C# Programming Language, The, 2nd Ed., Addison-Wesley
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
Whatever the title might lead one to suppose, this book is the complete technical specification of the C# programming language. If you do not like or do not need to read language specs, read no further. It is not a book on how to program in C# nor how to use the .NET Framework or BCL from C#. It is not an introduction, guide, or tutorial. It is, primarily, a reference work written in the formal, methodical, exhaustive manner of a written language specification.
Perhaps, it should have been titled The C# Programming Language Specification; because, it reads exactly like The C# Language Specification or the Standard ECMA-334 C# Language Specification.
The book is beautifully hardbound complete with a gold register—ready to take its place in your IT library. Of course, the problem with a hardbound spec is that specifications change. Whereas the online specification can be updated regularly, the book requires a new edition for updates. However, you can use the online specification to supplement the hardbound book.
The book—like Gaul—is divided into three parts: the C# 1.0 language—think Visual Studio 2002-3—, the new features of C# 2.0—think Visual Studio 2005—, and some very valuable appendices. the focus is on the C# language—itself—and its grammar, lexicon, semantics, and syntax.
The authors include the "father" of C#—Anders Hejlsberg. So, there can be no question that the book is both authoritative and definitive. As specifications go, this one is well-organized, well-conceived, and—relatively—easy to read. And, it is the specification of the authors' baby. So, they have taken great pains to make it complete and accurate.
The potential readership for this book is quite limited and includes architects, compiler writers, framework designers, systems developers, computer scientists, and students of computer science. However, if it were available in the IT library, many C# programmers and developers would have occasion to research a specific problem in its pages. It is a classic reference like The C Programming Language (Kernighan and Ritchie).
All of the source code examples are in the C# language. However, the examples serve only to illustrate the fine points of the C# language and are not—necessarily—meant to be runnable.
Bottom line
The C# Programming Language is the authoritative, definitive C# language specification—soon to be a classic.
Books in this series
Microsoft .NET Development Series (Addison-Wesley):
- .NET Developer's Guide to Directory Services Programming, Addison-Wesley
- .NET Developer's Guide to Windows Security, Addison-Wesley
- .NET Framework Standard Library Annotated Reference, v.1, Addison-Wesley
- .NET Framework Standard Library Annotated Reference, v.2, Addison-Wesley
- .NET Internationalization, Addison-Wesley
- .NET Web Services, Addison-Wesley
- ASP.NET 2.0 Illustrated, Addison-Wesley
- C# Programming Language, The, 2nd Ed., Addison-Wesley
- Common Language Infrastructure Annotated Standard, Addison-Wesley
- Data Binding with Windows Forms 2.0, Addison-Wesley
- Enterprise Services with the .NET Framework, Addison-Wesley
- eXtreme .NET, Addison-Wesley
- Framework Design Guidelines, Addison-Wesley
- Visual Studio Tools for Office, Addison-Wesley
- Windows Forms 2.0 Programming, Addison-Wesley
From the back cover
C# is a simple, modern, object-oriented, and type-safe programming language that combines the high productivity of rapid application development languages with the raw power of C and C++. Written by the language's architect, Anders Hejlsberg, and design team members, and now updated for C# 2.0, The C# Programming Language, Second Edition, is the definitive technical reference for C#. The book provides the complete specification of the language, along with descriptions, reference materials, and code samples from the C# design team.
The first part of the book opens with an introduction to the language to bring readers quickly up-to-speed on the concepts of C#. Next follows a detailed and complete technical specification of the C# 1.0 language, as delivered in Visual Studio .NET 2002 and 2003. Topics covered include Lexical Structure, Types, Variables, Conversions, Expressions, Statements, Namespaces, Exceptions, Attributes, and Unsafe Code.
The second part of the book describes the many new features of C# 2.0, including Generics, Anonymous Methods, Iterators, Partial Types, and Nullable Types. This second edition describes C# 2.0 as actually released in Visual Studio .NET 2005, with many additions and improvements over the design presented in the first edition. Reference tabs and an exhaustive index allow readers to easily navigate the text and quickly find the topics that interest them most.
The C# Programming Language, Second Edition, is the definitive reference for programmers who want to acquire an in-depth knowledge of C#.
About the author(s)
Anders Hejlsberg is a programming legend. He is the architect of the C# language and a Microsoft Technical Fellow. He joined Microsoft Corporation in 1996, following a thirteen-year career at Borland, where he was the chief architect of Delphi and Turbo Pascal.
Scott Wiltamuth is General Manager for the Visual Studio Language and Data Tools team at Microsoft Corporation. In his thirteen years at Microsoft, he has worked on a wide range of development tools, including OLE Automation, Visual Basic for Applications, VBScript, JScript, Visual J++, and Visual C#.
Peter Golde, before leaving Microsoft Corporation, served as the lead developer of Microsoft's C# compiler. As the primary Microsoft representative on the ECMA committee that standardized C#, he led the implementation of the compiler and worked on the language design.
Table of Contents (abbreviated)
I. C# 1.0.
1. Introduction.
2. Lexical Structure.
3. Basic Concepts.
4. Types.
5. Variables.
6. Conversions.
7. Expressions.
8. Statements.
9. Namespaces.
10. Classes.
11. Structs.
12. Arrays.
13. Interfaces.
14. Enums.
15. Delegates.
16. Exceptions.
17. Attributes.
18. Unsafe Code.
II. C# 2.0.
19. Introduction to C# 2.0.
20. Generics.
21. Anonymous Methods.
22. Iterators.
23. Partial Types.
III. APPENDIXES.
A. Documentation Comments.
B. Grammar.
