Hey everyone, I'm a programming beginner trying to merge my art and animation skills with coding. I'm interested in creating various projects like apps, websites, games, and even AR or VR experiences. Recently, I've been learning HTML, CSS, and some JavaScript on my own. I'm now exploring C#, drawn to its recent advancements relevant to my creative ambitions. However, I've run into some struggles with setting up Visual Studio Code. Unlike JavaScript, where I can just create a .js file in any text editor and start coding, C# feels overwhelming with all these necessary libraries and plugins to even get started. It seems like I might be forced into a dependency on Microsoft and the .NET framework, which makes me hesitant about my direction, especially since I'm trying to avoid getting bogged down in setup and unlearning later. Is C# inherently this way? Why does it seem more cumbersome compared to JavaScript? Any guidance from seasoned coders would be greatly appreciated!
1 Answer
Can you clarify what you find "heavy and sluggish" about C#? The main issue you pointed out seems to be the setup of VS Code. You can actually code in a simple text editor like you do with JavaScript, too! It’s true that C# requires compilation before running, which some languages don’t, but that’s not unusual. The .NET framework is just like the libraries that come with JavaScript in that they provide necessary functions. It’s more about how you perceive dependencies; every language has its own framework, and they’re usually open source, so you’re not being sold anything. Investing time in one ecosystem definitely ties you to it, but that's common with learning any programming language.
What I meant by 'dependent' is that I'm worried about Microsoft and VS Code becoming limiting as I dive deeper, especially if I end up needing to pay for extra features.