Adventures in .NET

Designing C# with Mads Torgersen - .NET 156

Sep 12, 2023
Join Mads Torgersen, the lead designer of C#, as he dives into the language's rich history and recent innovations. He discusses the philosophy behind C#'s backward compatibility and the significance of abstract static interface members. Mads also explains the community-driven process for selecting new features and reflects on the challenge of managing language growth without becoming bloated. Plus, he shares insights on integrating functional programming concepts, making this a must-listen for any C# enthusiast!
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INSIGHT

C# Was Designed As A Middle Ground

  • C# was created to sit between low-level C++ and high-level Visual Basic while offering C-like syntax familiarity.
  • The language mixed high-level features with low-level reach (unsafe code, structs) to span abstraction layers.
INSIGHT

C# Now Tracks .NET's Yearly Cadence

  • C# releases now follow the yearly .NET cadence, producing more frequent version numbers.
  • The faster cadence gives developers access to new features more often while increasing version count.
ADVICE

Prioritize Backward Compatibility

  • Design new language features to avoid breaking existing code whenever possible.
  • Favor backward compatibility and minimize subtle semantics differences across language versions.
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