Difference between Console.Read and Console.ReadLine in C#

In C#, to take input from the standard input device, the following method are used – Console.Read() and Console.ReadLine() method. Console is a predefined class of System namespace. While Read() and ReadLine() both are the Console Class methods.

The only difference between the Read() and ReadLine() is that Console.Read is used to read only single character from the standard output device, while Console.ReadLine is used to read a line or string from the standard output device.

Program 1: Example of Console.Read() in C#.

C#

// C# program to show the difference
// between Console.Read() and
// Console.ReadLine() method

using System;

public class GFG{

    static void Main(string[] args)
    {
        // use of Read() method
        Console.Write(Convert.ToChar(Console.Read()));
        Console.Write(Convert.ToChar(Console.Read()));
        Console.Write(Convert.ToChar(Console.Read()));
    }
}

Input:

Geeks

Output:

Gee

Program 2: Example of Console.ReadLine() in C#.

C#

// C# program to show the difference
// between Console.Read() and
// Console.ReadLine() method

using System;

public class GFG{

    static void Main(string[] args)
    {
        // use of ReadLine() method
        Console.Write(Console.ReadLine());
        Console.Write(Console.ReadLine());
        Console.Write(Console.ReadLine());
    }
}

Input:

Geeks
For
Geeks

Output:

GeeksForGeeks

In the above code, program 1 shows that it will read only single character and program 2 shows it will read string until new line character is not found.

Let us see the differences in Tabular Form -:

	Console.read()	Console.readline()
	Console.Read() is a method that is used to read the next character from the standard input stream	Console.readline() is a method that is used to read the next line of characters from the standard input stream
	Its syntax is -: public static int Read ();	Its syntax is -: public static string ReadLine ();
	Its return value is character	Its return value is multiple characters as it returns a whole new line
	If there is no next character Present then it returns -1	If there is no line present it returns NULL
	We cannot use it to read Multiple characters at a time	We cannot use it to read Multiple characters at a time