#I write C++ code in Microsoft Visual Studio because Microsoft makes it hard to compile C++ code the regular way
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I am just another victim of the Microsoft Code Signature Cartel
#I write C++ code in Microsoft Visual Studio because Microsoft makes it hard to compile C++ code the regular way#Visual Studio forces its libraries into my program even though I don't need it so I need to make an installer#Microsoft flags my installer as malware because I don't have a code signature#Microsoft sells code signatures
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I work for insane people
So… I started work a few months ago and...
I keep being impressed with corporations lowering my expectations.
Like. EVERY time I think "Surely, this is as incompetent as it gets".
The boss is nice, the workers are nice, every PERSON is great so far. But the firm is just… fucked in ways that makes it hard to not scream with laughter.
It is like working in the ministry of silly walks by Monty Python. Insane things are happening, and everyone just acts like it is normal.
A dude was stating to someone else near me, that despite the costumers saying they did not want it, his code that crashed the application once a day, was NECESSARY, because writing code without memory leaks in C is basically impossible. Like… I just have all these small moments of insanity. Completely disconnected from each-other
My boss showing me and the other 3 new hires the coffee room, where a big screen proudly shows that not a single software product have 100% code coverage… as in, not a single person in this entire building filled with software people knows how code coverage works. He then points out an empty bowl, and declares "Twice a week, there is a fruit event". By which he means, fresh fruit is provided, and people can just grab some…. just said by a alien who is pretending to be human. Badly.
He then explained that the 2 coffee machines in here makes bad coffee. He then takes us to the copy room, showing us that THIS is where the GOOD coffee machine is. Which only takes coffee beans from a SPECIFIC vendor (Is… is the coffee machine… sponsored????)
He briefly pets the Foosball table (Again, in the copy room), which is jammed up against the wall so you can only reach the controls on one side ( Because, again, it is a copy room, and there is not enough space for it ) and he exclaims "Ahhhh… Not enough people are using this"
Suggesting, that he is trying to promote the little known sport "Single-player Foosball">
I start setting up my work PC and... Whenever any of the developers in this place wants to install things on their PC's, including compilers and testing frameworks, they have to either use the "SOFTWARE CENTER" program, which installs it FOR you… or in 10% of the cases, fails, without giving you any context for why it did that, and no tools for fixing it. Is it missing a dependency? Not working with the OS? Who knows!
Some programs cannot be installed like this though, because the SOFTWARE CENTER is not updated a lot. And when you want to install something the normal way… You get a popup, where you must provide a written explanation for why you need to have temporary admin rights to your own dang PC … you then submit that, and your screen will then be watched remotely by a worker from India, for a varied amount of time you are not told…
Or at least it says so. Maybe the Indian dude watching me is just an empty threat. Who knows. But they get to see me running absolutely… BONKERS .bat files
Like, I CHECKED them, and a good 80% of them calls a Power-Shell script in the folder above it, called "YES_OR_NO.ps1" which opens a windows 95 window informing you that DURING INSTALLATION YOU MAY NOT USE THE KEYBOARD OR MOUSE, AS IT MAY DISTURB THE SCRIPT THAT WILL INSTALL THE PROGRAM. A normal installation wizard then runs, except the developers are not trusted to click the buttons, and instead the script does it for you by moving and clicking the mouse.
All of this is documented. In markdown like reasonable people? Of course not! It is in ENHANCED markdown. Which is markdown in the same way javascript is java.
ENHANCED markdown requires browser and visual studio code extensions to be read. Completely missing the point of markdown being readable both raw and encoded… And sometimes word documents And sometimes power-point presentations left next to another bat file… this one calling the .exe file… right next to it…. I later found out is because the idea USED to be that all documentation MUST be made with Microsoft office tools.
I had to read the code of conduct today. And it was actually very well written.
I then watched a interactive animation telling me about the code of conduct… which it not only got a fact wrong about, it also broke it once.
I repeat. The introductory course in the code of conduct… broke the code of conduct'
After I watched that, and read the safety material…. which literally just said "Wear safety boots in the production floor"… I was then show the testing room.
I was lead to a different building, saying hello to the Vice CEO who was walking the other way, we walk into the production floor, ignored the fact that none of us have safety boots on, and walks into a room, with a 3*2 meter wide machine, several meters tall.
We edge around it, quietly hoping no one turns it on, since we would get slammed by it if they did, and walk down some stairs into the basement. Casually walk over a small river in the floor from a pipe that is leaking… what I really hope is water, and over to a shelf rack FILLED with the most MacGyver shit you ever did see.
Including, but not limited to, the 3D printed plastic block, with a piston that repeatedly smacking half a aluminum nameplate over the device it is testing. You see, it is a capacitance button, and it is testing it by simulating a human finger pressing it many thousands of times, a saws off antenna which is the end of a cable that is attached to it via a nice thick bolt, so it can send fake signals into it.
And of course the 24 volt, 5 amp system that is turning a circuit board on and off again, until it will crack.
We walk back out, remembering to step over the small river, which never even got a comment, and walk back to my department It is SO great. It is like working in the ministry of silly walks by Monty Python Like… Do I think I can bring value to this company? Like, making it better and more efficient? Yes. It would be hard not to!
And his is the largest pump manufacturer in the world! A super serious company with 4 billion dollars of revenue a year. And it is just… a NUTHOUSE
Like… NEVER believe the myth that corporations are competent.
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Is the .Net Framework Dead and What Does Future Hold for it?
Is.NET Extinct? | What exactly is.NET?
Is it true that.NET is no longer in use? To begin, what exactly is.NET? Microsoft’s. NET programming framework is used to construct online and mobile apps. Frameworks allow developers to call in code without having to write it themselves. .NET frameworks are commonly used to connect to online services, databases, and communication tools. I’d think it’s rather beneficial. Some have stated that the.NET framework is outdated due to the influx of new technologies coming out of Silicon Valley. On the other side, there are many.NET supporters who are optimistic about the framework’s future. We’ll discuss both sides of the debate and explain why the Bay Area continues to use it. NET.
Is.NET Dying? | Why Do Some People Think It Is?
“Why did I leave.NET?” says Jonathan Oliver, the maestro of the dev world. In a nutshell, it limited our power to select (which is a major thing for me) and focused our attention inward toward the imagined safety of the nest rather than allowing us to experience all of the options out there in the vast, wide world.”
So, is.NET doomed? NET is obviously associated with a negative connotation. It’s possible that the sigma is related to certain coders’ dislike of Microsoft in general. Many people believed that the technology had become obsolete as more open-source alternatives became accessible. Microsoft learned about this and now makes the entire server stack available as open source.
An Oldie but a Goodie
It’s hard to think that.NET is still relevant in the age of ever-changing and ever-evolving technology. It’s a bit of a tech dinosaur that’s been around for more than 15 minutes. .NET, on the other hand, is worthless if it isn’t relevant in Silicon Valley and beyond.
The entire.NET server stack is now open source, as previously stated. ASP.NET, the Dot NET compiler, the.NET Core Runtime, Framework, and Libraries are all included. This enables developers to use.NET not just on Windows but also on Mac and Linux. Apps may now be written on any OS utilizing Microsoft’s new open-source code editor, Visual Studio Code, since. resurgence NET’s in the open-source arena.
.NET is a highly scalable and powerful technology that uses Managed Code to give a high level of tolerance right out of the box. The CLR manages the assembly of your program into native executable code when it is run. This implies that the CLR gives you some assurance about how your software works, which improves its security and capacity.
Is it true that.NET is no longer in use?
Is it true that.NET is no longer in use? No. Because of its extensive functionality,.NET was (and continues to be) quite popular. Some firms have the financial resources to totally rewrite existing products in new languages, but many do not. Maintaining a framework is significantly easier and less expensive than developing a new one, as any corporation with a limited budget will tell you. Companies in the Bay Area are looking to Zibtek to sustain their core products so they may concentrate on new development. This also allows Bay Area tech businesses to implement new features without diverting senior-level personnel’s attention away from the overall business.
What is the purpose of.NET?
.Net’s future is bright. The core of the Internet
With the writing on the wall indicating that no one wanted to pay license fees to use a programming language, Microsoft changed tactics. Opensource alternatives in Python, Node, and Java defeated Microsoft in the war for domination.
Kestrel, the webserver used by ASP.Net Core, allows programmers to run an application on Linux or MAC systems just as simply as on Windows servers. The is the. The Net Core platform is also compatible with macOS, Linux, and Windows.
The majority of the software, including the C# language, has been open-sourced by the corporation. Microsoft published the first version of.Net Core in 2016, and it is on the verge of displacing legacy. Net. Additionally, Net Core has built-in support for Angular and React JS, making web development simple, modular, and feature-rich. Using dependency injection, you may eliminate hard-coded dependencies between classes.
One last point to consider
Older versions of.Net are used in a lot of legacy applications. For many businesses, migrating to.Net Core makes more sense because the syntax is identical, making retraining current team members on the technology much easier than transitioning to a new platform. Many businesses might benefit from an ASP.Net Core conversion rather than a full rewrite of their software in terms of cost and timing.
Is the.NET Framework truly defunct?
Microsoft said in 2019 that the.NET Framework 4.8 will be the final version of the framework. The successor to.NET Core 3.0 will be named as.NET 5.0, according to the firm. In other words, the.NET Framework would be replaced by.NET Core. Dot NET 5.0 was finally released in November 2020. It does not, however, provide all of the capabilities that the.NET Framework did at the time of publication.
Microsoft’s goal with.NET 5.0 is to turn.NET and Dot NET Core into a new cross-platform foundation. There are, however, certain disadvantages. For years, developers have used ASP.NET Web Forms to create web interfaces. On.NET 5.0, it is no longer supported. You’d have to use Blazor instead. Even the conventional Windows communication foundation, Windows Communication Foundation (WCF), is being phased out. As a result, you’ll have no choice but to use alternative solutions like gRPC or CoreWCF. As a result, there is no major technical debt with older programs that use the.NET Framework.
A big number of engineers throughout the world were enraged by Microsoft’s controversial action on the.NET framework. They believe there is a large gap between release and stability in the software development behemoth’s products.
On the flip side, this framework also had a few versions such as Silverlight which didn’t work up to expectations and forced us to look for other solutions.
In 2019, Microsoft announced that .NET Framework 4.8 will be the final version of the framework and declared dot NET 5.0 as the successor of .NET 3.0. Now, let’s look at the experts’ opinion on whether the .NET framework is really dead?
Feel a gap exists between release & sustainability of the Microsoft products
“In 2019, Microsoft declared that the .NET Framework 4.8 was the last among the .NET Framework. Furthermore, they announced that the .NET Core 3.0 would be referred to as .NET 5.0. Thus, .NET Core replaced .NET Framework.
It is important to note that .NET 5.0 does not support the use of ASP.NET Web Forms in building web UIs. Additionally, you cannot use Windows Communication Foundation (WCF). Instead, you have to use Blazor and other alternatives like CoreWCF, meaning there is a gap for apps built-in .NET Framework.
Developers, therefore, feel that a gap exists between the release and sustainability of the Microsoft software products.
“The .NET framework appears to be dead, for several reasons. First, its last release was in 2019, over two years ago. Second, its successor, .NET 5.0, had a rollout that was confusing and actually infuriating to web developers globally as a matter of fact. The main reason behind that is that those developers felt that there was a gap existing between its release and its stability. Developers, among others, were basically left guessing for the most part.”
“.NET is dead as a future framework for web applications and software. Microsoft won’t be building for it and they won’t support it. But software that already runs on .NET and is no longer being update will still run on it. You just may have to use an older operating system in the future to get these programs to work.
All of that said, Microsoft will replace .NET with something functionally similar. Of course, this puts the burden on developers to update their applications so that newer operating systems can run them.”
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Let me complain about Meson
About Hobbits
Meson’s a build system. Or possibly Ninja, Meson’s backend, is a build system. Let’s just say the whole thing is.
It’s an alternative to CMake, which is an alternative to the Autotools, which is a way to write makefiles that work on various systems for fewer pints of blood and sweat. And makefiles are basically recipes, a convenient way to run shell commands that (most commonly) translate your source code into a binary that your computer can run.
When I first used Meson I went, “Wow”. I was thrilled. I’ve never got my head around makefiles, I think because – well, I’m always saying I’m stupid, so this time I’ll say – I’m lazy. Makefiles aren’t complicated at their core. I think what’s confusing is the many shortcuts you can take with them. Many shortcuts make things hard to learn. You can’t see the wood for the trees. And cruft.
If I do one day finally learn Make, I’ll deliberately restrict myself to the old, more verbose syntax. This general approach is what everyone should take whenever they learn something. Start with the scales (music analogy). I’m a guitarist and I’ve hardly bothered. They’re boring. And you think (’cause you’re arrogant) other people need to start with the scales, OK – and there’s nothing wrong with being dumb! – but me …
Lots of us are like this. We think we understand enough or at least trust our perception of our own intelligence – and rush ahead. When people ask other people how to make computer games they get told to make Pong. “Actually, sorry, no,” says OP, “I’m making an open-world simulation CRPG, thanks. Yes, I know it’ll take me a while.”
You’ve got to make Pong. I’m thirty-six and I’ve known this for years. And yet the game I’m writing is a Zelda clone. However, I have paid my dues, having written approximately 1,00,000 command-line programs.
The problem with bells-and-whistles, do-everything-for-you things (like Meson) is what do you do when you can’t get it to do the thing you you need it to do? Look in its documentation. Or possibly the documentation for one of the many programs/libraries/framewords/apis it uses. And when you do, you find (tenuous metaphor) they’re talking Mario and GTA and the Elder Scrolls and you don’t understand, because you didn’t make Pong.
They don’t want you to make Pong. “Try our system/framework/platform. It’s got x and y and you’ll love it! You’ll never have to bother with all those low-level things again.”
Tom Waits can explain it better.
And you end up dumb as a brick. A user instead of wizard you deserve to be. They took your magic wand.
So why am I ranting away about this? As any mediocre scriptwriter will be able to guess, there has been an inciting incident. I am incited, and an incident is responsible.
Basically, I was playing with Zig 1. No one’s written a Syntastic (Vim linting plugin) checker for it, but there is a Zig language server. So I got rid of Syntastic and got ALE (Asynchronous Language … ?), which does the same job as Syntastic, but asynchronously and with LSP support.
LSP – Language Server Protocol – is a Microsoft thing. A good thing, a way for any editor to offer lots of IDE-like things. We could always do those things, with various tools like Ctags but this does it better. Because it makes use of your actual compiler or interpreter’s output.
Getting it set up’s not easy, though, though it worked for me first try this time. A testament to how much I’ve learned? Maybe, but ALE knew where to look for the compile_commands.json and Meson stuck it in the right place.
I always make an effort to properly introduce technical things I talk about, for the sake of the fictional layperson. I, for one, get bored and stop listening to things I don’t understand. But it’s hard, and I’ve failed here before even getting to my point.
Which is systems like Meson are shit. I’ll keep using it, though. I won’t write Pong, and I won’t use Cmake.
The reason it’s shit is I’ve spent five hours trying to silence a clangd warning. clangd’s the name of a language server. For C and C++. At some point today I completely forgot about Zig.
I use gcc to compile my C programs, and too eagerly use gcc extensions. The language server stuff is all to do with clang. So, though I’m compiling with gcc, clang is being used to LINT 2 my C program.
This should be fine. clang claims to be a drop-in replacement for gcc. But it’s not.
Tom Bombadil
I like gcc’s “-fms-extensions” flag. That lets you include structs that have already been defined as anonymous members of another struct.
struct apple { char *name; }; struct orange { struct apple; };
It’s -fms-extensions that permits the nameless struct apple inside the struct orange. Normally you’ve have to give it a name, like:
struct orange { struct apple apple; };
And refer to it like orange.apple.name = "Frederick". -fms-extensions lets you do orange.name = "Frederick".
It’s just nice. I’ll show you another trick, while I’m on the subject.
It fixes the only downside of this approach, which is that now you can’t refer to the member struct as itself: it doesn’t have name. But!
struct orange { union { struct apple; struct apple apple; }; }
Now you are eating your cake in addition to having it. You can now refer to apple’s members without saying apple’s name. And you can pass just the apple to functions that expect one. By writing orange.apple.
One last thing on this topic. Even without -fms-extensions you can mostly do this. You can define anonymous structs, anonymous unions. You just can’t define a struct outside and then use it inside without its name. You can do this:
struct fruit { char *name; union { struct { float sourness; }; // oranges struct { float crunchiness; }; // apples } }
The Barrow Downs
Right now I’d rather know the language of Make. I would have silenced that warning in a jiffy. I’d be rich by now, the time I saved.
It’s swings and roundabouts. I’m obsessed with this idea. There’s no such thing as a free lunch. Programmers (and maybe writers) know this better than anyone.
You do this really awesome thing in an effort to make your program or story better. And it takes ages. And when you’re done you have …
Oh, sometimes you’ll have more flexible code, or more robust code, or faster or more memory-efficient code. But you’ve sacrificed something. Readability, perhaps. Speed. Whatever. It’s gone and there’s no fucking way you’re going back over it again. You’re stuck with it. You’ll defend your decision to the death. You bled for it.
