what is the difference between C# and C++

C++ is a public domain programming language which appeared in the early 80s. It built on the earlier C programming language by adding object orientation. In the mid 90s, Sun Microsystems released the public domain language Java, which is a descendant of C++. In the early 2000s, Microsoft released C#, which is a descendant of Java, as part of their .NET product. Although it may have the trappings of a publich domain language, C# is for all intents and purposes, just part of Microsoft's .NET product. At the present time it functions only on Windows.

C# is a distinct language from C++. C++ is designed for general object oriented programming in the days when the typical computer was a standalone machine running a command line-based user interface. C++ is a general-purpose programming language with high-level and low-level capabilities. It is a statically typed, free-form, multi-paradigm, usually compiled language supporting procedural programming, data abstraction, object-oriented programming, and generic programming.

C++ is C with classes added, and then a whole bunch of other things, and then some more stuff. It doesn't hold your hand, but it'll let you hold your own hand, with add-on GC, or RAII and smart-pointers. If there's something you want to accomplish, chances are there's a way to abuse the template system to give you a relatively easy syntax for it. (moreso with C++0x). This complexity also gives you the power to accidentally create a dozen instances of yourself and shoot them all in the foot.

C# EDIT: MODERATOR: LINK REMOVED is Microsoft's stab at improving on C++ and Java. Tons of syntactical features, but no where near the complexity of C++. It runs in a full managed environment, so memory management is done for you. It does let you "get dirty" and use unsafe code if you need to, but it's not the default, and you have to do some work to shoot yourself.

allen.

C++ is an octopus made by nailing extra legs on a dog.