C# 2005 for Dummies, Wiley
Microsoft .NET Framework, ASP.NET, Visual C# (CSharp, C Sharp, C-Sharp) Developer Training, Visual Studio
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C# Online.NET Book Review
I am a big fan of the … for Dummies series. Of course, they are not really for "dummies" at all. The series is designed for people who want to ease into a difficult subject and build up their knowledge and confidence at a leisurely pace. Accordingly, they break down complicated technical subjects into well organized, bite sized chunks. They are written in a friendly tone with some cartoons, humor, and puns thrown into the mix. They always include a Cheat Sheet—a fast way to look up a few things quickly as you are getting started—which may or may not be terribly useful. The whole notion is to make the subject non-threatening and approachable. And, they usually succeed.
This book covers the fundamentals of C# and of enough object oriented programming (OOP) to keep you learning C#. It does not cover advanced topics like distributed computing or threading. The book features many, short, C# example programs which are of beginner level in terms of length and complexity.
Our author has two other books in the Dummies series under his belt already— C++ for Dummies and More C++ for Dummies. But, I think this is his best Dummies book to date. The author is obviously a C++ programmer; and, he gives them special attention in the form of brief notes and a special chapter of the differences between C# and C++. The author, also, takes pains to apprise hobbyists, students, and indigent programmers of cheap ways to get their feet wet with open source or free versions of software.
Any programmer should be able to profit from this book. And, it features an easy introduction to OOP for those who need it—like C programmers. C++, Java, or Visual Basic programmers will—perhaps—be positioned to gain the most from the book quickly. However, accomplished OO prgrammers will prefer a denser book with broader coverage. Also, a motivated beginner who is willing to experiment and learn the material over time will appreciate this book.
The enclosed CD-ROM has a few goodies on it including:
- Bonus chapters which are valuable additons to the book, especially the chapter on using Visual Studio;
- C# examples from the book;
- A few free or open source pieces of software which you can just as easily download from the Web.
All source code examples are written in the C# language.
Bottom line
C# 2005 for Dummies is a good introduction to C# fundamentals for those who do not want to dive straight into the deep end.
Publisher's description
This book covers everything you need to begin programming in C# as painlessly as possible. C# For Dummies introduces the new language, covers the syntax of the language, explains expert programming techniques and jumps right into writing applications. The class libraries are also covered in detail.
About the author(s)
Stephen Randy Davis is the author of C++ For Dummies, More C++ For Dummies, and other books. He is a programmer and trainer at ValTech, Inc.
Chuck Sphar: I've been fascinated by programming for many years (wrote my first Fortran program in 1965 - a bouncing ball calculation), but when Microsoft's .NET Framework and C# came along in recent years, this longstanding fascination exploded. Besides C# and .NET, I'm intensely excited about object-oriented programming, extreme programming, unit testing, refactoring, and software design patterns.
Writing has also been my passion all my life, so writing a Dummies book was a great treat. I hope C# 2005 for Dummies kindles a love of C# and .NET in you as it has for me.
Table of Contents (abbreviated)
PART I: Creating Your First C# Programs.
Chapter 1: Creating Your First C# Windows Program.
Chapter 2: Creating Your First C# Console Application.
PART II: Basic C# Programming.
Chapter 3: Living with Variability — Declaring Value-Type Variables.
Chapter 4: Smooth Operators.
Chapter 5: Controlling Program Flow.
PART III: Object-Based Programming.
Chapter 6: Collecting Data — The Class and the Array.
Chapter 7: Putting on Some High-Class Functions.
Chapter 8: Class Methods.
Chapter 9: Stringing in the Key of C#.
PART IV: Object-Oriented Programming.
Chapter 10: Object-Oriented Programming — What's It All About?
Chapter 11: Holding a Class Responsible.
Chapter 12: Inheritance — Is That All I Get?
Chapter 13: Poly-what-ism?
Chapter 14: When a Class Isn't a Class — the Interface and the Structure.
Chapter 15: Some Exceptional Exceptions.
Chapter 16: Handling Files in C#.
PART V: Windows Programming with Visual Studio.
Chapter 17: Creating a Windows Application — Appearances Count.
Chapter 18: Completing Your Windows Application — Lights, Camera, Action!
PART VI: The Part of Tens.
Chapter 19: The Ten Most Common Build Errors (And How to Fix Them).
Chapter 20: The Ten Most Significant Differences between C# and C++.
Appendix: About the CD-ROM.
Bonus Chapters on the CD-ROM!
Bonus Chapter 1: Collecting Things.
Bonus Chapter 2: Using the Visual Studio Interface.
