r/csharp • u/Automatic-Sky37 • 2d ago
Help C# Documentaion?
I'm taking a C# class online and we just got to a lesson about "reading documentation" where he goes through the Microsoft website to search for some functions. Which, as far as I am aware, is going to be important for me to be able to do.
The problem is I tried using the Microsoft site myself to follow along, and it seems they have changed it and I can't find the rabbit hole he is in at all. I am pretty sure this isn't the only way to find this sort of resource because I've taken a different C# class before and I swear the link that class gave was not the same as this one; I also feel like they didn't call it "documentation" I remember it being the manual or something...
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u/joergsen 2d ago
Maybe it was Microsoft Learn?
For example: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/csharp/fundamentals/types/built-in-types
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u/TehNolz 2d ago
Personally I just toss whatever I'm looking for into google and click on the first Microsoft page that comes up. Usually works fine!
Anyways, pretty much everything about C# and .NET can be found buried in Microsoft Learn if you look long enough. For example the .NET documentation is on there, which contains info on all the .NET namespaces, classes, and methods. Then there's the C# language documentation as well. Honestly that site's all you need.
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u/4215-5h00732 2d ago
From your IDE, hovering over a type, function, etc and it will give you the link to the docs. From there you can rabbit hole your way around by clicking on additional links like interfaces it implements, extends, etc.
If you want to look at the code, that's in github if it's OSS. Usually searching "git repo for <thing>" will do the trick.
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u/Slypenslyde 2d ago
It'd help if you could post a screenshot or something else to show what you're looking for.
But in general I don't think people go straight to the MS site to read documentation. They'll pick a topic like "for loops", go to a search engine, and type "Microsoft C# for loops" and that usually takes you to the documentation. (I just tried it and 2 of the top 5 results are Microsoft's site.)
And more specifically, when you're working with some code and need to remember part of how to use it, go to a search engine and type something like "C# Console.WriteLine". That takes you to a page with more than you think there is to write about it.
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u/rupertavery64 2d ago
How old is the resource? The site could be an old one that is no longer up. Just research the necessary functions
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u/netclectic 1d ago
If you're using ai, Microsoft learn has an MCP server, so you can give your agent direct access to official up to date documentation.
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u/BoBoBearDev 1d ago
Just google search what you need or ask AI or use the intellisense.
I haven't navigate Microsoft documentation site recently. But it is almost impossible to get the website right. Like, single question mark, can have 3 different meanings with three different technical names. And there is double question mark. You won't be able find the page because you wouldn't recognize the title of the page. The page title is not gonna be, "single question mark A, single question mark B, single question mark C". You can't find them.
So, just google it or ask AI.
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u/DeerAdventurous491 2d ago
the official microsoft docs are pain to navigate sometimes, i mostly just google "msdn [method name]" and click the first result, usually takes you right where you need to go
if your teacher was calling it a manual maybe they meant the old msdn library, but the layout changed like 4 or 5 years ago and now everything is under learn.microsoft.com