NotePad++ Supports 54 Programming Languages

I have tried a number of different NotePad freeware clones (like TextPad, ConTEXT, NotePad2, etc.), but the best that one that I found is NotePad++. NotePad++ currently provides syntax highlighting for 54 programming languages, including VB, C-Sharp, HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and SQL.

Get Inspired by Bill Gates

One little known fact about Bill Gates is that he scored 1590 on the SAT test, where a perfect score is 1600.  It was not just an accident that he got to be where is today.

In April 2010, Gates was invited to visit and speak at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In the speech that he delivered, he asked the students to take on the hard problems of the world.  You can read more about the event by clicking here or you can watch the 15-minute video below where he  is interviewed by a student.


 

Download library of 200+ Code Samples

Download 200+ highly organized code samples with a single click of the mouse. Each sample includes an explanation of the syntax involved.

This library can become a programmer's expanding toolkit that will rapidly increase productivity over time. Progress Monitor members can always download the latest version of this growing library as a single file.

Install LinqPad and do LinqPad 5-minute induction under Samples

LinqPad comes with 100s of great LINQ samples. Work through the 5-minute induction under the Samples section after installing Low Impact version of LinqPad 4.0.

Get Inspired By Anders Hejlsberg

Anders Hejlsberg is the chief architect for C# at Microsoft. The first video I watched on .NET programming featured Anders Hejlsberg.  He has a very charming personality and can explain complicated topics in simple terms.

VB.Net vs C-Sharp

VB.Net vs C-Sharp Comparison is a very concise reference for commands you use every day. Print it out, hang it on the wall where it will not get lost, and use it every day.

Feature	Visual Basic .NET	Visual C# .NET
Case sensitive	Not case sensitive: response.write("Yo")  'OK	Case sensitive: response.write("Yo"); //Error Response.Write("Yo");  // OK
Functional blocks	Use beginning and ending statements to declare functional blocks of code: Sub Show(strX as String)   Response.Write(strX) End Sub	Use braces to declare functional blocks of code: void Show (string strX) { Response.Write(strX); }
Type conversion	Implicit type conversions are permitted by default: Dim intX As Integer intX = 3.14  ' Permitted You can limit conversions by including an Option Strict On statement at the beginning of modules	Type conversions are performed explicitly by casts: int intX; intX = 3.14; // Error! intX = (int)3.14; //Cast, OK Or, use type conversion methods: string strX; strX = intX.ToString();
Arrays	Array elements are specified using parentheses: arrFruit(1) = "Apple"	Array elements are specified using square brackets: arrFruit[1] = "Apple";
Methods	Statement termination Statements are terminated by carriage return: Response.Write("Hello")	Statements are terminated by the semicolon (;): Response.Write("Hello");
Statement continuation	Statements are continued using the underscore (_): intX = System.Math.Pi * _   intRadius	Statements continue until the semicolon (;) and can span multiple lines if needed: intX = System.Math.PI *    intRadius;
String operator	Use the ampersand (&) or plus sign (+) to join strings: strFruit = "Apples" & _   " Oranges"	Use the plus sign (+) to join strings: strFruit = "Apples" +    " Oranges";
Comparison operators	Use =, >, <, >=, <=, <> to compare values: If intX >= 5 Then	Use ==, >, <, >=, <=, != to compare values: if (intX >= 5)
Negation	Use the Not keyword to express logical negation: If Not IsPostBack Then	Use the ! operator to express logical negation: if (!IsPostBack)
Object comparison	Use the Is keyword to compare object variables: If objX Is objY Then	Use == to compare object variables: if (objX == objY)
Object existence	Use the Nothing keyword or the IsNothing function to check if an object exists: If IsNothing(objX) Then	Use the null keyword to check if an object exists: if (objX == null)