Is C# really a programming language?

[Fei Ng]

I dont know much about it. But what i hear is C# work with .NET.
Can you say C# is replacing C++ on programming window programs? Or C# is really just for .NET? If thats true i don't see why would people comparing the Java and C#.

[David O'Meara]

It's been a while since I did any reading on the subject but:
Syntactically, C# is very similar to Java. C# (I believe) is designed to be the C replacement in the .Net architecture.
Basically .Net requires a language + a number of "hooks" to be supported by the language vendors to allow it to plug in to .Net
Many argue that its similarity to Java will put it in direct competition with Java, but I have also heard the argument that by forcing VB programmers to conform to a C or Java syntax it will make it easier for them to jump to Java, a real language.
So, I think I kind of gave my view on the question while providing plenty of bait for others to flame me
Dave