C# Development: The Complete Guide to Getting Started

Sometimes, you want a language that does it all. When that’s the case, you need a language like C#.

C# is one of the top 5 most-used programming languages in 2024, for a good reason.

Considered to be a rival to Java, Microsoft developed C# in 2000. Now, it powers a variety of industries, from gaming and small MVPs to enterprise applications.

You can create a little bit of everything with C#. However, its main uses are for Windows desktop applications and Unity game development.

The main reason for this incredible versatility is its rich ecosystem, backed by the reliability of Microsoft’s .NET framework.

At Trio, we not only deliver top-tier content and insights in software development but also offer the finest South American developers for outsourcing. Explore our talented Argentinean developers, Colombian developers, and Brazilian developers to elevate your projects today.

What Is C#?

Overview of C#

C# is a general-purpose programming language with a diverse range of features, from strong typing to lexical scoping. It’s widely used for developing web applications, web services, and desktop applications.

What’s more, C# is multi-paradigm, declarative, functional, generic, and component-oriented. Let’s run through some basic definitions.

Key Features of C#

• Strong Typing
• Lexical Scoping
• Object-oriented Programming
• Multi-Paradigm
• Imperative

Strong typing refers to languages where the variable type can not change. As opposed to weak typing, strong typing can prevent run-time errors later on. This makes C# ideal for enterprise software where stability and reliability are critical.

For example, if a developer declares an integer, the compiler will enforce type safety. This prevents your developers from accidentally assigning a string to it.

In lexical scoping, the scope of a function must be defined. This establishes whether a variable or other program element can be referenced outside the function it was written in. The result is that maintaining clean and modular code becomes a lot easier.

Object-oriented, as you probably know, means C# allows developers to manipulate objects in an intuitive, class-based fashion. This means that the code easily becomes reusable and is relatively simple to keep organized.

Multi-paradigm encompasses much of the previously stated characteristics of C#. Programming languages that support more than one programming paradigm are multi-paradigms. This multi-paradigm functionality means that your developers have the flexibility to choose the most ideal approach to their problems.

Imperative is a programming paradigm denoting that a C# statement can change the state of a program. It entails detailing the steps developers want the machine to take in order to solve a problem.

Declarative programming is its contrast, but this can be used in C# as well. In declarative programming, developers express what they want without delineating a step-by-step procedure.

Functional programming occurs when functions are used as the main utility for writing a program.

Generic programming languages permit code to be written with algorithms that have to-be-specified-later variable types.

Component-oriented programming is just as useful as object-oriented programming. It works by inserting new and pre-existing components into your project.

These various programming disciplines make C# extremely modern and flexible. This explains why developers use C# to develop embedded systems, desktop applications, web applications, and games.

Microsoft’s .NET is also a frequent alliance with C#. The .NET framework is a free, open-source platform that carries tools to help developers build virtually any app in C#.

What Is a C# Developer?

A C# developer can have a variety of roles depending on what your business needs. At the very least, C# developers know how to write and maintain C# code.

C# developers might build applications to work on desktop computers or work closely with the back-end processes needed for web applications.

These developers should have a great intuition for developing using the object-oriented programming paradigm, as well as any of the other programming paradigms that fall under C#.

They will have to be able to use specific tools, like Visual Studio or ReSharper, as well as be proficient in a variety of frameworks, including .NET and ASP.NET. But there are also trending skills that are constantly changing.

Most of these trending skills are industry-specific, like using Blazor for interactive web UIs or Unity for game development. So, it is important to brush up on the exact skills you would need in your project.

Our highly experienced developers here at Trio can help you with that. The developers we would connect you with will have industry experience in whatever field you need. And, thanks to our focus on developer well-being, as well as long-term developer satisfaction and performance, they would have the time to brush up their skills and keep up to date.

Why Use C#?

Given that C# is such a wide-ranging language, it’s important that you understand what exactly C# can do for you at every junction. As it stands, games, web apps and services, and desktop applications are the primary development uses for C#.

Game Development: Unity, MonoGame, CRYENGINE

Where games are concerned, Unity is always part of the conversation. Unity is a game engine for building 2D and 3D games that relies on .NET and the C# programming language.

Though not as popular, C# game developers can also opt to use MonoGame or CRYENGINE to build games.

