Softimage SDK Programmer's Guide > C# Development > Programming with C# >

# About Data Types and Casting in C#

C# is a strongly typed language. All basic types are part of the the System namespace (see Comparing Data Types across Languages for more information on type in C#).

Unlike scripting, C# doesn't do type coercion automatically if the calling function has arguments that don't match the value so the caller must perform the type cast explicitly:

    oCmd.SetFlag( (int)siCommandCapabilities.siCannotBeUsedInBatch, true );

Comparing C# to Python and JScript

This table sketches the similarities and differences between C#, Python and JScript:

C# | Python | JScript
--- | --- | ---
    int x = 3;
    string y = "foo";
    FooBarQux fbq = make_fbq ();
    x = 3
    y = "foo"
    fbq = make_fbq()
    var x = 3;
    var y = "foo";
    var fbq = make_fbq ();
    expr_1 = expr_2 = expr_3;
    expr_1 = expr_2 = expr_3
    expr_1 = expr_2 = expr_3;
    Class c = new Class (params)
    c = Class(params)
    var c = new Class (params)
    Class[] c = new Class [size]
    c = array(Class, size)
    var c = new Array(size)
    Type[] l = new Type[] { expr_1, expr_1, ..., expr_n }
    l = (expr_1, expr_1, ..., expr_n)
    var l = new Array { expr_1, expr_1, ..., expr_n }
    if (cond) return foo;
    do_something ();
    return bar;
    if cond:
        return foo

    //You can also say:
    return foo if cond
    do_something()
    return bar
    if (cond) return foo;
    do_something ();
    return bar;
    if (cond) answer = 42;
    if cond:
        answer = 42
    //or
    answer = 42 if cond
    if (cond) answer = 42;
    if (!cond) answer = 42;
    answer = 42 if not cond
    if (!cond) answer = 42;
    try ...
    catch (FooException e) { ... }
    catch (BarException e) { ... }
    try:
        ...
    except e as FooException:
        ...
    except e as BarException:
        ...
    try ...
    catch (e) { ... }
    try { foo (); bar (); }
    catch (Exception e) { baz (); }
    finally { qux (); }
    try:
        foo()
        bar()
    except e:
        baz()
    ensure:
        qux()
    try { foo (); bar (); }
    catch (e) { baz (); }
    finally { qux (); }
    throw new System.ArgumentException ("foo");
    raise System.ArgumentException("foo")
    throw new Error("foo");
    type t = ((type) expr)
    //exception if cast fails:
    t = cast(type, expr)
    //or
    //null if cast fails:
    t = expr as type
| (type is loose in JScript, implicit casting)
    using System.Windows.Forms;
    Button button = control as Button;
    if (button != null) ...
    else ...
    import System.Windows.Forms
    button = control as Button
    if button != null:
        ...
    else:
        ...
| JScript doesn't really have the concept of modules, but you can import other JScript libraries by reading them into global memory:
    var g_fso = new ActiveXObject( "Scripting.FileSystemObject" );
    var g_ts = g_fso.OpenTextFile( "MyJSFunctions.js" );
    var g_lib = g_ts.ReadAll();
    g_ts.Close();
    eval( g_lib );
    using System;
    using SWF = System.Windows.Forms;
    using System.Xml;
    ...
    Console.WriteLine ("foo");
    SWF.Form x = new SWF.Form ();
    XmlDocument doc = new XmlDocument ();
    import System
    import System.Windows.Forms as SWF
    import System.Xml

    print "foo"
    x = SWF.Form()
    doc = XmlDocument()
| JScript doesn't use namespaces.
    x++;
    ++x;
    x++
    ++x
    x++;
    ++x;
    readonly int X = 2;
    const int Y = 3;
    final X = 2
    static final Y = 3
| There are no constants or read-only variables in JScript.