There are multiple static “Is” methods on the Char structure that help determine a character’s category. All of these methods (except IsSurrogatePair) take a single character argument (or string and index) and return a boolean whether the character is in the corresponding category.

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Modern applications increasingly use plain text to store and share data, especially in XML and SOAP formats. However, binary data cannot be represented directly in plain text, so one popular method is to convert binary to Base64 format.

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Given a string ‘s’, which of the following expressions is faster?

1. String.IsNullOrEmpty( s )

2. s == null || s.Length == 0

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Here is a collection of puns that only a C# programmer could appreciate:

• abstract art gallery() { … }
• bool me_over;
• byte me;
• c++;
• case in_point:
• char broiled;
• class action { … };
• const int pressure;
• Convert.ToString( hemp );
• decimal results;
• double jeopardy;
• Exception taken;
• event handling;
• for (score = 20; years == 7; ) { … }
• foreach (hot chick in this.room) { flirt(); }
• float valve;
• Graphics ex;
• int erupt;
• lock (this.up) { … }
• long john_silver;
• long walk(short pier) { … }
• object strongly;
• override your objection() { … }
• private property keep_out() { … }
• protected free speech() { … }
• public display of_affection() { … }
• return to_sender;
• short circuit;
• sizeof (the_situation);
• static cling free() { … }
• string cheese;
• struct by_lightning { … };
• take a; break;
• throw up;
• typeof (writer);
• uint rested;
• ulong for_love;
• unsafe { at any = speed; }
• using your.brain;
• virtual void in_my_heart() { … }
• void where_prohibited() { … }
• while (e_coyote) { … }

And for the grand finale:

struct SoftwareConsultant {
    double   salary;
    long     lunches;
    float    jobs;
    char     unstable;
    void     work;
    int      hiring_him_again;
    const    pain_in_the_backside;
    unsigned agreement;
    short    fuse;
    volatile personality;
    static   progress;
};
/* and there are no unions in sight */

Source: Some original, some from here and here.

If you need a collection of objects accessed by a key, and the key is one of the object’s properties, then you should use the KeyedCollection class instead of Dictionary. For example, you would use a KeyedCollection to store Employee objects accessed by the employee’s ID property.

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