Meson’s big selling-point is it just works. Oh, it’s worth it. I said it was shit earlier – that was a lie. But I’m still mad it took me ages to fix my linter problem.
Hey, Wait, We’re in Mordor?
I’ve got a new complaint.
When I first started programming, I used Visual Studio and Windows. I remember how hard it was for me to compile my first program, which was probably an SDL example. Probably there was Hello, World before that.
Someone said somewhere the hardest thing you’ll ever do in programming is compile your first program. And, oh, I agree. Because there’s all this stuff to learn.
I buggered off to Linux, partly because I’d come to realise if you want to program, particularly in C, it was the place to be. A lot of programming in Windows and Mac is programming in Linux. Users of those OSes use virtual machines, compatibility layers and servers to do it. They have, I am sure, mighty brains, because it’s one thing to compile a program, and quite another cross-compile it, or do it in a VM or container, or do it on the web somehow.
What I didn’t like about Visual Studio was simple: you gave the compiler and linker and build system options by filling out textboxes and picking from menus.
I roared, “But how does it work?”
I felt strongly that Visual Studio’s friendly user interface was obscuring the reality of what I was doing. Now it blindingly obvious to me it’s turning all those textboxes, checkboxes into a commandline, which it’ll fire at the compiler. But I didn’t then.
Meson gives me a strong whiff of that. Look.
add_global_arguments ('-fms-extensions', language: 'c') add_global_arguments ('-Wno-microsoft', language: 'c') m_dep = cc.find_library ('m', required : true) sdl2_dep = cc.find_library ('SDL2', required : true) sdl2_image_dep = cc.find_library ('SDL2_image', required : true) sdl2_ttf_dep = cc.find_library ('SDL2_ttf', required : true)
These are just commandline flags. Meson is taking these strings you give it – “SDL2”, “-fms-extensions”, etc – and appending it to a call to gcc. The cc.find_library function is calling something like pkg-config or cmake. Is all this stuff really better than:
gcc -ggdb3 -Wall src/* -fms-extensions -Wno-microsoft \ -o build/whatever -l -lm \ $(pkg-config sdl2 --cflags --libs) \ $(pkg-config sdl2_ttf --cflags --libs) \ $(pkg-config sdl2_image --cflags --libs) \
Maybe so.
In summary, I could have solved this Meson/LSP/ALE/Vim thing in five seconds flat if I’d written a makefile (or, frankly, since my project is hardly huge, a shell script). But I won’t start writing Makefiles any time soon. I reserve the right to complain about it in the future, though.
a language I definitely approve of, that’s packed good ideas and things done right, that I probably won’t use, because already know how to do the things it tries to solve, and learning new languages makes me feel like a toddler or an old man. Maybe one day! But it’s new, too, and if there’s one solid lesson I’ve learned in my years using Linux and programming it’s don’t use new things. Use old and safely dead things, expecially those whose undead life is regulated by crusty old men and women. Because there’s documentation! And they’re getting round to implementing those features you envy. They’ll get there. And in the meantime, well, you can do it gcc already.↩︎
A linter is a program that looks at your code and points out some kind of problem. Some show syntax errors, some tell you that it doesn’t like your coding style. Some just annoy the shit out of you and you don’t know how to shut them up.↩︎
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400+ TOP C#.NET Interview Questions and Answers
C#.NET Interview Questions for freshers experienced :-
1. What is C#? C# is an object oriented, type safe and managed language that is compiled by .Net framework to generate Microsoft Intermediate Language. 2. What are the types of comment in C# with examples? Single line Eg: //This is a Single line comment ii. Multiple line (/* */) Eg: /*This is a multiple line comment We are in line 2 Last line of comment*/ iii. XML Comments (///). Eg: /// summary; /// Set error message for multilingual language. /// summary 3. What's The Difference Between The System.array.copyto() And System.array.clone()? The first one performs a deep copy of the array, the second one is shallow. 4. How Can You Sort The Elements Of The Array In Descending Order? By calling Sort() and then Reverse() methods. 5. What's The .net Datatype That Allows The Retrieval Of Data By A Unique Key? HashTable. 6. What's Class Sortedlist Underneath? A sorted HashTable. 7. Will Finally Block Get Executed If The Exception Had Not Occurred? Yes. 8. What's The C# Equivalent Of C++ Catch (....), Which Was A Catch-all Statement For Any Possible Exception? A catch block that catches the exception of type System.Exception. You can also omit the parameter data type in this case and just write catch {}. 9. Can Multiple Catch Blocks Be Executed? No, once the proper catch code fires off, the control is transferred to the finally block (if there are any), and then whatever follows the finally block. 10. Why Is It A Bad Idea To Throw Your Own Exceptions? Well, if at that point you know that an error has occurred, then why not write the proper code to handle that error instead of passing a new Exception object to the catch block? Throwing your own exceptions signifies some design flaws in the project.
C#.NET Interview Questions 11. What's A Delegate? A delegate object encapsulates a reference to a method. In C++ they were referred to as function pointers. 12. What's A Multicast Delegate? It’s a delegate that points to and eventually fires off several methods. 13. How's The Dll Hell Problem Solved In .net? Assembly versioning allows the application to specify not only the library it needs to run (which was available under Win32), but also the version of the assembly. 14. What Are The Ways To Deploy An Assembly? An MSI installer, a CAB archive, and XCOPY command. 15. What's A Satellite Assembly? When you write a multilingual or multi-cultural application in .NET, and want to distribute the core application separately from the localized modules, the localized assemblies that modify the core application are called satellite assemblies. 16. What Namespaces Are Necessary To Create A Localized Application? System.Globalization, System.Resources. 17. What's The Difference Between // Comments, /* */ Comments And /// Comments? Single-line, multi-line and XML documentation comments. 18. How Do You Generate Documentation From The C# File Commented Properly With A Command-line Compiler? Compile it with a /doc switch. 19. What's The Difference Between And Xml Documentation Tag? Single line code example and multiple-line code example. 20. Is Xml Case-sensitive? Yes, so and are different elements. 21. What Debugging Tools Come With The .net Sdk? CorDBG – command-line debugger, and DbgCLR – graphic debugger. Visual Studio .NET uses the DbgCLR. To use CorDbg, you must compile the original C# file using the /debug switch. 22. What Does The This Window Show In The Debugger? It points to the object that’s pointed to by this reference. Object’s instance data is shown. 23. What Does Assert() Do? In debug compilation, assert takes in a Boolean condition as a parameter, and shows the error dialog if the condition is false. The program proceeds without any interruption if the condition is true. 24. What's The Difference Between The Debug Class And Trace Class? Documentation Looks The Same. Use Debug class for debug builds, use Trace class for both debug and release builds. 25. Why Are There Five Tracing Levels In System.diagnostics.traceswitcher? The tracing dumps can be quite verbose and for some applications that are constantly running you run the risk of overloading the machine and the hard drive there. Five levels range from None to Verbose, allowing to fine-tune the tracing activities. 26. Where Is The Output Of Textwritertracelistener Redirected? To the Console or a text file depending on the parameter passed to the constructor. 27. How Do You Debug An Asp.net Web Application? Attach the aspnet_wp.exe process to the DbgClr debugger. 28. What Are Three Test Cases You Should Go Through In Unit Testing? Positive test cases (correct data, correct output), negative test cases (broken or missing data, proper handling), exception test cases (exceptions are thrown and caught properly). 29. Can You Change The Value Of A Variable While Debugging A C# Application? Yes, if you are debugging via Visual Studio.NET, just go to Immediate window. 30. Explain The Three Services Model (three-tier Application). Presentation (UI), business (logic and underlying code) and data (from storage or other sources). 31. What Are Advantages And Disadvantages Of Microsoft-provided Data Provider Classes In Ado.net? SQLServer.NET data provider is high-speed and robust, but requires SQL Server license purchased from Microsoft. OLE-DB.NET is universal for accessing other sources, like Oracle, DB2, Microsoft Access and Informix, but it’s a .NET layer on top of OLE layer, so not the fastest thing in the world. ODBC.NET is a deprecated layer provided for backward compatibility to ODBC engines. 32. What's The Role Of The Datareader Class In Ado.net Connections? It returns a read-only dataset from the data source when the command is executed. 33. What Is The Wildcard Character In Sql? Let's Say You Want To Query Database With Like For All Employees Whose Name Starts With La. The wildcard character is %, the proper query with LIKE would involve ‘La%’. 34. Explain Acid Rule Of Thumb For Transactions. Transaction must be Atomic (it is one unit of work and does not dependent on previous and following transactions), Consistent (data is either committed or roll back, no “in-between” case where something has been updated and something hasn’t), Isolated (no transaction sees the intermediate results of the current transaction), Durable (the values persist if the data had been committed even if the system crashes right after). 35. What Connections Does Microsoft Sql Server Support? Windows Authentication (via Active Directory) and SQL Server authentication (via Microsoft SQL Server user name and passwords). 36. Which One Is Trusted And Which One Is Untrusted? Windows Authentication is trusted because the username and password are checked with the Active Directory, the SQL Server authentication is untrusted, since SQL Server is the only verifier participating in the transaction. 37. Why Would You Use Untrusted Verificaion? Web Services might use it, as well as non-Windows applications. 38. What Does The Parameter Initial Catalog Define Inside Connection String? The database name to connect to. 39. What's The Data Provider Name To Connect To Access Database? Microsoft.Access. 40. What Does Dispose Method Do With The Connection Object? Deletes it from the memory. 41. What Is A Pre-requisite For Connection Pooling? Multiple processes must agree that they will share the same connection, where every parameter is the same, including the security settings. 42. What Is C#? C# is a programming language designed by Microsoft. It is loosely based on C/C++, and bears a striking similarity to Java. Microsoft describe C# as follows: "C# is a simple, modern, object oriented, and type-safe programming language derived from C and C++. C# (pronounced 'C sharp') is firmly planted in the C and C++ family tree of languages, and will immediately be familiar to C and C++ programmers. C# aims to combine the high productivity of Visual Basic and the raw power of C++." 43. How Do I Develop C# Apps? The (free) .NET SDK contains the C# command-line compiler (csc.exe). Visual Studio has fully integrated support for C# development. On Linux you can use Mono. 44. Does C# Replace C++? There are three options open to the Windows developer from a C++ background: Stick with standard C++. Don't use .NET at all. Use C++ with .NET. Microsoft supply a .NET C++ compiler that produces IL rather than machine code. However to make full use of the .NET environment (e.g. garbage collection), a set of extensions are required to standard C++. In .NET 1.x this extended language is called Managed Extensions for C++. In .NET 2.0 ME C++ has been completely redesigned under the stewardship of Stan Lippman, and renamed C++/CLI. Forget C++ and use C#. Each of these options has merits, depending on the developer and the application. For my own part, I intend to use C# where possible, falling back to C++ only where necessary. ME C++ (soon to be C++/CLI) is very useful for interop between new .NET code and old C++ code - simply write a managed wrapper class using ME C++, then use the managed class from C#. From experience, this works well. 45. Does C# Have Its Own Class Library? Not exactly. The .NET Framework has a comprehensive class library, which C# can make use of. C# does not have its own class library. 46. What Standard Types Does C# Use? C# supports a very similar range of basic types to C++, including int, long, float, double, char, string, arrays, structs and classes. However, don't assume too much. The names may be familiar, but many of the details are different. For example, a long is 64 bits in C#, whereas in C++ the size of a long depends on the platform (typically 32 bits on a 32-bit platform, 64 bits on a 64-bit platform). Also classes and structs are almost the same in C++ - this is not true for C#. Finally, chars and strings in .NET are 16-bit (Unicode/UTF-16), not 8-bit like C++. 47. Is It True That All C# Types Derive From A Common Base Class? Yes and no. All types can be treated as if they derive from object (System.Object), but in order to treat an instance of a value type (e.g. int, float) as object-derived, the instance must be converted to a reference type using a process called 'boxing'. In theory a developer can forget about this and let the run-time worry about when the conversion is necessary, but in reality this implicit conversion can have side-effects that may trip up the unwary. 48. What Are The Fundamental Differences Between Value Types And Reference Types? C# divides types into two categories - value types and reference types. Most of the intrinsic types (e.g. int, char) are value types. Structs are also value types. Reference types include classes, arrays and strings. The basic idea is straightforward - an instance of a value type represents the actual data, whereas an instance of a reference type represents a pointer or reference to the data. The most confusing aspect of this for C++ developers is that C# has predetermined which types are represented as values, and which are represented as references. A C++ developer expects to take responsibility for this decision. For example, in C++ we can do this: int x1 = 3; // x1 is a value on the stack int *x2 = new int(3) // x2 is a pointer to a value on the heap but in C# there is no control: int x1 = 3; // x1 is a value on the stack int x2 = new int(); x2 = 3; // x2 is also a value on the stack! 49. Okay, So An Int Is A Value Type, And A Class Is A Reference Type. How Can Int Be Derived From Object? It isn't, really. When an int is being used as an int, it is a value. However, when it is being used as an object, it is a reference to an integer value (on the managed heap). In other words, when you treat an int as an object, the runtime automatically converts the int value to an object reference. This process is called boxing. The conversion involves copying the int to the heap, and creating an object instance which refers to it. Unboxing is the reverse process - the object is converted back to a value. int x = 3; // new int value 3 on the stack object objx = x; // new int on heap, set to value 3 - still have x=3 on stack int y = (int)objx; // new value 3 on stack, still got x=3 on stack and objx=3 on heap 50. Are C# References The Same As C++ References? Not quite. The basic idea is the same, but one significant difference is that C# references can be null . So you cannot rely on a C# reference pointing to a valid object. In that respect a C# reference is more like a C++ pointer than a C++ reference. If you try to use a null reference, a NullReferenceException is thrown. For example, look at the following method: void displayStringLength( string s ) { Console.WriteLine( "String is length {0}", s.Length ); } The problem with this method is that it will throw a NullReferenceException if called like this: string s = null; displayStringLength( s ); Of course for some situations you may deem a NullReferenceException to be a perfectly acceptable outcome, but in this case it might be better to re-write the method like this: void displayStringLength( string s ) { if( s == null ) Console.WriteLine( "String is null" ); else Console.WriteLine( "String is length {0}", s.Length ); } 51. Structs Are Largely Redundant In C++. Why Does C# Have Them? In C++, a struct and a class are pretty much the same thing. The only difference is the default visibility level (public for structs, private for classes). However, in C# structs and classes are very different. In C#, structs are value types (instances stored directly on the stack, or inline within heap-based objects), whereas classes are reference types (instances stored on the heap, accessed indirectly via a reference). Also structs cannot inherit from structs or classes, though they can implement interfaces. Structs cannot have destructors. A C# struct is much more like a C struct than a C++ struct. 52. Does C# Support Multiple Inheritance (mi)? No, though it does support implementation of multiple interfaces on a single class or struct. 53. Is A C# Interface The Same As A C++ Abstract Class? No, not quite. An abstract class in C++ cannot be instantiated, but it can (and often does) contain implementation code and/or data members. A C# interface cannot contain any implementation code or data members - it is simply a group of method names & signatures. A C# interface is more like a COM interface than a C++ abstract class. 54. Are C# Constructors The Same As C++ Constructors? Very similar, but there are some significant differences. First, C# supports constructor chaining. This means one constructor can call another: class Person { public Person( string name, int age ) { ... } public Person( string name ) : this( name, 0 ) {} public Person() : this( "", 0 ) {} } Another difference is that virtual method calls within a constructor are routed to the most derived implementation - see Can I Call a virtual method from a constructor. Error handling is also somewhat different. If an exception occurs during construction of a C# object, the destuctor (finalizer) will still be called. This is unlike C++ where the destructor is not called if construction is not completed. (Thanks to Jon Jagger for pointing this out.) Finally, C# has static constructors. The static constructor for a class runs before the first instance of the class is created. Also note that (like C++) some C# developers prefer the factory method pattern over constructors. See Brad Wilson's article. 55. Are C# Destructors The Same As C++ Destructors? No. They look the same but they are very different. The C# destructor syntax (with the familiar ~ character) is just syntactic sugar for an override of the System.Object Finalize method. This Finalize method is called by the garbage collector when it determines that an object is no longer referenced, before it frees the memory associated with the object. So far this sounds like a C++ destructor. The difference is that the garbage collector makes no guarantees about when this procedure happens. Indeed, the algorithm employed by the CLR garbage collector means that it may be a long time after the application has finished with the object. This lack of certainty is often termed 'non-deterministic finalization', and it means that C# destructors are not suitable for releasing scarce resources such as database connections, file handles etc. To achieve deterministic destruction, a class must offer a method to be used for the purpose. The standard approach is for the class to implement the IDisposable interface. The user of the object must call the Dispose() method when it has finished with the object. C# offers the 'using' construct to make this easier. 56. If C# Destructors Are So Different To C++ Destructors, Why Did Ms Use The Same Syntax? Presumably they wanted C++ programmers to feel at home. I think they made a mistake. 