C# 4.0 Gets Dynamic Qualities

Visual Studio (VS) 2010, released in Apr. 2010, includes several enhancements to the C# language (now C# 4.0) that could help developers build applications more efficiently. The most notable addition is support for dynamic types, available for the first time since C# debuted in 2002. This capability could help developers write simpler, more readable and maintainable code than was possible with earlier versions of C#, especially when implementing solutions that use or extend the functionality of Office applications. Other improvements in C# 4.0 provide similar benefits. However, teams need to consider the effort and time required to convert to VS 2010.

What’s New in C# 4.0?

C# was the first Microsoft language designed from scratch specifically to target the .NET Framework. Although C# is significantly simpler than C++, it inherits syntax and many characteristics from the C family of languages. C# has become the most popular language for developing managed code (programs that are executed by the Common Language Runtime, or CLR, engine included with the .NET Framework), and it has been improved over the years to address developer feedback and stay competitive with similar languages such as Java. The C# specification is published by Microsoft, and third-party development environments and compiler implementations are permitted, but the most popular tools used for C# development are VS and the free Visual C# Express environment, which is based on VS.