Introduction to C# Console Application

When beginning your journey into C# development, one of the most fundamental and accessible ways to get started is by creating a console application. This article, inspired by Tim Corey's detailed video and his invaluable insights on "Intro Console Apps in C# in .NET 6", will guide you through the basics of building and understanding console applications in C#. We'll explore the structure, functionality, and essential components that make console applications a great starting point for beginners and a powerful tool for experienced developers alike.

Console Application Type

Tim Corey begins his video by emphasizing the significance of the console application type in C#. Despite being often overlooked, Tim asserts that it is one of the most powerful project types in the language. He recommends that beginners should start with console applications, sticking with them for the first 50 or so practice projects (00:16). This foundational knowledge is crucial for both novices and senior developers alike.

Visual Studio Demo: Creating and Running a Simple .NET 6 Console App

Tim transitions to a practical demonstration using Visual Studio 2022 Community Edition. He guides the viewers through creating a new project, specifically a .NET 6 console application. Tim advises against using the older .NET Core or .NET Framework version, (1:26) pointing out that upgrading to .NET 6 (1:49) is straightforward and offers significant performance improvements as this was the latest .NET version at the time he made this video. Now the latest version of .NET Framework is 8.0 and is always recommended to use the latest version as it provides long-term support. (Image cleaner - can zoom in more?)

After creating the project, Tim shows how to run it (2:38), resulting in a command prompt console window displaying "Hello World" program output. He explains that this output is generated by the following code:

Console.WriteLine("Hello, World!");

Console.WriteLine("Hello, World!");

At 3:10, he also notes that in debug mode, Visual Studio keeps the console window open until a key is pressed, whereas running the executable directly would cause the window to close immediately after execution.

New "Top-Level Statements" in .NET 6

Tim explains the concept of top-level statements, a new feature in .NET 6 that simplifies console applications by eliminating boilerplate code. Instead of defining a namespace and a static void Main method, developers can now write code directly at the top level, making the code cleaner and more readable. Tim contrasts this with older versions of .NET, where additional namespace, class program and main method code was required.

Console Window

Tim discusses the console window, which serves as the user interface for console applications. Although not visually appealing like graphical user interfaces (GUIs), the console window is an effective user interface for input and output operations. He (5:25) reiterates that the console application type is indeed a user interface project type, despite its simplicity.

Console Class

Tim then moves towards the functionalities provided by the Console class. He differentiates between Console.WriteLine and Console.Write, illustrating how WriteLine adds a newline character at the end of the output, whereas Write does not. He demonstrates these differences through code examples, highlighting how user input can be captured using Console.ReadLine.

Console.Write("What is your first name: ");
string? firstName = Console.ReadLine();

Console.WriteLine($"Your first name is { firstName }");

Console.Write("What is your first name: ");
string? firstName = Console.ReadLine();

Console.WriteLine($"Your first name is { firstName }");

In the above code, (7:29) Tim provides a practical example where he prompts the user for their first name, reads the input, and then displays it. Notice that he uses the Write method instead of WriteLine method. This keeps the cursor on the same line making it more appropriate for the user to enter the value right after the message instead of going to next line. When the user enters the first name and press enter only then it moves to the next line and print the message along with his name.

At 9:23, he also introduces the idea of using Console.ReadLine at the end of the application to prevent the console window from closing immediately, allowing users to see the final output before the application exits. This is because the executable files opened outside of Visual Studio closes out immediately after displaying the messages as demonstrated by Tim at 10:28, if there is no Console.ReadLine method at the end.

Why Console Apps and When to Use Them

Tim discusses console application usage, with many clear examples, thorough explanations and reasons included here:

1. Easy to Learn C# Using Console Applications:

Tim emphasizes that console applications are ideal for beginners to learn C#. They allow learners to focus on the core language features without getting distracted by complex user interfaces. You can learn from basics of C# like variables, data types, if-else, loops and all the way up to Object Oriented Programming on the Console Apps. Tim at 12:45 mentions that his C# Master Course uses console applications extensively for teaching basic to advanced C# concepts.

Tim highlights a key advantage of using Console application type at 13:43. He mentions that only 3 methods (WriteLine, Write, ReadLine) are used to interact with the console window. This helps you learn quicker and focus more on learning the concepts and building logics than building some fancy frontend GUI designs.

2. Quick Applications:

Console applications are perfect for quickly implementing small programs or proof-of-concept projects. They enable rapid development and testing of ideas without the overhead of more complex project types.

3. Automation:

Tim highlights the importance of console applications in automation. They are essential for DevOps processes, continuous integration, and continuous deployment. Many automated tasks, including those performed by Visual Studio during the build process, rely on console applications. Tim at 19:17, shares his experience as an IT director, where he used PowerShell, a console-based tool, for automating server management tasks.

Web Applications as Console Applications

Tim concludes the video with an interesting insight: web apps in .NET are essentially console applications at their core. By demonstrating how to create a new web application in Visual Studio and examining its properties, Tim at 23:26 shows that the underlying project type is a console application. This highlights the versatility and foundational importance of console applications in the .NET ecosystem.

Discover Project Types

Lastly in his video, Tim provides an insightful overview of the various C# project types available on the csharpprojects.com website. Tim emphasizes the importance of selecting the appropriate project type based on the specific requirements of your scenario rather than just following industry trends.

At 26:49, he points out that there are six primary desktop application types supported by Microsoft: WinForms, WPF, UWP, .NET MAUI, Blazor Hybrid, and Console Applications. He notes that choosing the right one depends on the specific situation you are dealing with. For instance, while WinForms and WPF are traditional desktop application types, UWP is deprecated but was valuable at a certain point.

At 27:27, he advises selecting the project type that best fits the given scenario. Tim also encourages viewers to visit csharpprojects.com to read the simple descriptions of each project type and watch the introductory videos to gain a better understanding.

At 27:49, Tim highlights that some project types span multiple categories. For example, Console Applications can also be categorized under services because they can function without user input, making them suitable for automation tasks.

Conclusion

Creating console applications in C# is a fundamental step for any developer, offering a straightforward way to grasp core programming concepts and build a strong foundation. Tim Corey's video, "Intro to Console Apps in C# in .NET 6," provides an excellent guide to understanding the importance, structure, and use cases of console applications.

For more in-depth tutorials and insights on C# and other project types, be sure to visit Tim Corey’s YouTube channel, IAmTimCorey.