57. Are All Methods Virtual In C#? No. Like C++, methods are non-virtual by default, but can be marked as virtual. 58. How Do I Declare A Pure Virtual Function In C#? Use the abstract modifier on the method. The class must also be marked as abstract (naturally). Note that abstract methods cannot have an implementation (unlike pure virtual C++ methods). 59. Can I Call A Virtual Method From A Constructor/destructor? Yes, but it's generally not a good idea. The mechanics of object construction in .NET are quite different from C++, and this affects virtual method calls in constructors. C++ constructs objects from base to derived, so when the base constructor is executing the object is effectively a base object, and virtual method calls are routed to the base class implementation. By contrast, in .NET the derived constructor is executed first, which means the object is always a derived object and virtual method calls are always routed to the derived implementation. (Note that the C# compiler inserts a call to the base class constructor at the start of the derived constructor, thus preserving standard OO semantics by creating the illusion that the base constructor is executed first.) The same issue arises when calling virtual methods from C# destructors. A virtual method call in a base destructor will be routed to the derived implementation. 60. Should I Make My Destructor Virtual? A C# destructor is really just an override of the System.Object Finalize method, and so is virtual by definition. 61. Can I Use Exceptions In C#? Yes, in fact exceptions are the recommended error-handling mechanism in C# (and in .NET in general). Most of the .NET framework classes use exceptions to signal errors. 62. What Types Of Object Can I Throw As Exceptions? Only instances of the System.Exception classes, or classes derived from System.Exception. This is in sharp contrast with C++ where instances of almost any type can be thrown. 63. Can I Define My Own Exceptions? Yes, just derive your exception class from System.Exception. 64. Does The System.exception Class Have Any Cool Features? Yes - the feature which stands out is the StackTrace property. This provides a call stack which records where the exception was thrown from. For example, the following code: using System; class CApp { public static void Main() { try { f(); } catch( Exception e ) { Console.WriteLine( "System.Exception stack trace = \n{0}", e.StackTrace ); } } static void f() { throw new Exception( "f went pear-shaped" ); } } produces this output: System.Exception stack trace = at CApp.f() at CApp.Main() Note, however, that this stack trace was produced from a debug build. A release build may optimise away some of the method calls which could mean that the call stack isn't quite what you expect. 65. When Should I Throw An Exception? This is the subject of some debate, and is partly a matter of taste. However, it is accepted by many that exceptions should be thrown only when an 'unexpected' error occurs. How do you decide if an error is expected or unexpected? This is a judgement call, but a straightforward example of an expected error is failing to read from a file because the seek pointer is at the end of the file, whereas an example of an unexpected error is failing to allocate memory from the heap. 66. Does C# Have A 'throws' Clause? No, unlike Java, C# does not require (or even allow) the developer to specify the exceptions that a method can throw. 67. How Can I Check The Type Of An Object At Runtime? You can use the is keyword. For example: using System; class CApp { public static void Main() { string s = "fred"; long i = 10; Console.WriteLine( "{0} is {1}an integer", s, (IsInteger(s) ? "" : "not ") ); Console.WriteLine( "{0} is {1}an integer", i, (IsInteger(i) ? "" : "not ") ); } static bool IsInteger( object obj ) { if( obj is int || obj is long ) return true; else return false; } } produces the output: fred is not an integer 10 is an integer 68. Can I Get The Name Of A Type At Runtime? Yes, use the GetType method of the object class (which all types inherit from). For example: using System; class CTest { class CApp { public static void Main() { long i = 10; CTest ctest = new CTest(); DisplayTypeInfo( ctest ); DisplayTypeInfo( i ); } static void DisplayTypeInfo( object obj ) { Console.WriteLine( "Type name = {0}, full type name = {1}", obj.GetType(), obj.GetType().FullName ); } } } produces the following output: Type name = CTest, full type name = CTest Type name = Int64, full type name = System.Int64 69. How Do I Do A Case-insensitive String Comparison? Use the String.Compare function. Its third parameter is a boolean which specifies whether case should be ignored or not. "fred" == "Fred" // false System.String.Compare( "fred", "Fred", true ) // true 70. Does C# Support A Variable Number Of Arguments? Yes, using the params keyword. The arguments are specified as a list of arguments of a specific type, e.g. int. For ultimate flexibility, the type can be object. The standard example of a method which uses this approach is System.Console.WriteLine(). 71. How Can I Process Command-line Arguments? Like this: using System; class CApp { public static void Main( string args ) { Console.WriteLine( "You passed the following arguments:" ); foreach( string arg in args ) Console.WriteLine( arg ); } } 72. Does C# Do Array Bounds Checking? Yes. An IndexOutOfRange exception is used to signal an error. 73. How Can I Make Sure My C# Classes Will Interoperate With Other .net Languages? Make sure your C# code conforms to the Common Language Subset (CLS). To help with this, add the global attribute to your C# source files. The compiler will emit an error if you use a C# feature which is not CLS-compliant. 74. How Do I Use The 'using' Keyword With Multiple Objects? You can nest using statements, like this: using( obj1 ) { using( obj2 ) { ... } } However consider using this more aesthetically pleasing (but functionally identical) formatting: using( obj1 ) using( obj2 ) { ... } 75. What Is The Difference Between == And Object.equals? For value types, == and Equals() usually compare two objects by value. For example: int x = 10; int y = 10; Console.WriteLine( x == y ); Console.WriteLine( x.Equals(y) ); will display: True True However things are more complex for reference types. Generally speaking, for reference types == is expected to perform an identity comparison, i.e. it will only return true if both references point to the same object. By contrast, Equals() is expected to perform a value comparison, i.e. it will return true if the references point to objects that are equivalent. For example: StringBuilder s1 = new StringBuilder("fred"); StringBuilder s2 = new StringBuilder("fred"); Console.WriteLine( s1 == s2 ); Console.WriteLine( s1.Equals(s2) ); will display: False True s1 and s2 are different objects (hence == returns false), but they are equivalent (hence Equals() returns true). Unfortunately there are exceptions to these rules. The implementation of Equals() in System.Object (the one you'll inherit by default if you write a class) compares identity, i.e. it's the same as operator==. So Equals() only tests for equivalence if the class author overrides the method (and implements it correctly). Another exception is the string class - its operator== compares value rather than identity. Bottom line: If you want to perform an identity comparison use the ReferenceEquals() method. If you want to perform a value comparison, use Equals() but be aware that it will only work if the type has overridden the default implementation. Avoid operator== with reference types (except perhaps strings), as it's simply too ambiguous. 76. How Do I Enforce Const Correctness In C#? You can't - at least not in the same way you do in C++. C# (actually, the CLI) has no real concept of const correctness, For example, there's no way to specify that a method should not modify an argument passed in to it. And there's no way to specify that a method does not modify the object on which it is acting. To get a feel for the angst this causes among some C++ programmers, read the feedback on this post from Raymond Chen. There are of course ways of addressing this issue. For example, see Brad Abram's post (and associated feedback) for some ideas on adding optional read-only behaviour to collection classes. 77. What Are The New Features In C# 2.0? Support for all of the new framework features such as generics, anonymous methods, partial classes, iterators and static classes. Delegate inference is a new feature of the C# compiler which makes delegate usage a little simpler. It allows you to write this: Thread t = new Thread(ThreadFunc); instead of this: Thread t = new Thread( new ThreadStart(ThreadFunc) ); Another minor but welcome addition is the explicit global namespace, which fixes a hole in namespace usage in C# 1.x. You can prefix a type name with global:: to indicate that the type belongs to the global namespace, thus avoiding problems where the compiler infers the namespace and gets it wrong. Finally C# 2.0 includes some syntactic sugar for the new System.Nullable type. You can use T? as a synonym for System.Nullable, where T is a value type. As suggested by the name, this allows values of the type to be 'null', or 'undefined'. 78. Are C# Generics The Same As C++ Templates? No, not really. There are some similarities, but there are also fundamental differences. 79. What Is An Interface In C#? An Interface in C# is created using the interface keyword. An example is shown below. using System; namespace Interfaces { interface IBankCustomer { void DepositMoney(); void WithdrawMoney(); } public class Demo : IBankCustomer { public void DepositMoney() { Console.WriteLine("Deposit Money"); } public void WithdrawMoney() { Console.WriteLine("Withdraw Money"); } public static void Main() { Demo DemoObject = new Demo(); DemoObject.DepositMoney(); DemoObject.WithdrawMoney(); } } } In our example we created IBankCustomer interface. The interface declares 2 methods. 1. void DepositMoney(); 2. void WithdrawMoney(); Notice that method declarations does not have access modifiers like public, private, etc. By default all interface members are public. It is a compile time error to use access modifiers on interface member declarations. Also notice that the interface methods have only declarations and not implementation. It is a compile time error to provide implementation for any interface member. In our example as the Demo class is inherited from the IBankCustomer interface, the Demo class has to provide the implementation for both the methods (WithdrawMoney() and DepositMoney()) that is inherited from the interface. If the class fails to provide implementation for any of the inherited interface member, a compile time error will be generated. Interfaces can consist of methods, properties, events, indexers, or any combination of those four member types. When a class or a struct inherits an interface, the class or struct must provide implementation for all of the members declared in the interface. The interface itself provides no functionality that a class or struct can inherit in the way that base class functionality can be inherited. However, if a base class implements an interface, the derived class inherits that implementation. 80. Can An Interface Contain Fields? No, an Interface cannot contain fields. 81. What Is The Difference Between Class Inheritance And Interface Inheritance? Classes and structs can inherit from interfaces just like how classes can inherit a base class or struct. However there are 2 differences. 1. A class or a struct can inherit from more than one interface at the same time where as A class or a struct cannot inherit from more than one class at the same time. An example depicting the same is shown below. using System; namespace Interfaces { interface Interface1 { void Interface1Method(); } interface Interface2 { void Interface2Method(); } class BaseClass1 { public void BaseClass1Method() { Console.WriteLine("BaseClass1 Method"); } } class BaseClass2 { public void BaseClass2Method() { Console.WriteLine("BaseClass2 Method"); } } //Error : A class cannot inherit from more than one class at the same time //class DerivedClass : BaseClass1, BaseClass2 //{ //} //A class can inherit from more than one interface at the same time public class Demo : Interface1, Interface2 { public void Interface1Method() { Console.WriteLine("Interface1 Method"); } public void Interface2Method() { Console.WriteLine("Interface2 Method"); } public static void Main() { Demo DemoObject = new Demo(); DemoObject.Interface1Method(); DemoObject.Interface2Method(); } } } 2. When a class or struct inherits an interface, it inherits only the method names and signatures, because the interface itself contains no implementations. 82. Can An Interface Inherit From Another Interface? Yes, an interface can inherit from another interface. It is possible for a class to inherit an interface multiple times, through base classes or interfaces it inherits. In this case, the class can only implement the interface one time, if it is declared as part of the new class. If the inherited interface is not declared as part of the new class, its implementation is provided by the base class that declared it. It is possible for a base class to implement interface members using virtual members; in that case, the class inheriting the interface can change the interface behavior by overriding the virtual members. 83. Can You Create An Instance Of An Interface? No, you cannot create an instance of an interface. 84. If A Class Inherits An Interface, What Are The 2 Options Available For That Class? Option 1: Provide Implementation for all the members inheirted from the interface. namespace Interfaces { interface Interface1 { void Interface1Method(); } class BaseClass1 : Interface1 { public void Interface1Method() { Console.WriteLine("Interface1 Method"); } public void BaseClass1Method() { Console.WriteLine("BaseClass1 Method"); } } } Option 2: If the class does not wish to provide Implementation for all the members inheirted from the interface, then the class has to be marked as abstract. namespace Interfaces { interface Interface1 { void Interface1Method(); } abstract class BaseClass1 : Interface1 { abstract public void Interface1Method(); public void BaseClass1Method() { Console.WriteLine("BaseClass1 Method"); } } } 85. A Class Inherits From 2 Interfaces And Both The Interfaces Have The Same Method Name As Shown Below. How Should The Class Implement The Drive Method For Both Car And Bus Interface? namespace Interfaces { interface Car { void Drive(); } interface Bus { void Drive(); } class Demo : Car,Bus { //How to implement the Drive() Method inherited from Bus and Car } } To implement the Drive() method use the fully qualified name as shown in the example below. To call the respective interface drive method type cast the demo object to the respective interface and then call the drive method. using System; namespace Interfaces { interface Car { void Drive(); } interface Bus { void Drive(); } class Demo : Car,Bus { void Car.Drive() { Console.WriteLine("Drive Car"); } void Bus.Drive() { Console.WriteLine("Drive Bus"); } static void Main() { Demo DemoObject = new Demo(); ((Car)DemoObject).Drive(); ((Bus)DemoObject).Drive(); } } } 86. What Do You Mean By "explicitly Implemeting An Interface". Give An Example? If a class is implementing the inherited interface member by prefixing the name of the interface, then the class is "Explicitly Implemeting an Interface member". The disadvantage of Explicitly Implemeting an Interface member is that, the class object has to be type casted to the interface type to invoke the interface member. An example is shown below. using System; namespace Interfaces { interface Car { void Drive(); } class Demo : Car { // Explicit implementation of an interface member void Car.Drive() { Console.WriteLine("Drive Car"); } static void Main() { Demo DemoObject = new Demo(); //DemoObject.Drive(); // Error: Cannot call explicitly implemented interface method // using the class object. // Type cast the demo object to interface type Car ((Car)DemoObject).Drive(); } } } 87. What Is A Partial Class. Give An Example? A partial class is a class whose definition is present in 2 or more files. Each source file contains a section of the class, and all parts are combined when the application is compiled. To split a class definition, use the partial keyword as shown in the example below. Student class is split into 2 parts. The first part defines the study() method and the second part defines the Play() method. When we compile this program both the parts will be combined and compiled. Note that both the parts uses partial keyword and public access modifier. using System; namespace PartialClass { public partial class Student { public void Study() { Console.WriteLine("I am studying"); } } public partial class Student { public void Play() { Console.WriteLine("I am Playing"); } } public class Demo { public static void Main() { Student StudentObject = new Student(); StudentObject.Study(); StudentObject.Play(); } }} It is very important to keep the following points in mind when creating partial classes. All the parts must use the partial keyword. All the parts must be available at compile time to form the final class. All the parts must have the same access modifiers - public, private, protected etc. Any class members declared in a partial definition are available to all the other parts. The final class is the combination of all the parts at compile time. 88. What Are The Advantages Of Using Partial Classes? When working on large projects, spreading a class over separate files enables multiple programmers to work on it at the same time. When working with automatically generated source, code can be added to the class without having to recreate the source file. Visual Studio uses this approach when it creates Windows Forms, Web service wrapper code, and so on. You can create code that uses these classes without having to modify the file created by Visual Studio. 89. Is It Possible To Create Partial Structs, Interfaces And Methods? Yes, it is possible to create partial structs, interfaces and methods. We can create partial structs, interfaces and methods the same way as we create partial classes. 90. Will The Following Code Compile? using System; namespace PartialClass { public partial class Student { public void Study() { Console.WriteLine("I am studying"); } } public abstract partial class Student { public void Play() { Console.WriteLine("I am Playing"); } } public class Demo { public static void Main() { Student StudentObject = new Student(); } }} No, a compile time error will be generated stating "Cannot create an instance of the abstract class or interface "PartialClass.Student". This is because, if any part is declared abstract, then the whole class becomes abstract. Similarly if any part is declared sealed, then the whole class becomes sealed and if any part declares a base class, then the whole class inherits that base class. 91. Can You Create Partial Delegates And Enumerations? No, you cannot create partial delegates and enumerations. 92. Can Different Parts Of A Partial Class Inherit From Different Interfaces? Yes, different parts of a partial class can inherit from different interfaces. 93. Can You Specify Nested Classes As Partial Classes? Yes, nested classes can be specified as partial classes even if the containing class is not partial. An example is shown below. class ContainerClass { public partial class Nested { void Test1() { } } public partial class Nested { void Test2() { } } } 94. How Do You Create Partial Methods? To create a partial method we create the declaration of the method in one part of the partial class and implementation in the other part of the partial class. The implementation is optional. If the implementation is not provided, then the method and all the calls to the method are removed at compile time. Therefore, any code in the partial class can freely use a partial method, even if the implementation is not supplied. No compile-time or run-time errors will result if the method is called but not implemented. In summary a partial method declaration consists of two parts. The definition, and the implementation. These may be in separate parts of a partial class, or in the same part. If there is no implementation declaration, then the compiler optimizes away both the defining declaration and all calls to the method. The following are the points to keep in mind when creating partial methods. Partial method declarations must begin partial keyword. The return type of a partial method must be void. Partial methods can have ref but not out parameters. Partial methods are implicitly private, and therefore they cannot be virtual. Partial methods cannot be extern, because the presence of the body determines whether they are defining or implementing. 