Console applications read and write to and from the standard input and output (I/O) without any graphical user interface. The anatomy of a console application is similar in Java and C#, and similar classes are used for console I/O.
While the details of the classes and their method signatures might vary, C# and Java use similar concepts to perform a console I/O operation. Both C# and Java have the concept of a main entry point for the console application and associated console read and write methods. In C#, this is Main, and in Java, it is main.
Java "Hello World" Example
In the Java example code that follows, a static void main() routine accepts a String reference to the application's arguments. The main routine then prints a line to the console.
/* A Java Hello World Console Application */
public class Hello {
public static void main (String args[]) {
System.out.println ("Hello World");
}
}
In the C# example code that follows, a static void Main() routine accepts a string reference to the application's arguments. The Main routine then writes a line to the console.
// A C# Hello World Console Application.
public class Hello
{
static void Main()
{
System.Console.WriteLine("Hello World");
}
}
If you are using Visual C#, you can compile and run the code in a single step by pressing F5. If you are using the command line and your file is named "Hello.cs," you invoke the C# compiler like this:
csc Hello.cs
For more information about creating a console application, see Creating Console Applications (Visual C#).
For more information about .NET Framework console classes, see:
Concepts
Other Resources