributes
• Interface implementations
• Expression trees
• Native interoperability
• Performance engineering
• .NET compiler platform (roslyn) SDK

Reference

Read C# language reference material, and the C# language specifications. The C# reference provides an informative reference for the C# language. The C# language specification is the normative reference for the C# language. It's the official source for C# language syntax and semantics. Feature specifications document features not yet incorporated in the standard.

Language reference

The C# language reference provides an informative explanation of the C# language.

• C# language reference
• Built-in types
• Keywords
• Operators
• Statements
• Special characters
• Documentation comments

Language reference

Unsafe code and compiler options

• Special attributes
• Unsafe code
• Preprocessor directives
• Compiler options

Language specification

The official specification for the C# language

• Standard and specifications
• The specification process
• C# draft standard
• Feature specifications

Build C# apps with the Visual Studio family

Choose Visual Studio or Visual Studio Code to build your C# applications.

Visual Studio

Visual Studio Code

Create your application

You can choose web, mobile, desktop, gaming, IoT, and more.

Web

• ASP.NET Core tutorials
• What is ASP.NET Core?
• ASP.NET Core in Visual Studio
• ASP.NET MVC apps in Windows containers
• Blazor: Interactive client-side web UI with .NET
• F# for web development

Mobile and Desktop

• Windows Presentation Foundation (.NET 5+)
• Windows Forms (.NET 5+)
• .NET Multi-platform App UI (.NET MAUI)
• Develop mobile apps with Azure
• Windows Presentation Foundation (.NET Framework)
• Windows Forms (.NET Framework)

Microservices

• Dapr for .NET developers
• Cloud native .NET apps
• Serverless apps with Azure
• Architecture for containerized .NET apps
• Deploy a Worker Service to Azure

Cloud

• Azure for .NET developers
• .NET Aspire
• Migrate on-premises .NET web apps or services
• Azure services for .NET developers
• Azure SDK for .NET
• Deploy Azure resources with F#

Machine learning and AI

• Build custom AI solutions with ML.NET
• Azure Cognitive Services
• Azure Machine Learning
• F# for machine learning

Game development

• Game development with Visual Studio
• Learn how to use CRYENGINE to build games with C#
• Build games with C# using the MonoGame library
• Learn how to use Unity to build 2D and 3D games with C#

Internet of things (IoT)

• .NET IoT libraries
• Get started in 5 minutes
• Blink an LED
• .NET IoT 101 video series

API and language reference

Search the .NET API and language reference documentation.

.NET API reference

API reference documentation for .NET

.NET Framework API reference

API reference documentation for .NET Framework

ASP.NET Core API reference

API reference documentation for ASP.NET Core

ML.NET API reference

API reference documentation for ML.NET

.NET Package-provided API reference

Reference documentation for package-provided .NET APIs

Are you interested in contributing to the .NET docs? For more information, see our contributor guide.