Chapter 1
Getting Started with Visual Studio
IN THIS CHAPTER
Surveying the available versions
Setting up Visual Studio
Understanding projects and solutions
Exploring the different types of projects
You can run much of C# by using a command prompt and cs.exe, but that’s not a great way to program. It’s unforgiving and slow, and people have trouble remembering the specifics of the language. A better way is to use an Integrated Development Environment (IDE), which is a program that provides a platform for development. An IDE helps to make development easier.
Programmers who are used to starting with a blank screen and a command line often dismiss an IDE as a slow, bogged-down waste of time. However, Visual Studio really does make working with C# faster and more pleasant. It’s quick, easy to use, agile, and smart. If you’re truly determined to use a command-line interface, consider using a Read, Evaluate, Print, and Loop (REPL) environment such as CShell (http://cshell.net), discussed in the “Using IDE alternatives” sidebar, later in this chapter.
True, you don’t have to use an IDE to ...
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