(Thanks to all who sent me email questions for this test. I've elected to do something different with those, but you will see them in the future (adhering to my usual blog standard of "will"...))

Welcome to the C# trivia quiz. This is the first set of questions, and answers and future sets of questions will follow on a quasi-stochastic basis. Please fill in the answer box completely with a #2 pencil, keep your eyes on your own quiz, and put your pencils down promptly when you hear the bell.

All of the questions can be answered with publicly-available information, unless imposing such a requirement would get in the way of a good story. Note that I have chosen a rather liberal interpretation of the word "public".

Comments are disabled for the quiz, but if you want to blog your answers elsewhere to show off, knock yourself out. I've organized the questions into categories to add variety to the process. They are:

• Language Details. Stuff you would have learned if you were paying attention, or if your hobby is collecting language specifications.
• C# and the Runtime. The interface between the language and the runtime is a rough-and-tumble place where I once shot a man for putting a trailing brace on the wrong line, and a developer's best friend is his six-shooter and his IL disassembler.
• C# and other languages. There are other languages? Really?
• Real trivia. "On page 45 of the second printing of the first edition of my book, there is a spelling error. What is it?"
• Power Users. So, you think you're hot stuff? Try these questions on for size...
• Ancient History. I'm ancient, and this is my history.

Language Details

1) How many loop constructs does C# have, and what are they?

2) What is the difference between “ref” and “out”?

C# and the Runtime

3) What does

[IndexerName(“Fred”)]

do?

Why would you use it?

C# and other languages

4) You are a troublemaker in a group of Java and C# programmers. What should you say?

Real Trivia

5) How many conference rooms has the C# language design team met in over the years?

6) Which of the following are not spare-time pursuits of mine? 

• Pursuing a doctorate in cat juggling with a concentration on Persians.
• Trying to cut down a tree with a herring.
• Studying the airspeed velocity of unladen swallows
• Preparing a monograph on the rise of cross-dressing vis-a-vis the 1970s sketch comedy
• Being a slightly embarrassed Roomba watcher

Power Users

7) What does typing the following do:

csc

a) Nothing

b) Print an error message

c) Compile the latest version of my multi-player version of SpaceWar!

Ancient History

8) What was the name of .NET before it became .NET?

9) Current Visual C# PUM Scott Wiltamuth was the PM for the C# language during the first version, but often worked remotely because of a long commute. How long was his commute?