On: Where Is .Net Headed?

[ilaksh]

Start with the name, ".NET". What were they referring to when they chose that name very carefully? They were referring to the web.

C# 5.0? Take a look at this example code from the MSDN blog which is "showing off" the new features of C# 5.0. (It was formatted this way with no indentation on the blog). This example, not by coincidence, demonstrates how .NET interfaces with the web.

    private async void
    btnTest_Click(object sender, EventArgs e) 

    { 

    var request = WebRequest.Create(txtUrl.Text.Trim()); 

    var content = new MemoryStream(); 

    Task<WebResponse> responseTask = request.GetResponseAsync(); 

    using (var response = await responseTask) 

    {

    using (var
    responseStream = response.GetResponseStream()) 

    { 

    Task copyTask = responseStream.CopyToAsync(content); 

    //await operator to supends the excution of the method until the task is completed. In the meantime, 
    the control is returned the UI thread. 

    await copyTask; 

    } 

    } 

    txtResult.Text = content.Length.ToString(); 

    }

What does that code do? It works behind a form running on the desktop, where you press a button to do an async HTTP request and display the content length of the response.

First of all, why would I want to create an application that runs on the desktop, rather than build a web application that I can show to people with a link? Especially

If I were going to do the same thing with a web application then I would probably do something like this in CoffeeScript:

    $.get $('#url').val(), (res) -> $('#res').val res.length

I'm sorry, but I don't see C# as being the most damn awesome all-around language. I like CoffeeScript, or maybe even better, LiveScript (http://livescript.net). Or failing that, plain-old JavaScript.

[ComputerGuru → ilaksh]

I think a closer equivalent of your CoffeScript code in C# would be

    var HtmlLength = new WebClient().DownloadString("http://news.ycombinator.com").Length;

or if you want the length in bytes:

    var ByteLength = new WebClient().DownloadData("http://news.ycombinator.com").Length;

Want to do it asynchronously?

    var ByteLength = new WebClient().DownloadDataTaskAsync(url).Length;

That code sample you posted is to demonstrate in a rather loquacious fashion the new C# 5.0 features.

As for why create a desktop application rather than a web-based app, I'm not even going to dignify that with a response. Apples and oranges.

[pantaloons → ilaksh]

For one, you're criticizing a web API here and not the C# language-- and you've failed to even do that convincingly since it's an intentionally verbose example using an outdated API.

res.Text = (await new HtppClient().GetStringAsync(url.Text)).Length.ToString();

(Disclaimer: I work at MS.)

[ilaksh → pantaloons]

Well, that's not bad, but I think the CoffeeScript is better

    $.get $('#url').val(), (res) -> $('#res').val res.length

Or using LiveScript backcalls is even cooler:

    data <-! $.get '/x.html'
    $ \.res .val data

Or in IcedCoffeeScript if you like 'await'

    await $.get 'documentation/css/docs.css', defer res
    console.log res

Or check out the huge list of languages that compile to JavaScript at http://altjs.org/

[pjmlp → ilaksh]

> First of all, why would I want to create an application that runs on the desktop, rather than build a web application that I can show to people with a link? Especially

To take proper advantage of the hardware and provide proper integration with the operating system.

The browser is for documents.

[sk5t → ilaksh]

That's not a fantastic code sample, but its purpose is to show off the async / await keyword. There's no point in criticizing it for not being a web app... I do wish, however, that MSDN blogs put more focus on good, idiomatic C#, formatted properly, but they so often come up short, only doing one thing adequately while failing at all others.

[moron4hire → ilaksh]

I don't think you know enough about .NET, C#, or even web applications in general, to effectively comment on this subject.