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Java Programmers may look at C# with a mixture of trepidation, glee, and resentment. It has been suggested that C# is somehow a "rip-off" of Java. I won't comment on the religious war between Microsoft and the "anyone but Microsoft" crowd except to acknowledge that C# certainly learned a great deal from Java. But then Java learned a great deal from C++, which owed its syntax to C, which in turn was built on lessons learned in other languages. We all stand on the shoulders of giants.

C# offers an easy transition for Java programmers; the syntax is very similar and the semantics are familiar and comfortable. Java programmers will probably want to focus on the differences between Java and C# in order to use the C# language effectively.

There are many differences and similarities between Java and C#. A list of top differences between Java and C# are given below:

No.	Java	C#
1)	Java is a high level, robust, secured and object-oriented programming language developed by Oracle.	C# is an object-oriented programming language developed by Microsoft that runs on .Net Framework.
2)	Java programming language is designed to be run on a Java platform, by the help of Java Runtime Environment (JRE).	C# programming language is designed to be run on the Common Language Runtime (CLR).
3)	Java type safety is safe.	C# type safety is unsafe.
4)	In java, built-in data types that are passed by value are called primitive types.	In C#, built-in data types that are passed by value are called simple types.
5)	Arrays in Java are direct specialization of Object.	Arrays in C# are specialization of System.
6)	Java does not support conditional compilation.	C# supports conditional compilation using preprocessor directives.
7)	Java doesn't support goto statement.	C# supports goto statement.
8)	Java doesn't support structures and unions.	C# supports structures and unions.
9)	Java supports checked exception and unchecked exception.	C# supports unchecked exception.

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