C# Base Classes

Last Updated: 2001

Long namespace reference can be abbreviated within the use statement so that if it is necessary to indicate which class from two identically named classes it is not necessary to re-include the entire namespace path:

    using fred = Dave.Brankin.Was.Here;
    ...
    fred.string myString = ...;

System

• All the primitives, including class, int, string etc.

• Date and time manipulations:

  • DateTime.Now    returns current date-time as a DateTime object from static class method
  • DateTime constructor can accept (y, m, d, h, m ,s, ms)
  • DateTime object has properties like Year, Month, Day, DayOfWeek etc. and methods like ToLongString().
     
• The Math class contains the usual suspects. For example, Math.Sin(radians), Math.Max(n1, n2) etc.

System.Data

• ADO+ classes

System.IO

• Including file-handling
   
• File fh = new File(@"C:\temp\temp.txt");
  File object has properties like Name, Directory, FullName, IsDirectory, IsFile, LastWriteTime, Length.
   
• Treats files and folders as same type of object. Expect an exception to be thrown if you use a file-only property or method on a folder object or vice versa. Beta 2 has different objects (no longer the same)

System.Reflection

• All the RTTI functions

System.Net

• Network and Internet classes

System.Web

• ASP+ Web pages
• System.Web.HttpUtility.UrlEncode(string) - converts the parameter to a format suitable for use in a URL, e.g. myLink.NavigateUrl = "nextPage.aspx?param1=" + System.Web.HttpUtility.UrlEncode(strParm1);
• [Shouldn't be in this section but] A parameter such as the one above can be extracted in nextPage.aspx as Request.Params["Name"];

System.WinForms

• Classes relating to stand-alone EXEs

System.Win32

• Win32 API stuff (such as registry manipulation)

System.Diagnostics

• Break()                                    Launches debugger (prompts user to select one if not already loaded)
• Process fred = new Process();  
  fred.StartInfo.FileName="Notepad.exe";
  fred.Start();        // Runs notepad
  
  or
  
  Process myProcess = Process.Start("Notepad");

System.Diagnostics.Debug

• Useful debug functionality, including:
  • WriteLine(...)     Write an expression/string to the Output window at run-time
  • Assert(bCondition [, strMessage [, strDetailMessage]])