95. What Is The Use Of Partial Methods? Partial methods can be used to customize generated code. They allow for a method name and signature to be reserved, so that generated code can call the method but the developer can decide whether to implement the method. Much like partial classes, partial methods enable code created by a code generator and code created by a human developer to work together without run-time costs. 96. What Is A Nested Type. Give An Example? A type(class or a struct) defined inside another class or struct is called a nested type. An example is shown below. InnerClass is inside ContainerClass, Hence InnerClass is called as nested class. using System; namespace Nested { class ContainerClass { class InnerClass { public string str = "A string variable in nested class"; } public static void Main() { InnerClass nestedClassObj = new InnerClass(); Console.WriteLine(nestedClassObj.str); } } } 97. Can The Nested Class Access, The Containing Class. Give An Example? Yes, the nested class, or inner class can access the containing or outer class as shown in the example below. Nested types can access private and protected members of the containing type, including any inherited private or protected members. using System; namespace Nested { class ContainerClass { string OuterClassVariable = "I am an outer class variable"; public class InnerClass { ContainerClass ContainerClassObject = new ContainerClass(); string InnerClassVariable = "I am an Inner class variable"; public InnerClass() { Console.WriteLine(ContainerClassObject.OuterClassVariable); Console.WriteLine(this.InnerClassVariable); } } } class Demo { public static void Main() { ContainerClass.InnerClass nestedClassObj = new ContainerClass.InnerClass(); } } } 98. What Is The Ouput Of The Following Program? using System; namespace Nested { class ContainerClass { public ContainerClass() { Console.WriteLine("I am a container class"); } public class InnerClass : ContainerClass { public InnerClass() { Console.WriteLine("I am an inner class"); } } } class DemoClass : ContainerClass.InnerClass { public DemoClass() { Console.WriteLine("I am a Demo class"); } public static void Main() { DemoClass DC = new DemoClass(); } } } Output: I am a container class I am an inner class I am a Demo class The above program has used the concepts of inheritance and nested classes. The ContainerClass is at the top in the inheritance chain. The nested InnerClass derives from outer ContainerClass. Finally the DemoClass derives from nested InnerClass. As all the 3 classes are related by inheritance we have the above output. 99. What Is A Destructor? A Destructor has the same name as the class with a tilde character and is used to destroy an instance of a class. 100. Can A Class Have More Than 1 Destructor? No, a class can have only 1 destructor. 101. Can Structs In C# Have Destructors? No, structs can have constructors but not destructors, only classes can have destructors. 102. Can You Pass Parameters To Destructors? No, you cannot pass parameters to destructors. Hence, you cannot overload destructors. 103. Can You Explicitly Call A Destructor? No, you cannot explicitly call a destructor. Destructors are invoked automatically by the garbage collector. 104. Why Is It Not A Good Idea To Use Empty Destructors? When a class contains a destructor, an entry is created in the Finalize queue. When the destructor is called, the garbage collector is invoked to process the queue. If the destructor is empty, this just causes a needless loss of performance. 105. Is It Possible To Force Garbage Collector To Run? Yes, it possible to force garbage collector to run by calling the Collect() method, but this is not considered a good practice because this might create a performance over head. Usually the programmer has no control over when the garbage collector runs. The garbage collector checks for objects that are no longer being used by the application. If it considers an object eligible for destruction, it calls the destructor(if there is one) and reclaims the memory used to store the object. 106. Usually In .net, The Clr Takes Care Of Memory Management. Is There Any Need For A Programmer To Explicitly Release Memory And Resources? If Yes, Why And How? If the application is using expensive external resource, it is recommend to explicitly release the resource before the garbage collector runs and frees the object. We can do this by implementing the Dispose method from the IDisposable interface that performs the necessary cleanup for the object. This can considerably improve the performance of the application. 107. When Do We Generally Use Destructors To Release Resources? If the application uses unmanaged resources such as windows, files, and network connections, we use destructors to release resources. 108. What Is A Constructor In C#? Constructor is a class method that is executed when an object of a class is created. Constructor has the same name as the class, and usually used to initialize the data members of the new object. 109. In C#, What Will Happen If You Do Not Explicitly Provide A Constructor For A Class? If you do not provide a constructor explicitly for your class, C# will create one by default that instantiates the object and sets all the member variables to their default values. 110. Structs Are Not Reference Types. Can Structs Have Constructors? Yes, even though Structs are not reference types, structs can have constructors. 111. We Cannot Create Instances Of Static Classes. Can We Have Constructors For Static Classes? Yes, static classes can also have constructors. 112. Can You Prevent A Class From Being Instantiated? Yes, a class can be prevented from being instantiated by using a private constructor as shown in the example below. using System; namespace TestConsole { class Program { public static void Main() { //Error cannot create instance of a class with private constructor SampleClass SC = new SampleClass(); } } class SampleClass { double PI = 3.141; private SampleClass() { } } } 113. Can A Class Or A Struct Have Multiple Constructors? Yes, a class or a struct can have multiple constructors. Constructors in csharp can be overloaded. 114. Can A Child Class Call The Constructor Of A Base Class? Yes, a child class can call the constructor of a base class by using the base keyword as shown in the example below. using System; namespace TestConsole { class BaseClass { public BaseClass(string str) { Console.WriteLine(str); } } class ChildClass : BaseClass { public ChildClass(string str): base(str) { } public static void Main() { ChildClass CC = new ChildClass("Calling base class constructor from child class"); } } } 115. If A Child Class Instance Is Created, Which Class Constructor Is Called First - Base Class Or Child Class? When an instance of a child class is created, the base class constructor is called before the child class constructor. An example is shown below. using System; namespace TestConsole { class BaseClass { public BaseClass() { Console.WriteLine("I am a base class constructor"); } } class ChildClass : BaseClass { public ChildClass() { Console.WriteLine("I am a child class constructor"); } public static void Main() { ChildClass CC = new ChildClass(); } } } 116. Can A Class Have Static Constructor? Yes, a class can have static constructor. Static constructors are called automatically, immediately before any static fields are accessed, and are generally used to initialize static class members. It is called automatically before the first instance is created or any static members are referenced. Static constructors are called before instance constructors. An example is shown below. using System; namespace TestConsole { class Program { static int I; static Program() { I = 100; Console.WriteLine("Static Constructor called"); } public Program() { Console.WriteLine("Instance Constructor called"); } public static void Main() { Program P = new Program(); } } } 117. Can You Mark Static Constructor With Access Modifiers? No, we cannot use access modifiers on static constructor. 118. Can You Have Parameters For Static Constructors? No, static constructors cannot have parameters. 119. What Happens If A Static Constructor Throws An Exception? If a static constructor throws an exception, the runtime will not invoke it a second time, and the type will remain uninitialized for the lifetime of the application domain in which your program is running. 120. Give 2 Scenarios Where Static Constructors Can Be Used? 1. A typical use of static constructors is when the class is using a log file and the constructor is used to write entries to this file. 2. Static constructors are also useful when creating wrapper classes for unmanaged code, when the constructor can call the LoadLibrary method. 121. Does C# Provide Copy Constructor? No, C# does not provide copy constructor. 122. Is The Following Code Legal? using System; namespace Demo { class Program { public static void Main() { } public void Sum(int FirstNumber, int SecondNumber) { int Result = FirstNumber + SecondNumber; } public int Sum(int FirstNumber, int SecondNumber) { int Result = FirstNumber + SecondNumber; } } } No, The above code does not compile. You cannot overload a method based on the return type. To overload a method in C# either the number or type of parameters should be different. In general the return type of a method is not part of the signature of the method for the purposes of method overloading. However, it is part of the signature of the method when determining the compatibility between a delegate and the method that it points to. 123. What Is The Difference Between Method Parameters And Method Arguments. Give An Example? In the example below FirstNumber and SecondNumber are method parameters where as FN and LN are method arguments. The method definition specifies the names and types of any parameters that are required. When calling code calls the method, it provides concrete values called arguments for each parameter. The arguments must be compatible with the parameter type but the argument name (if any) used in the calling code does not have to be the same as the parameter named defined in the method. using System; namespace Demo { class Program { public static void Main() { int FN = 10; int SN = 20; //FN and LN are method arguments int Total = Sum(FN, SN); Console.WriteLine(Total); } //FirstNumber and SecondNumber are method parameters public static int Sum(int FirstNumber, int SecondNumber) { int Result = FirstNumber + SecondNumber; return Result; } } } 124. Explain The Difference Between Passing Parameters By Value And Passing Parameters By Reference With An Example? We can pass parameters to a method by value or by reference. By default all value types are passed by value where as all reference types are passed by reference. By default, when a value type is passed to a method, a copy is passed instead of the object itself. Therefore, changes to the argument have no effect on the original copy in the calling method.An example is shown below. using System; namespace Demo { class Program { public static void Main() { int I = 10; int K = Function(I); Console.WriteLine("I = " + I); Console.WriteLine("K = " + K); } public static int Function(int Number) { int ChangedValue = Number + 1; return ChangedValue; } } } By default, reference types are passed by reference. When an object of a reference type is passed to a method, the reference points to the original object, not a copy of the object. Changes made through this reference will therefore be reflected in the calling method. Reference types are created by using the class keyword as shown in the example below. using System; namespace Demo { class Program { public static void Main() { ReferenceTypeExample Object = new ReferenceTypeExample(); Object.Number = 20; Console.WriteLine("Original Object Value = " + Object.Number); Function(Object); Console.WriteLine("Object Value after passed to the method= " + Object.Number); } public static void Function(ReferenceTypeExample ReferenceTypeObject) { ReferenceTypeObject.Number = ReferenceTypeObject.Number + 5; } } class ReferenceTypeExample { public int Number; } } 125. Can You Pass Value Types By Reference To A Method? Yes, we can pass value types by by reference to a method. An example is shown below. using System; namespace Demo { class Program { public static void Main() { int I = 10; Console.WriteLine("Value of I before passing to the method = " + I); Function(ref I); Console.WriteLine("Value of I after passing to the method by reference= " + I); } public static void Function(ref int Number) { Number = Number + 5; } } } 126. If A Method's Return Type Is Void, Can You Use A Return Keyword In The Method? Yes, Even though a method's return type is void, you can use the return keyword to stop the execution of the method as shown in the example below. using System; namespace Demo { class Program { public static void Main() { SayHi(); } public static void SayHi() { Console.WriteLine("Hi"); return; Console.WriteLine("This statement will never be executed"); } } } 127. What Are Properties In C#. Explain With An Example? Properties in C# are class members that provide a flexible mechanism to read, write, or compute the values of private fields. Properties can be used as if they are public data members, but they are actually special methods called accessors. This enables data to be accessed easily and still helps promote the safety and flexibility of methods. In the example below _firstName and _lastName are private string variables which are accessible only inside the Customer class. _firstName and _lastName are exposed using FirstName and LastName public properties respectively. The get property accessor is used to return the property value, and a set accessor is used to assign a new value. These accessors can have different access levels. The value keyword is used to define the value being assigned by the set accessor. The FullName property computes the full name of the customer. Full Name property is readonly, because it has only the get accessor. Properties that do not implement a set accessor are read only. The code block for the get accessor is executed when the property is read and the code block for the set accessor is executed when the property is assigned a new value. using System; class Customer { // Private fileds not accessible outside the class. private string _firstName = string.Empty; private string _lastName = string.Empty; private string _coutry = string.Empty; // public FirstName property exposes _firstName variable public string FirstName { get { return _firstName; } set { _firstName = value; } } // public LastName property exposes _lastName variable public string LastName { get { return _lastName; } set { _lastName = value; } } // FullName property is readonly and computes customer full name. public string FullName { get { return _lastName + ", " + _firstName; } } //Country Property is Write Only public string Country { set { _coutry = value; } } } class MainClass { public static void Main() { Customer CustomerObject = new Customer(); //This line will call the set accessor of FirstName Property CustomerObject.FirstName = "David"; //This line will call the set accessor of LastName Property CustomerObject.LastName = "Boon"; //This line will call the get accessor of FullName Property Console.WriteLine("Customer Full Name is : " + CustomerObject.FullName); } } 128. Explain The 3 Types Of Properties In C# With An Example? Read Only Properties: Properties without a set accessor are considered read-only. In the above example FullName is read only property. Write Only Properties: Properties without a get accessor are considered write-only. In the above example Country is write only property. Read Write Properties: Properties with both a get and set accessor are considered read-write properties. In the above example FirstName and LastName are read write properties. 129. What Are The Advantages Of Properties In C#? Properties can validate data before allowing a change. Properties can transparently expose data on a class where that data is actually retrieved from some other source such as a database. Properties can take an action when data is changed, such as raising an event or changing the value of other fields. 130. What Is A Static Property. Give An Example? A property that is marked with a static keyword is considered as static property. This makes the property available to callers at any time, even if no instance of the class exists. In the example below PI is a static property. using System; class Circle { private static double _pi = 3.14; public static double PI { get { return _pi; } } } class MainClass { public static void Main() { Console.WriteLine(Circle.PI); } } 131. What Is A Virtual Property. Give An Example? A property that is marked with virtual keyword is considered virtual property. Virtual properties enable derived classes to override the property behavior by using the override keyword. In the example below FullName is virtual property in the Customer class. BankCustomer class inherits from Customer class and overrides the FullName virtual property. In the output you can see the over riden implementation. A property overriding a virtual property can also be sealed, specifying that for derived classes it is no longer virtual. using System; class Customer { private string _firstName = string.Empty; private string _lastName = string.Empty; public string FirstName { get { return _firstName; } set { _firstName = value; } } public string LastName { get { return _lastName; } set { _lastName = value; } } // FullName is virtual public virtual string FullName { get { return _lastName + ", " + _firstName; } } } class BankCustomer : Customer { // Overiding the FullName virtual property derived from customer class public override string FullName { get { return "Mr. " + FirstName + " " + LastName; } } } class MainClass { public static void Main() { BankCustomer BankCustomerObject = new BankCustomer(); BankCustomerObject.FirstName = "David"; BankCustomerObject.LastName = "Boon"; Console.WriteLine("Customer Full Name is : " + BankCustomerObject.FullName); } } 132. What Is An Abstract Property. Give An Example? A property that is marked with abstract keyword is considered abstract property. An abstract property should not have any implementation in the class. The derived classes must write their own implementation. In the example below FullName property is abstract in the Customer class. BankCustomer class overrides the inherited abstract FullName property with its own implementation. using System; abstract class Customer { private string _firstName = string.Empty; private string _lastName = string.Empty; public string FirstName { get { return _firstName; } set { _firstName = value; } } public string LastName { get { return _lastName; } set { _lastName = value; } } // FullName is abstract public abstract string FullName { get; } } class BankCustomer : Customer { // Overiding the FullName abstract property derived from customer class public override string FullName { get { return "Mr. " + FirstName + " " + LastName; } } } class MainClass { public static void Main() { BankCustomer BankCustomerObject = new BankCustomer(); BankCustomerObject.FirstName = "David"; BankCustomerObject.LastName = "Boon"; Console.WriteLine("Customer Full Name is : " + BankCustomerObject.FullName); } } 133. Can You Use Virtual, Override Or Abstract Keywords On An Accessor Of A Static Property? No, it is a compile time error to use a virtual, abstract or override keywords on an accessor of a static property. 