C# vs VB.NET: Key Syntax Differences Every Developer Should Know

C# and VB.NET are both first-class .NET languages that compile to identical IL (Intermediate Language) and can use all the same libraries, frameworks, and runtime features. Their syntax, however, is significantly different — C# uses C-style braces and semicolons while VB.NET uses keywords and block terminators. If you're working in a codebase that uses both, or migrating from one to the other, this side-by-side reference will speed up the translation.

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File and Namespace Structure

Classes and Members

// C#
public class Person
{
    public string Name { get; set; }
    public int Age { get; private set; }

    public Person(string name, int age)
    {
        Name = name;
        Age = age;
    }

    public string Greet() => $"Hello, {Name}!";
}

' VB.NET
Public Class Person
    Public Property Name As String
    Public ReadOnly Property Age As Integer

    Public Sub New(name As String, age As Integer)
        Me.Name = name
        Me.Age = age
    End Sub

    Public Function Greet() As String
        Return $"Hello, {Name}!"
    End Function
End Class

Control Flow

Operators and Keywords

Generics

// C#
List<string> names = new List<string>();
Dictionary<int, string> map = new Dictionary<int, string>();

' VB.NET
Dim names As New List(Of String)()
Dim map As New Dictionary(Of Integer, String)()

Exception Handling

// C#
try { }
catch (IOException ex) { Console.WriteLine(ex.Message); }
catch (Exception ex) when (ex.Message.Contains("timeout")) { }
finally { }

' VB.NET
Try
Catch ex As IOException
    Console.WriteLine(ex.Message)
Catch ex As Exception When ex.Message.Contains("timeout")
Finally
End Try

LINQ

LINQ method syntax is nearly identical between C# and VB.NET — the lambda syntax differs slightly:

// C# — method syntax
var adults = people.Where(p => p.Age >= 18).OrderBy(p => p.Name);

' VB.NET — method syntax
Dim adults = people.Where(Function(p) p.Age >= 18).OrderBy(Function(p) p.Name)

LINQ query syntax is also supported in both languages with similar but distinct keyword spellings (from/where/select in C# vs From/Where/Select in VB.NET).