MonoGame is an open-source game development platform built with .NET that supports both C# and F#. CRYENGINE is a framework that allows developers to use .NET and C# to develop games, much like Unity.

Web Apps & Services: ASP.NET, REST APIs, Blazor

ASP.NET is a Microsoft framework for building modern, scalable web apps with built-in model-view-controller (MVC) support. In it, you can build apps with real-time bi-directional communication between server and client.

MVC is a prized design pattern amongst web developers. The pattern distinguishes concerns structurally for the data, user interface (UI), and inputs for a web application.

You also have the ability to develop REST APIs that can help your app communicate with other clients from browsers to mobile devices. Developers can use a microservice architectural approach to build web apps as well in ASP.NET.

Blazor is a feature provided in ASP.NET for building interactive web UIs. Razor is a specific programming syntax used for creating dynamic web content with HTML and C#.

Desktop Applications: WPF and Popular apps

Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) is a UI framework for creating desktop applications. WPF apps are written in C#. Today, web applications are much more popular than desktop applications.

But there are still plenty of relevant applications that you know and use today that are written in C#. A few examples are Quickbooks, which is just about every Unity game, including popular titles like Hearthstone and Monument Valley, and, of course, the whole Microsoft Office suite.

Advantages of Using C#

C# has quickly risen through the ranks of programming languages that are more long-standing and pointed. It hasn’t surpassed Java, but C# still places in the top ten when compared to other languages. What makes C# so appealing?

Modern Features: Rapid Development, Powerful Froms Engine

If you’ve never heard of C# but still the name seems familiar, then perhaps you’ve heard of C and C++. Before C#, C and C++ were the top picks for a middle-level language to efficiently build software that could interact closely with hardware systems, like desktop applications, for instance.

C# has the advantage of being a newer language. Though it is based on C++ and is syntactically similar, it has many useful upgrades.

Some of these upgrades include rapid development, new data types, and a powerful forms engine – courtesy of the .NET framework.

Safety: Type Safety and Memory Safety

Type safety and memory safety are two provisions of C#, both of which C++ lacks.

As far as type safety, this means you can not use uninitialized variables, leading to fewer errors down the line.

Memory safety is a property of programming languages that use some sort of methodology – in most cases and, in this case, garbage collection – to protect against security vulnerabilities and software bugs.

This is particularly a concern for middle-level and high-level languages that must consider memory allocation when dealing with low-level systems.

Muti-paradigm

As established, C# has more than a few programming disciplines that you can opt into at will. Naturally, the most favored programming paradigm among them all is the object-oriented paradigm.

Object-oriented programming has always been advantageous to coders as it permits them to structure programs intuitively and with real-world constructs.

Ease of Use: High-Level Abstraction, Low-level Access

Code readability and high-level abstraction make C# easy to learn. However, it is still complex enough to provide low-level access.

Documentation: XML Comments

In C#, you write XML comments. This is a bit more exciting than your regular hash symbol and forward slash. It means that developers can export their comments into well-structured documentation.

Interoperability with .NET

One feature of C# is cross-language interoperability. Simply put, any other language on the .NET platform can work together with C#. Feel free to use F# or Visual Basic while you enjoy all the qualities of C#.

Companies That Use C#

C# is used across multiple industries. These include gaming (Blizzard and Unity Technologies), enterprise (Wells Fargo and Boeing), technology (Apple and Amazon), and even defense (Raytheon). Let’s take a closer look at how some of these companies use C#.

• Blizzard: Uses C# in game engines of popular titles for its flexibility and strong typing.
• Wells Fargo: Uses C# for its internal financial tools and secure transaction systems.
• Apple: Uses C# for cross-platform development and even internal tools.
• Boeing: Uses C# for applications that manage manufacturing workflows, logistics, and other parts of their internal workings.
• Amazon: It uses C# for its cloud and back-end services on AWS.
• Raytheon: Builds simulation software and training tools for C#.

Reasons to Hire a C# Developer

C# developers can do many things for your business. Whether you want a desktop or web application or even to build a game, C# could be the right language for your business.

Above all C# developers enable scalabilitya cross multiple platforms. This is vital for both startups creating their first MVP and established tech companies that want to promote their business growth even further.

With that, it doesn’t matter so much what you’re developing in C#, but it does matter that you have qualified developers to help you reach your goals. For example, there might be certain advantages to hiring developers experienced in both front-end (Razor) and back-end (ASP.NET), as opposed to having to hire a team to take care of the same tasks.