134. What Are Constants In C#? Constants in C# are immutable values which are known at compile time and do not change for the life of the program. Constants are declared using the const keyword. Constants must be initialized as they are declared. You cannot assign a value to a constant after it isdeclared. An example is shown below. using System; class Circle { public const double PI = 3.14; public Circle() { //Error : You can only assign a value to a constant field at the time of declaration //PI = 3.15; } } class MainClass { public static void Main() { Console.WriteLine(Circle.PI); } } 135. Can You Declare A Class Or A Struct As Constant? No, User-defined types including classes, structs, and arrays, cannot be const. Only the C# built-in types excluding System.Object may be declared as const. Use the readonly modifier to create a class, struct, or array that is initialized one time at runtime (for example in a constructor) and thereafter cannot be changed. 136. Does C# Support Const Methods, Properties, Or Events? No, C# does not support const methods, properties, or events. 137. Can You Change The Value Of A Constant Filed After Its Declaration? No, you cannot change the value of a constant filed after its declaration. In the example below, the constant field PI is always 3.14, and it cannot be changed even by the class itself. In fact, when the compiler encounters a constant identifier in C# source code (for example, PI), it substitutes the literal value directly into the intermediate language (IL) code that it produces. Because there is no variable address associated with a constant at run time, const fields cannot be passed by reference. using System; class Circle { public const double PI = 3.14; } 138. How Do You Access A Constant Field Declared In A Class? Constants are accessed as if they were static fields because the value of the constant is the same for all instances of the type. You do not use the static keyword to declare them. Expressions that are not in the class that defines the constant must use the class name, a period, and the name of the constant to access the constant. In the example below constant field PI can be accessed in the Main method using the class name and not the instance of the class. Trying to access a constant field using a class instance will generate a compile time error. using System; class Circle { public const double PI = 3.14; } class MainClass { public static void Main() { Console.WriteLine(Circle.PI); Circle C = new Circle(); // Error : PI cannot be accessed using an instance // Console.WriteLine(C.PI); } } 139. What Are The 2 Broad Classifications Of Fields In C#? Instance fields Static fields 140. What Are Instance Fields In C#? Instance fields are specific to an instance of a type. If you have a class T, with an instance field F, you can create two objects of type T, and modify the value of F in each object without affecting the value in the other object. 141. What Is A Static Field? A static field belongs to the class itself, and is shared among all instances of that class. Changes made from instance A will be visible immediately to instances B and C if they access the field. 142. Can You Declare A Field Readonly? Yes, a field can be declared readonly. A read-only field can only be assigned a value during initialization or in a constructor. An example is shown below. using System; class Area { public readonly double PI = 3.14; } class MainClass { public static void Main() { Area A = new Area(); Console.WriteLine(A.PI); } } 143. What Is Wrong With The Sample Program Below? using System; class Area { public const double PI = 3.14; static Area() { Area.PI = 3.15; } } class MainClass { public static void Main() { Console.WriteLine(Area.PI); } } You cannot assign a value to the constant PI field. 144. What Is The Difference Between A Constant And A Static Readonly Field? A static readonly field is very similar to a constant, except that the C# compiler does not have access to the value of a static read-only field at compile time, only at run time. 145. What Are Access Modifiers In C#? In C# there are 5 different types of Access Modifiers. 1. Public The public type or member can be accessed by any other code in the same assembly or another assembly that references it. 2. Private The type or member can only be accessed by code in the same class or struct. 3. Protected The type or member can only be accessed by code in the same class or struct, or in a derived class. 4. Internal The type or member can be accessed by any code in the same assembly, but not from another assembly. 5. Protected Internal The type or member can be accessed by any code in the same assembly, or by any derived class in another assembly. 146. What Are Access Modifiers Used For? Access Modifiers are used to control the accessibilty of types and members with in the types. 147. Can You Use All Access Modifiers For All Types? No, Not all access modifiers can be used by all types or members in all contexts, and in some cases the accessibility of a type member is constrained by the accessibility of its containing type. 148. Can Derived Classes Have Greater Accessibility Than Their Base Types? No, Derived classes cannot have greater accessibility than their base types. For example the following code is illegal. using System; internal class InternalBaseClass { public void Print() { Console.WriteLine("I am a Base Class Method"); } } public class PublicDerivedClass : InternalBaseClass { public static void Main() { Console.WriteLine("I am a Public Derived Class Method"); } } When you compile the above code an error will be generated stating "Inconsistent accessibility: base class InternalBaseClass is less accessible than class PublicDerivedClass".To make this simple, you cannot have a public class B that derives from an internal class A. If this were allowed, it would have the effect of making A public, because all protected or internal members of A are accessible from the derived class. 149. Can You Declare Struct Members As Protected? No, struct members cannot be declared protected. This is because structs do not support inheritance. 150. Can The Accessibility Of A Type Member Be Greater Than The Accessibility Of Its Containing Type? No, the accessibility of a type member can never be greater than the accessibility of its containing type. For example, a public method declared in an internal class has only internal accessibility. 151. Can Destructors Have Access Modifiers? No, destructors cannot have access modifiers. 152. What Does Protected Internal Access Modifier Mean? The protected internal access means protected OR internal, not protected AND internal. In simple terms, a protected internal member is accessible from any class in the same assembly, including derived classes. To limit accessibility to only derived classes in the same assembly, declare the class itself internal, and declare its members as protected. 153. What Is The Default Access Modifier For A Class,struct And An Interface Declared Directly With A Namespace? internal. 154. Can You Specify An Access Modifier For An Enumeration? Enumeration members are always public, and no access modifiers can be specified. 155. What Are The 3 Types Of Comments In C#? 1. Single Line Comments. You define single line comments with // as shown below. //This is an example for single line comment 2. Multi line comments. You define multi line comments with /* */ as shown below. /*This is an example for Multi Line comments*/ 3. XML Comments. You define XML comments with /// as shown below. ///This is an example for defining XML comments. 156. Is C# A Strongly-typed Language? Yes. 157. What Are The 2 Broad Classifications Of Data Types Available In C#? Built in data types. User defined data types. 158. Give Some Examples For Built In Datatypes In C#? int float bool 159. How Do You Create User Defined Data Types In C#? You use the struct, class, interface, and enum constructs to create your own custom types. The .NET Framework class library itself is a collection of custom types provided by Microsoft that you can use in your own applications. 160. What Are The 2 Types Of Data Types Available In C#? Value Types Reference Types 161. If You Define A User Defined Data Type By Using The Struct Keyword, Is It A Value Type Or Reference Type? Value Type. 162. If You Define A User Defined Data Type By Using The Class Keyword, Is It A Value Type Or Reference Type? Reference type 163. Are Value Types Sealed? Yes, Value types are sealed. 164. What Is The Base Class From Which All Value Types Are Derived? System.ValueType. 165. Give Examples For Value Types? Enum Struct 166. Give Examples For Reference Types? Class Delegate Array Interface. 167. What Are The Differences Between Value Types And Reference Types? Value types are stored on the stack where as reference types are stored on the managed heap. Value type variables directly contain their values where as reference variables holds only a reference to the location of the object that is created on the managed heap. There is no heap allocation or garbage collection overhead for value-type variables. As reference types are stored on the managed heap, they have the over head of object allocation and garbage collection. Value Types cannot inherit from another class or struct. Value types can only inherit from interfaces. Reference types can inherit from another class or interface. 168. What Do You Mean By Casting A Data Type? Converting a variable of one data type to another data type is called casting. This is also called as data type conversion. 169. What Are The 2 Kinds Of Data Type Conversions In C#? Implicit conversions: No special syntax is required because the conversion is type safe and no data will be lost. Examples include conversions from smaller to larger integral types, and conversions from derived classes to base classes. Explicit conversions: Explicit conversions require a cast operator. The source and destination variables are compatible, but there is a risk of data loss because the type of the destination variable is a smaller size than (or is a base class of) the source variable. 170. What Is The Difference Between An Implicit Conversion And An Explicit Conversion? Explicit conversions require a cast operator where as an implicit converstion is done automatically. Explicit conversion can lead to data loss where as with implicit conversions there is no data loss. 171. What Type Of Data Type Conversion Happens When The Compiler Encounters The Following Code? ChildClass CC = new ChildClass(); ParentClass PC = new ParentClass(); Implicit Conversion. For reference types, an implicit conversion always exists from a class to any one of its direct or indirect base classes or interfaces. No special syntax is necessary because a derived class always contains all the members of a base class. 172. If You Want To Convert A Base Type To A Derived Type, What Type Of Conversion Do You Use? Explicit conversion as shown below. //Create a new derived type. Car C1 = new Car(); // Implicit conversion to base type is safe. Vehicle V = C1; // Explicit conversion is required to cast back to derived type. The code below will compile but throw an exception at run time if the right-side object is not a Car object. Car C2 = (Car) V; 173. What Operators Can Be Used To Cast From One Reference Type To Another Without The Risk Of Throwing An Exception? The is and as operators can be used to cast from one reference type to another without the risk of throwing an exception. 174. If Casting Fails What Type Of Exception Is Thrown? InvalidCastException. 175. What Is Boxing And Unboxing? Boxing - Converting a value type to reference type is called boxing. An example is shown below. int i = 101; object obj = (object)i; // Boxing Unboxing - Converting a reference type to a value typpe is called unboxing. An example is shown below. obj = 101; i = (int)obj; // Unboxing 176. Is Boxing An Implicit Conversion? Yes, boxing happens implicitly. 177. Is Unboxing An Implicit Conversion? No, unboxing is an explicit conversion. 178. What Happens During The Process Of Boxing? Boxing is used to store value types in the garbage-collected heap. Boxing is an implicit conversion of a value type to the type object or to any interface type implemented by this value type. Boxing a value type allocates an object instance on the heap and copies the value into the new object. Due to this boxing and unboxing can have performance impact. 179. What Is An Array? An array is a data structure that contains several variables of the same type. 180. What Are The 3 Different Types Of Arrays? Single-Dimensional Multidimensional Jagged 181. What Is Jagged Array? A jagged array is an array of arrays. 182. Are Arrays Value Types Or Reference Types? Arrays are reference types. 183. What Is The Base Class For Array Types? System.Array. 184. Can You Use Foreach Iteration On Arrays In C#? Yes,Since array type implements IEnumerable, you can use foreach iteration on all arrays in C#. 185. What Is The Difference Between String Keyword And System.string Class? string keyword is an alias for Syste.String class. Therefore, System.String and string keyword are the same, and you can use whichever naming convention you prefer. The String class provides many methods for safely creating, manipulating, and comparing strings. 186. Are String Objects Mutable Or Immutable? String objects are immutable. 187. What Do You Mean By String Objects Are Immutable? String objects are immutable means, they cannot be changed after they have been created. All of the String methods and C# operators that appear to modify a string actually return the results in a new string object. In the following example, when the contents of s1 and s2 are concatenated to form a single string, the two original strings are unmodified. The += operator creates a new string that contains the combined contents. That new object is assigned to the variable s1, and the original object that was assigned to s1 is released for garbage collection because no other variable holds a reference to it. string s1 = "First String "; string s2 = "Second String"; // Concatenate s1 and s2. This actually creates a new // string object and stores it in s1, releasing the // reference to the original object. s1 += s2; System.Console.WriteLine(s1); // Output: First String Second String. 188. What Will Be The Output Of The Following Code? string str1 = "Hello "; string str2 = s1; str1 = str1 + "C#"; System.Console.WriteLine(s2); The output of the above code is "Hello" and not "Hello C#". This is bcos, if you create a reference to a string, and then "modify" the original string, the reference will continue to point to the original object instead of the new object that was created when the string was modified. 189. What Is A Verbatim String Literal And Why Do We Use It? The "@" symbol is the verbatim string literal. Use verbatim strings for convenience and better readability when the string text contains backslash characters, for example in file paths. Because verbatim strings preserve new line characters as part of the string text, they can be used to initialize multiline strings. Use double quotation marks to embed a quotation mark inside a verbatim string. The following example shows some common uses for verbatim strings: string ImagePath = @"C:\Images\Buttons\SaveButton.jpg"; //Output: C:\Images\Buttons\SaveButton.jpg string MultiLineText = @"This is multiline Text written to be in three lines."; /* Output: This is multiline Text written to be in three lines. */ string DoubleQuotesString = @"My Name is ""Vankat."""; //Output: My Name is "Vankat." 190. Will The Following Code Compile And Run? string str = null; Console.WriteLine(str.Length); The above code will compile, but at runtime System.NullReferenceException will be thrown 191. How Do You Create Empty Strings In C#? Using string.empty as shown in the example below. string EmptyString = string.empty; 192. What Is The Difference Between System.text.stringbuilder And System.string? Objects of type StringBuilder are mutable where as objects of type System.String are immutable. As StringBuilder objects are mutable, they offer better performance than string objects of type System.String StringBuilder class is present in System.Text namespace where String class is present in System namespace. 193. How Do You Determine Whether A String Represents A Numeric Value? To determine whether a String represents a numeric value use TryParse method as shown in the example below. If the string contains nonnumeric characters or the numeric value is too large or too small for the particular type you have specified, TryParse returns false and sets the out parameter to zero. Otherwise, it returns true and sets the out parameter to the numeric value of the string. string str = "One"; int i = 0; if(int.TryParse(str,out i)) { Console.WriteLine("Yes string contains Integer and it is " + i); } else { Console.WriteLine("string does not contain Integer"); } 194. What Is The Difference Between Int.parse And Int.tryparse Methods? Parse method throws an exception if the string you are trying to parse is not a valid number where as TryParse returns false and does not throw an exception if parsing fails. Hence TryParse is more efficient than Parse. 195. Why Should You Override The Tostring() Method? All types in .Net inherit from system.object directly or indirectly. Because of this inheritance, every type in .Net inherit the ToString() method from System.Object class. Consider the example below. using System; public class MainClass { public static void Main() { int Number = 10; Console.WriteLine(Number.ToString()); } } In the above example Number.ToString() method will correctly give the string representaion of int 10, when you call the ToString() method. If you have a Customer class as shown in the below example and when you call the ToString() method the output doesnot make any sense. Hence you have to override the ToString() method, that is inherited from the System.Object class. using System; public class Customer { public string FirstName; public string LastName; } public class MainClass { public static void Main() { Customer C = new Customer(); C.FirstName = "David"; C.LastName = "Boon"; Console.WriteLine(C.ToString()); } } The code sample below shows how to override the ToString() method in a class, that would give the output you want. using System; public class Customer { public string FirstName; public string LastName; public override string ToString() { return LastName + ", " + FirstName; } } public class MainClass { public static void Main() { Customer C = new Customer(); C.FirstName = "David"; C.LastName = "Boon"; Console.WriteLine(C.ToString()); } } Conclusion : If you have a class or a struct, make sure you override the inherited ToString() method. 196. Explain Polymorphism In C# With A Simple Example? Polymorphism allows you to invoke derived class methods through a base class reference during run-time. An example is shown below. using System; public class DrawingObject { public virtual void Draw() { Console.WriteLine("I am a drawing object."); } } public class Triangle : DrawingObject { public override void Draw() { Console.WriteLine("I am a Triangle."); } } public class Circle : DrawingObject { public override void Draw() { Console.WriteLine("I am a Circle."); } } public class Rectangle : DrawingObject { public override void Draw() { Console.WriteLine("I am a Rectangle."); } } public class DrawDemo { public static void Main() { DrawingObject DrawObj = new DrawingObject; DrawObj = new Triangle(); DrawObj = new Circle(); DrawObj = new Rectangle(); DrawObj = new DrawingObject(); foreach (DrawingObject drawObj in DrawObj) { drawObj.Draw(); } } } 197. When Can A Derived Class Override A Base Class Member? A derived class can override a base class member only if the base class member is declared as virtual or abstract. 198. What Is The Difference Between A Virtual Method And An Abstract Method? A virtual method must have a body where as an abstract method should not have a body. 199. Can Fields Inside A Class Be Virtual? No, Fields inside a class cannot be virtua. Only methods, properties, events and indexers can be virtual. 