What does # mean in the name of some languages?

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This may be the simplest possible question, but what does # (Sharp) mean in the C# and F language names#?

c# f#

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There is a theory that C# earned this name (initially the language internally was called COOL - C-like Object Oriented Language) because it would be the evolution of C++, and they continued to play the game of incrementing the name of C. So they did the C++++ language, but stacked the two increment operators. Stacked they look like #.

I’ve seen other theories, like the musical note, but this seems to have been invented later to have a story "better".

F# was named to indicate that it is the functional C# after all it uses . NET and follows a line similar to C# although it is heavily inspired by Ocaml.

The fact is that this is just an interesting curiosity, the name is what it is.

Has a sensational lecture showing the trajectory of . NET/C# and some backstage.

  • Thank you so much for the answer. It’s virtually impossible to search # on google or anywhere else. ++++ I can’t believe q was that ...

  • It has a (small) fact that favors musical theory: the character # is called hash, the character is called Sharp (sharp). Note that there are vertical, but not horizontal, bars in the Sharp, whereas in the hash there are horizontal ones, but not vertical ones. In the hypothesis of the name coming from the song (half tone above C), the character choice hash there is no easy representation of the Sharp on ordinary keyboards.

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