How to Hire a C# Developer

Being at a relative peak for flexibility and modernity amongst popular programming languages, C# has grown to major popularity, with over 30% of developers opting to use the language.

This is to say that C# is very much in high demand. You’ll have a large pool of applicants to choose from if you’re looking to hire C# developers.

How do you hire a C# developer?

For those who wish to take the high road and hire C# developers on their own, we’re still here to help.

Hiring a developer on your own is a very focused and hands-on process that requires considerable knowledge about software development in general.

You will need to figure out exactly what roles the developer will need to fill, then will have to create an accurate job listing, find the right sites to connect with talent, then actually interview the talent and test them to make sure that they have all the technical skills you need and will be a good team culture fit.

This evaluation will need to include their familiarity with even the most basic programming and the latest tools and frameworks, like .NET Core.

The last thing you want to do is trust your hiring process to someone with no technical ability. If you are a non-technical manager looking to learn a thing or two, we have a great resource here for you to learn more about the hiring process in detail.

Otherwise, we’d recommend you contact Trio for consulting and developer allocation. This is a great alternative to other popular hiring platforms such as Upwork or Toptal.

What should you look for in a C# developer?

C# developers at a professional level should have the following qualities:

• High-level familiarity with the .NET framework and ASP.NET.
• Proficiency with one of the many programming paradigms supplied in C#, especially object-oriented programming
• For web developers, a background in web technologies like JavaScript, HTML, and CSS
• For developers building desktop applications, a comprehension of software development at a low level
• Knowledge of Blazor for interactive web UIs.
• Familiarity with Unity or MonoGame for game development.
• Strong problem-solving skills.

A common mistake is looking only at technical skills. Make sure to evaluate your candidate’s soft skills, like their teamwork, culture alignment, client communication, and even their adaptability.

How much do developers cost in the U.S.?

ZipRecruiter data records the average salary for C# developers in the United States at $117,437 per year. In general, salaries can range as low as $95,000 and as high as $156,000.

Some of the biggest causes of variance include the cost of living in the city or town of the developer, as well as their experience and any unique skills that they may have.

How much do developers cost in South America?

Due to economic differences between the United States and South America as a whole, the cost of offshoring software development is significantly lower than hiring full-time with U.S. talent. For C# Developers in South America, the average salary ranges from around $20,000 to $60,000.

How much do developers cost in Ukraine / Eastern Europe?

Eastern Europe shares very similar rates to South America, again due to the economic differences. When looking at salaries in Eastern Europe, data shows that an average C# Developer costs around $30,000 to $80,000 on average.

These clearly reduced costs for both Eastern Europe and Latin America mean that you can take advantage of some of the most skilled talent in the world without having to pay the incredibly high rates charged by North American developers.

If you are on a budget, offshoring might be a great option.

Hourly Rates for Developers

Another way to look at developer costs is through hourly rates. While salaries are good to understand for hiring developers for full-time and long-term, you might just need a developer for a period of 3-6 months or 6-12 months. In these types of situations, it’s best to calculate your costs based on the hourly rates of a developer.

Below is a table that lists the various hourly rates of developers in different locations based on their job titles.

This model of hiring can be great if you are working on prototypes or short-term bug fixes and don’t want to waste money paying for a full-time developer if you do not have work for them.

Why Hire a C# Developer?

There are many reasons to hire a C# developer. They drive innovation in gaming, enterprise apps, and web services. We’ve helped many clients connect with the right C# developer for their projects.

Trio C# developers are pre-vetted, interviewed, and then trained further to become true software professionals capable of adapting to situations that are both within and outside of the scope of their general expertise.

At Trio, we hold our developers to a higher standard. Much like how elite special forces units recruit only the best from the main branches of the military, we recruit developers who either show amazing potential or demonstrate exceptional skill. We then take their talents and sharpen them even further.

Another benefit of hiring a Trio developer is that you won’t incur the costs of hiring, which can add up to around 30% of a developer’s salary on average, as well as overhead costs associated with full-time employment.

By working with Trio, you can enjoy a highly experienced full-time developer for a fraction of the cost, along with the added project management assistance.

To learn more, tell us about your project, and we’ll get you started.

Transform your idea into reality with our expert C# developers!