200. Give An Example To Show For Hiding Base Class Methods? Use the new keyword to hide a base class method in the derived class as shown in the example below. using System; public class BaseClass { public virtual void Method() { Console.WriteLine("I am a base class method."); } } public class DerivedClass : BaseClass { public new void Method() { Console.WriteLine("I am a child class method."); } public static void Main() { DerivedClass DC = new DerivedClass(); DC.Method(); } } 201. Can You Access A Hidden Base Class Method In The Derived Class? Yes, Hidden base class methods can be accessed from the derived class by casting the instance of the derived class to an instance of the base class as shown in the example below. using System; public class BaseClass { public virtual void Method() { Console.WriteLine("I am a base class method."); } } public class DerivedClass : BaseClass { public new void Method() { Console.WriteLine("I am a child class method."); } public static void Main() { DerivedClass DC = new DerivedClass(); ((BaseClass)DC).Method(); } } 202. What Is An Abstract Class? An abstract class is an incomplete class and must be implemented in a derived class. 203. Can You Create An Instance Of An Abstract Class? No, abstract classes are incomplete and you cannot create an instance of an abstract class. 204. What Is A Sealed Class? A sealed class is a class that cannot be inherited from. This means, If you have a class called Customer that is marked as sealed. No other class can inherit from Customer class. For example, the below code generates a compile time error "MainClass cannot derive from sealed type Customer. using System; public sealed class Customer { } public class MainClass : Customer { public static void Main() { } } 205. What Are Abstract Methods? Abstract methods are methods that only the declaration of the method and no implementation. 206. How Can You Force Derived Classes To Provide New Method Implementations For Virtual Methods? Abstract classes can be used to force derived classes to provide new method implementations for virtual methods. An example is shown below. public class BaseClass { public virtual void Method() { // Original Implementation. } } public abstract class AbstractClass : BaseClass { public abstract override void Method(); } public class NonAbstractChildClass : AbstractClass { public override void Method() { // New implementation. } } When an abstract class inherits a virtual method from a base class, the abstract class can override the virtual method with an abstract method. If a virtual method is declared abstract, it is still virtual to any class inheriting from the abstract class. A class inheriting an abstract method cannot access the original implementation of the method. In the above example, Method() on class NonAbstractChildClass cannot call Method() on class BaseClass. In this way, an abstract class can force derived classes to provide new method implementations for virtual methods. 207. Can A Sealed Class Be Used As A Base Class? No, sealed class cannot be used as a base class. A compile time error will be generated. 208. What Are The 4 Pillars Of Any Object Oriented Programming Language? 1. Abstraction 2. Inheritance 3. Encapsulation 4. Polymorphism 209. Do Structs Support Inheritance? No, structs do not support inheritance, but they can implement interfaces. 210. What Is The Main Advantage Of Using Inheritance? Code reuse. 211. Does C# Support Multiple Class Inheritance? No, C# supports single class inheritance only. However classes can implement multiple interfaces at the same time. 212. Can A Struct Have A Default Constructor (a Constructor Without Parameters) Or A Destructor In C#? No. 213. Can You Instantiate A Struct Without Using A New Operator In C#? Yes, you can instantiate a struct without using a new operator. 214. Can A Struct Inherit From Another Struct Or Class In C#? No, a struct cannot inherit from another struct or class, and it cannot be the base of a class. 215. Can A Struct Inherit From An Interface In C#? Yes. 216. Are Structs Value Types Or Reference Types? Structs are value types. 217. What Is The Base Type From Which All Structs Inherit Directly? All structs inherit directly from System.ValueType, which inherits from System.Object. 218. What Do You Mean By Saying A "class Is A Reference Type"? A class is a reference type means when an object of the class is created, the variable to which the object is assigned holds only a reference to that memory. When the object reference is assigned to a new variable, the new variable refers to the original object. Changes made through one variable are reflected in the other variable because they both refer to the same data. 219. What Do You Mean By Saying A "struct Is A Value Type"? A struct is a value type mean when a struct is created, the variable to which the struct is assigned holds the struct's actual data. When the struct is assigned to a new variable, it is copied. The new variable and the original variable therefore contain two separate copies of the same data. Changes made to one copy do not affect the other copy. 220. When Do You Generally Use A Class Over A Struct? A class is used to model more complex behavior, or data that is intended to be modified after a class object is created. A struct is best suited for small data structures that contain primarily data that is not intended to be modified after the struct is created. 221. List The 5 Different Access Modifiers In C#? 1. public 2. protected 3. internal 4. protected internal 5. private 222. If You Donot Specify An Access Modifier For A Method, What Is The Default Access Modifier? private. 223. Classes And Structs Support Inheritance. Is This Statement True Or False? False, Only classes support inheritance. structs donot support inheritance. 224. If A Class Derives From Another Class, Will The Derived Class Automatically Contain All The Public, Protected, And Internal Members Of The Base Class? Yes, the derived class will automatically contain all the public, protected, and internal members of the base class except its constructors and destructors. 225. Can You Create An Instance For An Abstract Class? No, you cannot create an instance for an abstract class. 226. How Do You Prevent A Class From Being Inherited By Another Class? Use the sealed keyword to prevent a class from being inherited by another class. 227. Classes And Structs Can Be Declared As Static, Is This Statement True Or False? False, only classes can be declared as static and not structs. 228. Can You Create An Instance Of A Static Class? No, you cannot create an instance of a static class. 229. Can A Static Class Contain Non Static Members? No, a static class can contain only static members. 230. Does C# Support Multiple-inheritance? No, but you can implement more than one interfaces. 231. Who Is A Protected Class-level Variable Available To? It is available to any sub-class (a class inheriting this class). 232. Are Private Class-level Variables Inherited? Yes, but they are not accessible. Although they are not visible or accessible via the class interface, they are inherited. 233. Describe The Accessibility Modifier "protected Internal". It is available to classes that are within the same assembly and derived from the specified base class. 234. What's The Top .net Class That Everything Is Derived From? System.Object. 235. What Does The Term Immutable Mean? The data value may not be changed. Note: The variable value may be changed, but the original immutable data value was discarded and a new data value was created in memory. 236. What's The Difference Between System.string And System.text.stringbuilder Classes? System.String is immutable. System.StringBuilder was designed with the purpose of having a mutable string where a variety of operations can be performed. 237. What's The .net Collection Class That Allows An Element To Be Accessed Using A Unique Key? HashTable, Dictionary, NameValueCollection. 238. What Class Is Underneath The Sortedlist Class? A sorted HashTable. 239. Will The Finally Block Get Executed If An Exception Has Not Occurred? Yes. Finally block always get executed. 240. What's The C# Syntax To Catch Any Possible Exception? A catch block that catches the exception of type System.Exception. You can also omit the parameter data type in this case and just write catch {}. 241. Can Multiple Catch Blocks Be Executed For A Single Try Statement? No. Once the proper catch block processed, control is transferred to the finally block (if there are any). 242. Explain The Three Services Model Commonly Know As A Three-tier Application. Presentation (UI), Business (logic and underlying code) and Data (from storage or other sources). 243. If A.equals(b) Is True Then A.gethashcode & B.gethashcode Must Always Return Same Hash Code. The answer is False because it is given that A.equals(B) returns true i.e. objects are equal and now its hash Code is asked which is always independent of the fact that whether objects are equal or not. So, Get HashCode for both of the objects returns different value. 244. What Is The Syntax To Inherit From A Class In C#? Place a colon and then the name of the base class. Example: class MyNewClass : MyBaseClass. 245. Can You Prevent Your Class From Being Inherited By Another Class? Yes. The keyword “sealed” will prevent the class from being inherited. 246. Can You Allow A Class To Be Inherited, But Prevent The Method From Being Over-ridden? Yes. Just leave the class public and make the method sealed. 247. What's An Abstract Class? A class that cannot be instantiated. An abstract class is a class that must be inherited and have the methods overridden. An abstract class is essentially a blueprint for a class without any implementation. 248. When Do You Absolutely Have To Declare A Class As Abstract? 1. When the class itself is inherited from an abstract class, but not all base abstract methods have been overridden. 2. When at least one of the methods in the class is abstract. 249. What Is An Interface Class? Interfaces, like classes, define a set of properties, methods, and events. But unlike classes, interfaces do not provide implementation. They are implemented by classes, and defined as separate entities from classes. 250. Why Can't You Specify The Accessibility Modifier For Methods Inside The Interface? They all must be public, and are therefore public by default. 251. Can You Inherit Multiple Interfaces? Yes. .NET does support multiple interfaces. 252. What Happens If You Inherit Multiple Interfaces And They Have Conflicting Method Names? It’s up to you to implement the method inside your own class, so implementation is left entirely up to you. This might cause a problem on a higher-level scale if similarly named methods from different interfaces expect different data, but as far as compiler cares you’re okay. To Do: Investigate. 253. What's The Difference Between An Interface And Abstract Class? In an interface class, all methods are abstract - there is no implementation. In an abstract class some methods can be concrete. In an interface class, no accessibility modifiers are allowed. An abstract class may have accessibility modifiers. 254. What Is The Difference Between A Struct And A Class? Structs are value-type variables and are thus saved on the stack, additional overhead but faster retrieval. Another difference is that structs cannot inherit. 255. What's The Implicit Name Of The Parameter That Gets Passed Into The Set Method/property Of A Class? Value. The data type of the value parameter is defined by whatever data type the property is declared as. 256. What Does The Keyword "virtual" Declare For A Method Or Property? The method or property can be overridden. 257. How Is Method Overriding Different From Method Overloading? When overriding a method, you change the behavior of the method for the derived class. Overloading a method simply involves having another method with the same name within the class. 258. Can You Declare An Override Method To Be Static If The Original Method Is Not Static? No. The signature of the virtual method must remain the same. (Note: Only the keyword virtual is changed to keyword override) 259. What Are The Different Ways A Method Can Be Overloaded? Different parameter data types, different number of parameters, different order of parameters. 260. If A Base Class Has A Number Of Overloaded Constructors, And An Inheriting Class Has A Number Of Overloaded Constructors; Can You Enforce A Call From An Inherited Constructor To A Specific Base Constructor? Yes, just place a colon, and then keyword base (parameter list to invoke the appropriate constructor) in the overloaded constructor definition inside the inherited class. 261. What Does Assert() Method Do? In debug compilation, assert takes in a Boolean condition as a parameter, and shows the error dialog if the condition is false. The program proceeds without any interruption if the condition is true. 262. What's The Difference Between The Debug Class And Trace Class? Documentation looks the same. Use Debug class for debug builds, use Trace class for both debug and release builds. 263. What Is The Role Of The Datareader Class In Ado.net Connections? It returns a read-only, forward-only rowset from the data source. A DataReader provides fast access when a forward-only sequential read is needed. 264. What Is The Wildcard Character In Sql? Let’s say you want to query database with LIKE for all employees whose name starts with La. The wildcard character is %, the proper query with LIKE would involve ‘La%’. 265. Between Windows Authentication And Sql Server Authentication, Which One Is Trusted And Which One Is Untrusted? Windows Authentication is trusted because the username and password are checked with the Active Directory, the SQL Server authentication is untrusted, since SQL Server is the only verifier participating in the transaction. 266. What Does The Dispose Method Do With The Connection Object? Dispose places the connection backing the managed pool. So that other objects/class can use the connection for further use. 267. How Is The Dll Hell Problem Solved In .net? Assembly versioning allows the application to specify not only the library it needs to run (which was available under Win32), but also the version of the assembly. 268. What Is A Satellite Assembly? When you write a multilingual or multi-cultural application in .NET, and want to distribute the core application separately from the localized modules, the localized assemblies that modify the core application are called satellite assemblies. 269. What Is The Smallest Unit Of Execution In .net? an Assembly. 270. When Should You Call The Garbage Collector In .net? As a good rule, you should not call the garbage collector. However, you could call the garbage collector when you are done using a large object (or set of objects) to force the garbage collector to dispose of those very large objects from memory. However, this is usually not a good practice. 271. How Do You Convert A Value-type To A Reference-type? Use Boxing. 272. What Happens In Memory When You Box And Unbox A Value-type? Boxing converts a value-type to a reference-type, thus storing the object on the heap. Unboxing converts a reference-type to a value-type, thus storing the value on the stack. 273. What's C# ? C# (pronounced C-sharp) is a new object oriented language from Microsoft and is derived from C and C++. It also borrows a lot of concepts from Java too including garbage collection. 274. Is It Possible To Inline Assembly Or Il In C# Code? No. 275. Is It Possible To Have Different Access Modifiers On The Get/set Methods Of A Property? No. The access modifier on a property applies to both its get and set accessors. What you need to do if you want them to be different is make the property read-only (by only providing a get accessor) and create a private/internal set method that is separate from the property. 276. Is It Possible To Have A Static Indexer In C#? Allowed In C#. No. Static indexers are not 277. If I Return Out Of A Try/finally In C#, Does The Code In The Finally-clause Run? Yes. The code in the finally always runs. If you return out of the try block, or even if you do a goto out of the try, the finally block always runs: using System; class main { public static void Main() { try { Console.WriteLine(\"In Try block\"); return; } finally { Console.WriteLine(\"In Finally block\"); } } } Both In Try block and In Finally block will be displayed. Whether the return is in the try block or after the try-finally block, performance is not affected either way. The compiler treats it as if the return were outside the try block anyway. If it’s a return without an expression (as it is above), the IL emitted is identical whether the return is inside or outside of the try. If the return has an expression, there’s an extra store/load of the value of the expression (since it has to be computed within the try block). 278. I Was Trying To Use An Out Int Parameter In One Of My Functions. How Should I Declare The Variable That I Am Passing To It? You should declare the variable as an int, but when you pass it in you must specify it as ‘out’, like the following: int i; foo(out i); where foo is declared as follows: foo(out int o) { } 279. How Does One Compare Strings In C#? In the past, you had to call .ToString() on the strings when using the == or != operators to compare the strings’ values. That will still work, but the C# compiler now automatically compares the values instead of the references when the == or != operators are used on string types. If you actually do want to compare references, it can be done as follows: if ((object) str1 == (object) str2) { } Here’s an example showing how string compares work: using System; public class StringTest { public static void Main(string args) { Object nullObj = null; Object realObj = new StringTest(); int i = 10; Console.WriteLine(\"Null Object is \n\" + \"Real Object is \n\" + \"i is \n\"); // Show string equality operators string str1 = \"foo\"; string str2 = \"bar\"; string str3 = \"bar\"; Console.WriteLine(\"{0} == {1} ? {2}\", str1, str2, str1 == str2 ); Console.WriteLine(\"{0} == {1} ? {2}\", str2, str3, str2 == str3 ); } } Output: Null Object is Real Object is i is foo == bar ? False bar == bar ? True 280. How Do You Specify A Custom Attribute For The Entire Assembly (rather Than For A Class)? Global attributes must appear after any top-level using clauses and before the first type or namespace declarations. An example of this is as follows: using System; class X {} Note that in an IDE-created project, by convention, these attributes are placed in AssemblyInfo.cs. 281. How Do You Mark A Method Obsolete? public int Foo() {...} or public int Foo() {...} Note: The O in Obsolete is always capitalized. 282. How Do You Implement Thread Synchronization (object.wait, Notify,and Criticalsection) In C#? You want the lock statement, which is the same as Monitor Enter/Exit: lock(obj) { // code } translates to try { CriticalSection.Enter(obj); // code } finally { CriticalSection.Exit(obj); } 283. How Do You Directly Call A Native Function Exported From A Dll? Here’s a quick example of the DllImport attribute in action: using System.Runtime.InteropServices; class C { public static extern int MessageBoxA(int h, string m, string c, int type); public static int Main() { return MessageBoxA(0, \"Hello World!\", \"Caption\", 0); } } This example shows the minimum requirements for declaring a C# method that is implemented in a native DLL. The method C.MessageBoxA() is declared with the static and external modifiers, and has the DllImport attribute, which tells the compiler that the implementation comes from the user32.dll, using the default name of Message BoxA. For more information, look at the Platform Invoke tutorial in the documentation. 284. How Do I Simulate Optional Parameters To Com Calls? You must use the Missing class and pass Missing.Value (in System.Reflection) for any values that have optional parameters. 285. What Do You Know About .net Assemblies? Assemblies are the smallest units of versioning and deployment in the .NET application. Assemblies are also the building blocks for programs such as Web services, Windows services, serviced components, and .NET remoting applications. 286. What's The Difference Between Private And Shared Assembly? Private assembly is used inside an application only and does not have to be identified by a strong name. Shared assembly can be used by multiple applications and has to have a strong name. 287. What's A Strong Name? A strong name includes the name of the assembly, version number, culture identity, and a public key token. 