Microsoft's C# wins new friends and influences .net developments.

The article reports that the compatibility of C language with .net web services framework has driven demand. C is an object-oriented programming language from Microsoft that is based on C++ with elements from Visual Basic and Java. Although Microsoft Corp. is steadily increasing the number of languages supported and integrated with .net, C is the most natural fit. Compiled as managed code, it makes use of the services of the Common Language Runtime. Until recently, people from a C, C++ or Java background tended to opt for C for .net development, while those with Visual Basic skills stuck to Visual Basic .net, but according to Anders Hejlsberg, co-creator and lead developer of C, Visual Basic developers are starting to migrate to C too. C 1.0 was released in 2001, following an unprecedented open source-style public consultation, after which Microsoft submitted the language to standards body the ECMA. C's champions say that a major advantage over Java is that C was designed from the ground up for component-based development.