288. How Can You Tell The Application To Look For Assemblies At The Locations Other Than Its Own Install? Use the directive in the XML .config file for a given application. should do the trick. Or you can add additional search paths in the Properties box of the deployed application. 289. How Can You Debug Failed Assembly Binds? Use the Assembly Binding Log Viewer (fuslogvw.exe) to find out the paths searched. 290. Where Are Shared Assemblies Stored? Global assembly cache. 291. How Can You Create A Strong Name For A .net Assembly? With the help of Strong Name tool (sn.exe). 292. Where's Global Assembly Cache Located On The System? Usually C:\winnt\assembly or C:\windows\assembly. 293. Can You Have Two Files With The Same File Name In Gac? Yes, remember that GAC is a very special folder, and while normally you would not be able to place two files with the same name into a Windows folder, GAC differentiates by version number as well, so it’s possible for MyApp.dll and MyApp.dll to co-exist in GAC if the first one is version 1.0.0.0 and the second one is 1.1.0.0. 294. So Let's Say I Have An Application That Uses Myapp.dll Assembly, Version 1.0.0.0. There Is A Security Bug In That Assembly, And I Publish The Patch, Issuing It Under Name Myapp.dll 1.1.0.0. How Do I Tell The Client Applications That Are Already Installed To Start Using This New Myapp.dll? Use publisher policy. To configure a publisher policy, use the publisher policy configuration file, which uses a format similar app .config file. But unlike the app .config file, a publisher policy file needs to be compiled into an assembly and placed in the GAC. 295. What Is Delay Signing? Delay signing allows you to place a shared assembly in the GAC by signing the assembly with just the public key. This allows the assembly to be signed with the private key at a later stage, when the development process is complete and the component or assembly is ready to be deployed. This process enables developers to work with shared assemblies as if they were strongly named, and it secures the private key of the signature from being accessed at different stages of development. 296. Is There An Equivalent Of Exit() For Quitting A C# .net Application? Yes, you can use System.Environment.Exit(int exitCode) to exit the application or Application.Exit() if it's a Windows Forms app. 297. Can You Prevent Your Class From Being Inherited And Becoming A Base Class For Some Other Classes? Yes, that is what keyword sealed in the class definition is for. The developer trying to derive from your class will get a message: cannot inherit from Sealed class WhateverBaseClassName. It is the same concept as final class in Java. 298. If A Base Class Has A Bunch Of Overloaded Constructors, And An Inherited Class Has Another Bunch Of Overloaded Constructors, Can You Enforce A Call From An Inherited Constructor To An Arbitrary Base Constructor? Yes, just place a colon, and then keyword base (parameter list to invoke the appropriate constructor) in the overloaded constructor definition inside the inherited class. 299. I Was Trying To Use An "out Int" Parameter In One Of My Functions. How Should I Declare The Variable That I Am Passing To It? You should declare the variable as an int, but when you pass it in you must specify it as 'out', like the following: int i; foo(out i); where foo is declared as follows: foo(out int o) { } 300. How Do I Make A Dll In C#? You need to use the /target:library compiler option. 301. What Is The C# Equivalent Of C++ Catch (....), Which Was A Catch-all Statement For Any Possible Exception? Does C# Support Try-catch-finally Blocks? Yes. Try-catch-finally blocks are supported by the C# compiler. Here's an example of a try-catch-finally block: using System; public class TryTest { static void Main() { try { Console.WriteLine("In Try block"); throw new ArgumentException(); } catch(ArgumentException n1) { Console.WriteLine("Catch Block"); } finally { Console.WriteLine("Finally Block"); } } } Output: In Try Block Catch Block Finally Block If I return out of a try/finally in C#, does the code in the finally-clause run? Yes. The code in the finally always runs. If you return out of the try block, or even if you do a "goto" out of the try, the finally block always runs, as shown in the following example: using System; class main { public static void Main() { try { Console.WriteLine("In Try block"); return; } finally { Console.WriteLine("In Finally block"); } } } Both "In Try block" and "In Finally block" will be displayed. Whether the return is in the try block or after the try-finally block, performance is not affected either way. The compiler treats it as if the return were outside the try block anyway. If it's a return without an expression (as it is above), the IL emitted is identical whether the return is inside or outside of the try. If the return has an expression, there's an extra store/load of the value of the expression (since it has to be computed within the try block). 302. Is There Regular Expression (regex) Support Available To C# Developers? Yes. The .NET class libraries provide support for regular expressions. Look at the documentation for the System. Text.Regular Expressions namespace. 303. Is There A Way To Force Garbage Collection? Yes. Set all references to null and then call System.GC.Collect(). If you need to have some objects destructed, and System.GC.Collect() doesn't seem to be doing it for you, you can force finalizers to be run by setting all the references to the object to null and then calling System.GC.RunFinalizers(). 304. Does C# Support Properties Of Array Types? Yes. Here's a simple example: using System; class Class1 { private string MyField; public string MyProperty { get { return MyField; } set { MyField = value; } } } class MainClass { public static int Main(string args) { Class1 c = new Class1(); string arr = new string {"apple", "banana"}; c.MyProperty = arr; Console.WriteLine(c.MyProperty); // "apple" return 0; } } 305. How Is Method Overriding Different From Overloading? When overriding, you change the method behavior for a derived class. Overloading simply involves having a method with the same name within the class. 306. When Do You Absolutely Have To Declare A Class As Abstract (as Opposed To Free-willed Educated Choice Or Decision Based On Uml Diagram)? When at least one of the methods in the class is abstract. When the class itself is inherited from an abstract class, but not all base abstract methods have been over-ridden. 307. Why Would You Use Untrusted Verification? Web Services might use it, as well as non-Windows applications. 308. What Is The Implicit Name Of The Parameter That Gets Passed Into The Class Set Method? Value, and its datatype depends on whatever variable we are changing. 309. How Do I Register My Code For Use By Classic Com Clients? Use the regasm.exe utility to generate a type library (if needed) and the necessary entries in the Windows Registry to make a class available to classic COM clients. Once a class is registered in the Windows Registry with regasm.exe, a COM client can use the class as though it were a COM class. 310. How Do I Do Implement A Trace And Assert? Use a conditional attribute on the method, as shown below: class Debug { public void Trace(string s) { Console.WriteLine(s); } } class MyClass { public static void Main() { Debug.Trace("hello"); } } In this example, the call to Debug.Trace() is made only if the preprocessor symbol TRACE is defined at the call site. You can define preprocessor symbols on the command line by using the /D switch. The restriction on conditional methods is that they must have void return type. 311. How Do I Create A Multi Language, Multi File Assembly? Unfortunately, this is currently not supported in the IDE. To do this from the command line, you must compile your projects into netmodules (/target:module on the C# compiler), and then use the command line tool al.exe (alink) to link these netmodules together. 312. C# Provides A Default Constructor For Me. I Write A Constructor That Takes A String As A Parameter, But Want To Keep The No Parameter One. How Many Constructors Should I Write? Two. Once you write at least one constructor, C# cancels the freebie constructor, and now you have to write one yourself, even if there is no implementation in. 313. What Is The Equivalent To Regsvr32 And Regsvr32 /u A File In .net Development? Try using RegAsm.exe. The general syntax would be: RegAsm. A good description of RegAsm and its associated switches is located in the .NET SDK docs. Just search on "Assembly Registration Tool".Explain ACID rule of thumb for transactions. Transaction must be Atomic (it is one unit of work and does not dependent on previous and following transactions), Consistent (data is either committed or roll back, no in-between case where something has been updated and something hasnot), Isolated (no transaction sees the intermediate results of the current transaction), Durable (the values persist if the data had been committed even if the system crashes right after). 314. How Do I Create A Multilanguage, Single-file Assembly? This is currently not supported by Visual Studio .NET. 315. Why Cannot You Specify The Accessibility Modifier For Methods Inside The Interface? They all must be public. Therefore, to prevent you from getting the false impression that you have any freedom of choice, you are not allowed to specify any accessibility, it is public by default. 316. Is It Possible To Restrict The Scope Of A Field/method Of A Class To The Classes In The Same Namespace? There is no way to restrict to a namespace. Namespaces are never units of protection. But if you're using assemblies, you can use the 'internal' access modifier to restrict access to only within the assembly. 317. Why Do I Get A Syntax Error When Trying To Declare A Variable Called Checked? The word checked is a keyword in C#. 318. What Is The Syntax For Calling An Overloaded Constructor Within A Constructor (this() And Constructorname() Does Not Compile)? The syntax for calling another constructor is as follows: class B { B(int i) { } } class C : B { C() : base(5) // call base constructor B(5) { } C(int i) : this() // call C() { } public static void Main() {} } 319. Why Do I Get A "cs5001: Does Not Have An Entry Point Defined" Error When Compiling? The most common problem is that you used a lowercase 'm' when defining the Main method. The correct way to implement the entry point is as follows: class test { static void Main(string args) {} } 320. What Does The Keyword Virtual Mean In The Method Definition? The method can be over-ridden. 321. What Optimizations Does The C# Compiler Perform When You Use The /optimize+ Compiler Option? The following is a response from a developer on the C# compiler team: We get rid of unused locals (i.e., locals that are never read, even if assigned). We get rid of unreachable code. We get rid of try-catch w/ an empty try. We get rid of try-finally w/ an empty try (convert to normal code...). We get rid of try-finally w/ an empty finally (convert to normal code...). We optimize branches over branches: gotoif A, lab1 goto lab2: lab1: turns into: gotoif !A, lab2 lab1: We optimize branches to ret, branches to next instruction, and branches to branches. 322. How Can I Create A Process That Is Running A Supplied Native Executable (e.g., Cmd.exe)? The following code should run the executable and wait for it to exit before continuing: using System; using System.Diagnostics; public class ProcessTest { public static void Main(string args) { Process p = Process.Start(args); p.WaitForExit(); Console.WriteLine(args + " exited."); } } Remember to add a reference to System.Diagnostics.dll when you compile. 323. What Is The Difference Between The System.array.copyto() And System.array.clone()? The first one performs a deep copy of the array, the second one is shallow. 324. How Do I Declare Inout Arguments In C#? The equivalent of inout in C# is ref. , as shown in the following example: public void MyMethod (ref String str1, out String str2) { ... } When calling the method, it would be called like this: String s1; String s2; s1 = "Hello"; MyMethod(ref s1, out s2); Console.WriteLine(s1); Console.WriteLine(s2); Notice that you need to specify ref when declaring the function and calling it. 325. Is There A Way Of Specifying Which Block Or Loop To Break Out Of When Working With Nested Loops? The easiest way is to use goto: using System; class BreakExample { public static void Main(String args) { for(int i=0; i Read the full article
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Turn Any ASP.NET MVC Or ASP.NET Core App Into Single Page Application [WITHIN 2 MINUTES] with toufiqElahySPA.js Plugin
What you’ll learn
Building a Powerful and most Complex Single-Page application Within 1 hour
Creative way to make single-page application(less code, do more)
Making Cross-Platform Single Page Application with .NET Core
How toufiqElahySPA .js plugin can turn any Web application into Single-Page Application within 2 minutes
How this Course will minimize development time and cost a lot
How to run .Net Core Single-Page application in Linux
How Single-page technique will improve the Software performance
How toufiqElahySPA .js plugin will make developer’s life lot simple
Requirements
Developer must have experience with Building ASP .NET Core or ASP. NET-MVC application
Developer Must go through Microsoft documentation: “Getting started with ASP .NET Core MVC and Entity Framework Core using Visual Studio”
Developer should have basic knowledge: How ASP. NET-MVC application works
Developer should have little experience in C#, Linq
Visual Studio 2015 or Visual Studio 2017 is highly preferable
Good Experience with jQuery is Mandatory
Description
I HELP ALL STUDENTS VIA TeamViewer USING Skype CALL TO FIX ALL INITIAL ISSUES.
I’m always updating this course with fresh content, too.
It’s no secret how technology is advancing at a rapid rate. New, more powerful hardware and software are being released every day, meaning it’s crucial to stay on top with the latest knowledge.
That’s why I’m always adding new, up-to-date content to this course at no extra charge. Buy this course once, and you’ll have lifetime access to it and any future updates (which are on the way as we speak).
Creative way to turn any version of ASP.NET-MVC or ASP.NET Core Application Into Single-Page Application Within 2 minutes after using my (toufiqElahySPA.js)Jquery Plugin. Here, toufiqElahySPA.js is a Jquery Plugin which is responsible to turn any web application into single page application. I developed this Plugin to minimize developer’s effort while working on Creating Single Page Application. Let’s see, how my Plugin can make developers life better.
Single page applications are more capable of decreasing load time of pages and the amount of data transfer from server to client.
Why This Course?
There are several pain points while working with Javascript framework like AngularJs, React, VueJs, Knockout, meteor e.t.c. in a ASP.NET MVC application in order to create Single-Page Application. Few Pain Points Are:
Need to specify routing for each request
Need to modify Server side technology according to Javascript framework
Only possible to debug on run time
Hard-coded data-binding caused too many error
Increase the complexity a lot
developer no need to learn any javascript framework and also no need to write much Jquery code to make Single Page Application after using my Jquery Plugin(toufiqElahySPA.js).
Note: developer can also use other JavaScript framework(angularjs, knockout, react e.t.c.) side by side with my Jquery Plugin. But no need, i will prove.
I applied the Plugin in a .NET Web application. This plugin will also work for Other Web Technologies too. I will show in my future course.
90% of time Developer no need to Create View-model Classes.
This course is so important to Developer who loves:
Strongly Typed data-binding(Razor code)
Compile time error checking,
auto code completion(IntelliSense),
Re-usability ,
not to get Run-time error unexpectedly
to get rid from complexity should definitely take this course.
Why (toufiqElahySPA.js)Jquery plugin is better than any JavaScript framework:
(1) Developer won’t need to write too much Javascript code after using my plugin wheres developer usually writes too many javascript code while working with AngularJs(javascript framework)
(2) Developer won’t need to write Jquery ajax code because the plugin has ajax function specified which will be called automatically as a common function
(3) Developer won’t need to specify routing as like AngularJs because My plugin will follow ASP.NET MVC routing by default.
(4) Developer can learn using my plugin easily and quickly. just need to follow only 5 rules of my plugin and any complex scenario can be achieved through this plugin like AngularJs [i will prove]
(5) Developer can also make Single-Page app even not following those 5 rules of the plugin. Those rules are for critical situation. First 2 rules is enough to solve any heavy lifting work.
What technology is used in front-end?
Mainly Jquery
HTML & Razor Code
What technology is used in back-end?
c#, Linq
ASP .NET-MVC Core
Entity Framework Core
What tools you will need?
Any Version of Visual Studio will Work but try to get Latest Updated Version
ASP.NET Core 2.0 will need to be installed in your Machine
Any browser Whatever you like most
Why I applied My Plugin to Asp .NET Core application:
Cross-platform needs.
High-performance and scalable systems.
All coding best practices (asynchronous programming, dependency injection)
Within this course I will Show: How powerful and complex cross-platform single page application we can build with my Plugin And how my SPA technique can improve the Software performance both on server and client side.
How toufiqElahySPA.js(jquery plugin) works:
If End user click any Link or submit any Form or click Backward or Forward button on browser, the common ajax function of the Plugin will be invoked automatically.
5 rules of the plugin to handle critical situation:
I will explain all these 5 rules in 10 minutes within this course. True fact is: learning these 5 rules are enough to learn this entire Course. Learn By Doing.
Money-Back Guarantee:
After taking this course, if any student fail to achieve his goal, i will refund. Make sure you followed my video’s and source code and specially my 5 rules. If something is still unclear, you can ask question in the forums, i will reply. Happy Coding!
I hope! You will Enjoy this magic Course.
Important Notice:
i want to ensure all the Student that my Plugin(toufiqElahySPA.js) will not be responsible for any server related error while applying the Plugin(toufiqElahySPA.js) in your own Project. you may just need to modify toufiqElahySPA.css according to your application need. If you get a server related exception that means your implementation has problem which need to be fixed. Don’t ever think that the Plugin maybe the reason for this exception.
please, give good ratings and comments if you want to get this type of creative and unique course in future. Good feedback will definitely encourage me to make more course on Udemy. Thank you!
Notice(to all):
If i don’t get good ratings and comments, i will not able to get inspired to share more content. if u really want to get Advanced Topics . please give me true ratings and comments.
Who is the target audience?
Students who loves Strongly Typed, Compile time error checking, auto code completion(IntelliSense)
Students who are tired of working with AngularJs,React,VueJs,Knockout in .NET MVC application
Students who want to turn any Web application Into single-page application Within 2 Minutes
Students who don’t want to waste their time in learning any Javascript Framework like angular 2/4, react, knockout e.t.c.
Students who want to learn building single-page application only with jQuery
Students who don’t want to learn much Front-end Stuff in building Single-Page Application
Students who want to create cross-platform single page application with .NET Core
Students who is looking for creative way to solve his daily life problems easily
Created by Toufiq Elahy Last updated 4/2018 English English [Auto-generated]
Size: 326.98 MB
Download Now
https://ift.tt/2P9p6dp.
The post #1 Complete ASP.NET Core 2.0 MVC Single-Page App[The FUTURE] appeared first on Free Course Lab.
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Windows 10 SDK Preview Build 17723 available
Windows 10 SDK Preview Build 17723 available. Things to note: This build works in conjunction with previously released SDKs and Visual Studio 2017. You can install this SDK and still also continue to submit your apps that target Windows 10 build 1803 or earlier to the store. The Windows SDK will now formally only be supported by Visual Studio 2017 and greater. This build of the Windows SDK will only install on Windows 10 Insider Preview builds. C++/WinRT Update for build 17709 and beyond: This update introduces many improvements and fixes for C++/WinRT. Notably, it introduces the ability to build C++/WinRT without any dependency on the Windows SDK. This isn’t particularly interesting to the OS developer, but even in the OS repo it provides benefits because it does not itself include any Windows headers. Thus, a developer will typically pull in fewer or no dependencies inadvertently. This also means a dramatic reduction in the number of macros that a C++/WinRT developer must guard against. Removing the dependency on the Windows headers means that C++/WinRT is more portable and standards compliant and furthers our efforts to make it a cross-compiler and cross-platform library. It also means that the C++/WinRT headers will never be mangled by macros. If you previously relied on C++/WinRT to include various Windows headers that you will now have to include them yourself. It has always been good practice to always include any headers you depend on explicitly and not rely on another library to include them for you. Highlights Support get_strong and get_weak to create delegates: This update allows a developer to use either get_strong or get_weak instead of a raw this pointer when creating a delegate pointing to a member function. Add async cancellation callback: The most frequently requested feature for C++/WinRT’s coroutine support has been the addition of a cancellation callback. Simplify the use of APIs expecting IBuffer parameters: Although most APIs prefer collections or arrays, enough APIs rely on IBuffer that it should be easier to use such APIs from C++. This update provides direct access to the data behind an IBuffer implementation using the same data naming convention used by the C++ standard library containers. This also avoids colliding with metadata names that conventionally begin with an uppercase letter. Conformance: Improved support for Clang and Visual C++’s stricter conformance modes. Improved code gen: Various improvements to reduce code size, improve inlining, and optimize factory caching. Remove unnecessary recursion: When the command line refers to a folder rather than a specific winmd, cppwinrt will no longer search recursively for winmd files. It causes performance problems in the OS build and can lead to usage errors that are hard to diagnose when developers inadvertently cause cppwinrt to consume more winmds than expected. The cppwinrt compiler also now handles duplicates more intelligently, making it more resilient to user error and poorly-formed winmd files. Declare both WINRT_CanUnloadNow and WINRT_GetActivationFactory in base.h: Callers don’t need to declare them directly. Their signatures have also changed, amounting to a breaking change. The declarations alleviate most of the pain of this change. The change is necessitated by the fact that C++/WinRT no longer depends on the Windows headers and this change removes the dependency on the types from the Windows headers. Harden smart pointers: The event revokers didn’t revoke when move-assigned a new value. This lead me to take a closer look at the smart pointer classes and I noticed that they were not reliably handling self-assignment. This is rooted in the com_ptr class template that most of the others rely on. I fixed com_ptr and updated the event revokers to handle move semantics correctly to ensure that they revoke upon assignment. The handle class template has also been hardened by the removal of the implicit constructor that made it easy to write incorrect code. This also turned bugs in the OS into compiler errors fixed in this PR. Breaking Changes Support for non-WinRT interfaces is disabled by default. To enable, simply #include before any C++/WinRT headers. winrt::get_abi(winrt::hstring) now returns void* instead of HSTRING. Code requiring the HSTRING ABI can simply use a static_cast. winrt::put_abi(winrt::hstring) returns void** instead of HSTRING*. Code requiring the HSTRING ABI can simply use a reinterpret_cast. HRESULT is now projected as winrt::hresult. Code requiring an HRESULT can simply static_cast if you need to do type checking or support type traits, but it is otherwise convertible as long as is included first. GUID is now projected as winrt::guid. Code implementing APIs with GUID parameters must use winrt::guid instead, but it is otherwise convertible as long as is included first. The signatures of WINRT_CanUnloadNow and WINRT_GetActivationFactory has changed. Code must not declare these functions at all and instead include winrt/base.h to include their declarations. The winrt::handle constructor is now explicit. Code assigning a raw handle value must call the attach method instead. winrt::clock::from_FILETIME has been deprecated. Code should use winrt::clock::from_file_time instead. What’s New: MSIX Support It’s finally here! You can now package your applications as MSIX! These applications can be installed and run on any device with 17682 build or later. To package your application with MSIX, use the MakeAppx tool. To install the application – just click on the MSIX file. To understand more about MSIX, watch this introductory video: link Feedback and comments are welcome on our MSIX community: http://aka.ms/MSIXCommunity MSIX is not currently supported by the App Certification Kit nor the Microsoft Store at this time. MC.EXE We’ve made some important changes to the C/C++ ETW code generation of mc.exe (Message Compiler): The “-mof” parameter is deprecated. This parameter instructs MC.exe to generate ETW code that is compatible with Windows XP and earlier. Support for the “-mof” parameter will be removed in a future version of mc.exe. As long as the “-mof” parameter is not used, the generated C/C++ header is now compatible with both kernel-mode and user-mode, regardless of whether “-km” or “-um” was specified on the command line. The header will use the _ETW_KM_ macro to automatically determine whether it is being compiled for kernel-mode or user-mode and will call the appropriate ETW APIs for each mode. The only remaining difference between “-km” and “-um” is that the EventWrite macros generated with “-km” have an Activity ID parameter while the EventWrite macros generated with “-um” do not have an Activity ID parameter. The EventWrite macros now default to calling EventWriteTransfer (user mode) or EtwWriteTransfer (kernel mode). Previously, the EventWrite macros defaulted to calling EventWrite (user mode) or EtwWrite (kernel mode). The generated header now supports several customization macros. For example, you can set the MCGEN_EVENTWRITETRANSFER macro if you need the generated macros to call something other than EventWriteTransfer. The manifest supports new attributes. Event “name”: non-localized event name. Event “attributes”: additional key-value metadata for an event such as filename, line number, component name, function name. Event “tags”: 28-bit value with user-defined semantics (per-event). Field “tags”: 28-bit value with user-defined semantics (per-field – can be applied to “data” or “struct” elements). You can now define “provider traits” in the manifest (e.g. provider group). If provider traits are used in the manifest, the EventRegister macro will automatically register them. MC will now report an error if a localized message file is missing a string. (Previously MC would silently generate a corrupt message resource.) MC can now generate Unicode (utf-8 or utf-16) output with the “-cp utf-8” or “-cp utf-16” parameters. Known Issues: The SDK headers are generated with types in the “ABI” namespace. This is done to avoid conflicts with C++/CX and C++/WinRT clients that need to consume types directly at the ABI layer. By default, types emitted by MIDL are *not* put in the ABI namespace, however this has the potential to introduce conflicts from teams attempting to consume ABI types from Windows WinRT MIDL generated headers and non-Windows WinRT MIDL generated headers (this is especially challenging if the non-Windows header references Windows types). To ensure that developers have a consistent view of the WinRT API surface, validation has been added to the generated headers to ensure that the ABI prefix is consistent between the Windows headers and user generated headers. If you encounter an error like: 5>c:\program files (x86)\windows kits\10\include\10.0.17687.0\winrt\windows.foundation.h(83): error C2220: warning treated as error – no ‘object’ file generated 5>c:\program files (x86)\windows kits\10\include\10.0.17687.0\winrt\windows.foundation.h(83): warning C4005: ‘CHECK_NS_PREFIX_STATE’: macro redefinition 5>g:\(41): note: see previous definition of ‘CHECK_NS_PREFIX_STATE’ It means that some of your MIDL generated headers are inconsistent with the system generated headers. There are two ways to fix this: Preferred: Compile your IDL file with the /ns_prefix MIDL command line switch. This will cause all your types to be moved to the ABI namespace consistent with the Windows headers. This may require code changes in your code however. Alternate: Add #define DISABLE_NS_PREFIX_CHECKS before including the Windows headers. This will suppress the validation. Read more about API Updates, Additions and Removals here. Read the full article
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PlatformIO and Visual Studio Take over the World
In a recent post, I talked about using the “Blue Pill” STM32 module with the Arduino IDE. I’m not a big fan of the Arduino IDE, but I will admit it is simple to use which makes it good for simple things.
I’m not a big fan of integrated development environments (IDE), in general. I’ve used plenty of them, especially when they are tightly tied to the tool I’m trying to use at the time. But when I’m not doing anything special, I tend to just write my code in emacs. Thinking about it, I suppose I really don’t mind an IDE if it has tools that actually help me. But if it is just a text editor and launches a few commands, I can do that from emacs or another editor of my choice. The chances that your favorite IDE is going to have as much editing capability and customization as emacs are close to zero. Even if you don’t like emacs, why learn another editor if there isn’t a clear benefit in doing so?
There are ways, of course, to use other tools with the Arduino and other frameworks and I decided to start looking at them. After all, how hard can it be to build Arduino code? If you want to jump straight to the punch line, you can check out the video, below.
Turns Out…
It turns out, the Arduino IDE does a lot more than providing a bare-bones editor and launching a few command line tools. It also manages a very convoluted build process. The build process joins a lot of your files together, adds headers based on what it thinks you are doing, and generally compiles one big file, unless you’ve expressly included .cpp or .c files in your build.
That means just copying your normal Arduino code (I hate to say sketch) doesn’t give you anything you can build with a normal compiler. While there are plenty of makefile-based solutions, there’s also a tool called PlatformIO that purports to be a general-purpose solution for building on lots of embedded platforms, including Arduino.
About PlatformIO
Although PlatformIO claims to be an IDE, it really is a plugin for the open source Atom editor. However, it also has plugins for a lot of other IDEs. Interestingly enough, it even supports emacs. I know not everyone appreciates emacs, so I decided to investigate some of the other options. I’m not talking about VIM, either.
I wound up experimenting with two IDEs: Atom and Microsoft Visual Studio Code. Since PlatformIO has their 2.0 version in preview, I decided to try it. You might be surprised that I’m using Microsoft’s Code tool. Surprisingly, it runs on Linux and supports many things through plugins, including an Arduino module and, of course, PlatformIO. It is even available as source under an MIT license. The two editors actually look a lot alike, as you can see.
PlatformIO supports a staggering number of boards ranging from Arduino to ESP82666 to mBed boards to Raspberry Pi. It also supports different frameworks and IDEs. If you are like me and just like to be at the command line, you can use PlatformIO Core which is command line-driven.
In fact, that’s one of the things you first notice about PlatformIO is that it can’t decide if it is a GUI tool or a command line tool. I suspect some of that is in the IDE choice, too. For example, with Code, you have to run the projection initialization tool in a shell prompt. Granted, you can open a shell inside Code, but it is still a command line. Even on the PlatformIO IDE (actually, Atom), changing the Blue Pill framework from Arduino to mBed requires opening an INI file and changing it. Setting the upload path for an FRDM-KL46 required the same sort of change.
Is it Easy?
Don’t get me wrong. I personally don’t mind editing a file or issuing a command from a prompt. However, it seems like this kind of tool will mostly appeal to someone who does. I like that the command line tools exist. But it does make it seem odd when some changes are done in a GUI and some are done from the command line.
That’s fixable, of course. However, I do have another complaint that I feel bad for voicing because I don’t have a better solution. PlatformIO does too much. In theory, that’s the strength of it. I can write my code and not care how the mBed libraries or written or the Arduino tools munge my source code. I don’t even have to set up a tool chain because PlatformIO downloads everything I need the first time I use it.
When that works it is really great. The problem is when it doesn’t. For example, on the older version of PlatformIO, I had trouble getting the mBed libraries to build for a different target. I dug around and found the issue but it wasn’t easy. Had I built the toolchain and been in control of the process, I would have known better how to troubleshoot.
In the end, too, you will have to troubleshoot. PlatformIO aims at moving targets. Every time the Arduino IDE or the mBed frameworks or anything else changes, there is a good chance it will break something. When it does, you are going to have to work to fix it until the developers fix it for you. If you can do that, it is a cost in time. But I suspect the people who will be most interested in PlatformIO will be least able to fix it when it breaks.
Bottom Line
If you want to experiment with a different way of building programs — and more importantly, a single way to create and build — you should give PlatformIO a spin. When it works, it works well. Here are a few links to get you started:
The PlatformIO IDE (requires Atom)
PlatformIO Core (not needed if you install an IDE package)
Visual Studio Code (install PlatformIO from within the IDE)
Bottom line, when it works, it works great. When it doesn’t it is painful. Should you use it? It is handy, there’s no doubt about that. The integration with Code is pretty minimal. The Atom integration — while not perfect — is much more seamless. However, if you learn to use the command line tools, it almost doesn’t matter. Use whatever editor you like, and I do like that. If you do use it, just hope it doesn’t break and maybe have a backup plan if it does.
Filed under: Arduino Hacks, ARM, Hackaday Columns, reviews, Skills
PlatformIO and Visual Studio Take over the World was originally published on PlanetArduino
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Windows 10 SDK Preview Build 17709 released
Windows 10 SDK Preview Build 17709 released. Things to note: This build works in conjunction with previously released SDKs and Visual Studio 2017. You can install this SDK and still also continue to submit your apps that target Windows 10 build 1803 or earlier to the store. The Windows SDK will now formally only be supported by Visual Studio 2017 and greater. This build of the Windows SDK will install on Windows 10 Insider Preview and supported Windows operating systems. C++/WinRT Update for build 17709 and beyond: This update introduces many improvements and fixes for C++/WinRT. Notably, it introduces the ability to build C++/WinRT without any dependency on the Windows SDK. This isn’t particularly interesting to the OS developer, but even in the OS repo it provides benefits because it does not itself include any Windows headers. Thus, a developer will typically pull in fewer or no dependencies inadvertently. This also means a dramatic reduction in the number of macros that a C++/WinRT developer must guard against. Removing the dependency on the Windows headers means that C++/WinRT is more portable and standards compliant and furthers our efforts to make it a cross-compiler and cross-platform library. It also means that the C++/WinRT headers will never be mangled by macros. If you previously relied on C++/WinRT to include various Windows headers, you will now have to include them yourself. It has always been good practice to include any headers you depend on explicitly, and not rely on another library to include them for you. Highlights Support get_strong and get_weak to create delegates: This update allows a developer to use either get_strong or get_weak instead of a raw this pointer when creating a delegate pointing to a member function. Add async cancellation callback: The most frequently requested feature for C++/WinRT’s coroutine support has been the addition of a cancellation callback. Simplify the use of APIs expecting IBuffer parameters: Although most APIs prefer collections or arrays, enough APIs rely on IBuffer that it should be easier to use such APIs from C++. This update provides direct access to the data behind an IBuffer implementation using the same data naming convention used by the C++ standard library containers. This also avoids colliding with metadata names that conventionally begin with an uppercase letter. Conformance: Improved support for Clang and Visual C++’s stricter conformance modes. Improved code gen: Various improvements to reduce code size, improve inlining, and optimize factory caching. Remove unnecessary recursion: When the command line refers to a folder rather than a specific winmd, cppwinrt will no longer search recursively for winmd files. It causes performance problems in the OS build and can lead to usage errors that are hard to diagnose when developers inadvertently cause cppwinrt to consume more winmds than expected. The cppwinrt compiler also now handles duplicates more intelligently, making it more resilient to user error and poorly-formed winmd files. Declare both WINRT_CanUnloadNow and WINRT_GetActivationFactory in base.h: Callers don’t need to declare them directly. Their signatures have also changed, amounting to a breaking change. The declarations alleviate most of the pain of this change. The change is necessitated by the fact that C++/WinRT no longer depends on the Windows headers and this change removes the dependency on the types from the Windows headers. Harden smart pointers: The event revokers didn’t revoke when move-assigned a new value. This lead me to take a closer look at the smart pointer classes and I noticed that they were not reliably handling self-assignment. This is rooted in the com_ptr class template that most of the others rely on. I fixed com_ptr and updated the event revokers to handle move semantics correctly to ensure that they revoke upon assignment. The handle class template has also been hardened by the removal of the implicit constructor that made it easy to write incorrect code. This also turned bugs in the OS into compiler errors fixed in this PR. Breaking Changes Support for non-WinRT interfaces is disabled by default. To enable, simply #include before any C++/WinRT headers. winrt::get_abi(winrt::hstring) now returns void* instead of HSTRING. Code requiring the HSTRING ABI can simply use a static_cast. winrt::put_abi(winrt::hstring) returns void** instead of HSTRING*. Code requiring the HSTRING ABI can simply use a reinterpret_cast. HRESULT is now projected as winrt::hresult. Code requiring an HRESULT can simply static_cast if you need to do type checking or support type traits, but it is otherwise convertible as long as is included first. GUID is now projected as winrt::guid. Code implementing APIs with GUID parameters must use winrt::guid instead, but it is otherwise convertible as long as is included first. The signatures of WINRT_CanUnloadNow and WINRT_GetActivationFactory has changed. Code must not declare these functions at all and instead include winrt/base.h to include their declarations. The winrt::handle constructor is now explicit. Code assigning a raw handle value must call the attach method instead. winrt::clock::from_FILETIME has been deprecated. Code should use winrt::clock::from_file_time instead. What’s New: MSIX Support It’s finally here! You can now package your applications as MSIX. These applications can be installed and run on any device with 17682 build or later. To package your application with MSIX, use the MakeAppx tool. To install the application – just click on the MSIX file. MSIX is not currently supported by the App Certification Kit nor the Microsoft Store at this time. MC.EXE We’ve made some important changes to the C/C++ ETW code generation of mc.exe (Message Compiler): The “-mof” parameter is deprecated. This parameter instructs MC.exe to generate ETW code that is compatible with Windows XP and earlier. Support for the “-mof” parameter will be removed in a future version of mc.exe. As long as the “-mof” parameter is not used, the generated C/C++ header is now compatible with both kernel-mode and user-mode, regardless of whether “-km” or “-um” was specified on the command line. The header will use the _ETW_KM_ macro to automatically determine whether it is being compiled for kernel-mode or user-mode and will call the appropriate ETW APIs for each mode. The only remaining difference between “-km” and “-um” is that the EventWrite macros generated with “-km” have an Activity ID parameter while the EventWrite macros generated with “-um” do not have an Activity ID parameter. The EventWrite macros now default to calling EventWriteTransfer (user mode) or EtwWriteTransfer (kernel mode). Previously, the EventWrite macros defaulted to calling EventWrite (user mode) or EtwWrite (kernel mode). The generated header now supports several customization macros. For example, you can set the MCGEN_EVENTWRITETRANSFER macro if you need the generated macros to call something other than EventWriteTransfer. The manifest supports new attributes. Event “name”: non-localized event name. Event “attributes”: additional key-value metadata for an event such as filename, line number, component name, function name. Event “tags”: 28-bit value with user-defined semantics (per-event). Field “tags”: 28-bit value with user-defined semantics (per-field – can be applied to “data” or “struct” elements) You can now define “provider traits” in the manifest (e.g. provider group). If provider traits are used in the manifest, the EventRegister macro will automatically register them. MC will now report an error if a localized message file is missing a string. (Previously MC would silently generate a corrupt message resource). MC can now generate Unicode (utf-8 or utf-16) output with the “-cp utf-8” or “-cp utf-16” parameters. Known Issues: The SDK headers are generated with types in the “ABI” namespace. This is done to avoid conflicts with C++/CX and C++/WinRT clients that need to consume types directly at the ABI layer. By default, types emitted by MIDL are *not* put in the ABI namespace, however this has the potential to introduce conflicts from teams attempting to consume ABI types from Windows WinRT MIDL generated headers and non-Windows WinRT MIDL generated headers (this is especially challenging if the non-Windows header references Windows types). To ensure that developers have a consistent view of the WinRT API surface, validation has been added to the generated headers to ensure that the ABI prefix is consistent between the Windows headers and user generated headers. If you encounter an error like: 5>c:\program files (x86)\windows kits\10\include\10.0.17687.0\winrt\windows.foundation.h(83): error C2220: warning treated as error – no ‘object’ file generated 5>c:\program files (x86)\windows kits\10\include\10.0.17687.0\winrt\windows.foundation.h(83): warning C4005: ‘CHECK_NS_PREFIX_STATE’: macro redefinition 5>g:\(41): note: see previous definition of ‘CHECK_NS_PREFIX_STATE’ It means that some of your MIDL generated headers are inconsistent with the system generated headers. There are two ways to fix this: Preferred: Compile your IDL file with the /ns_prefix MIDL command line switch. This will cause all your types to be moved to the ABI namespace consistent with the Windows headers. This may require code changes in your code however. Alternate: Add #define DISABLE_NS_PREFIX_CHECKS before including the Windows headers. This will suppress the validation. Read more about API Updates, Additions and Removals here. Read the full article
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