Understanding .NET, 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
Microsoft .NET is an enormous system of disparate parts integrated or cobbled together. While no one can realistically expect to be an expert in all aspects of .NET, every software manager and developer will benefit from understanding the entire system at a high level. Hopefully, they would gain such a high altitude perspective before diving head first into their first .NET project.
On the market, there are many introductions to .NET occupying the early chapters of books on other topics—e.g. ASP.NET, C#, Visual Basic .NET. But, each of those books tends to focus on the specialty covered in the later chapters. There are few books aimed at providing a concise overview of the .NET technology as a whole.
Understanding .NET offers the big .NET picture to project and higher level managers who need to be conversant in .NET technology, but do not need to suffer the intimate details. The book offers a technology survey to new .NET developers; so, they can understand how their project will and should fit into .NET. And, beginning programmers or students would benefit from a general orientation to .NET architecture before attempting to come to grips with specific .NET languages or detailed problems. And, I would suggest that anyone trying to "convert" their programming shop to .NET from earlier Windows technologies—or from Java technology for that matter—should familiarize themselves with the entire .NET system in order to be able to marshal convincing arguments.
Make no mistake, this is a technical book. The book teaches the reader the overall .NET architecture, its major components, and how they are designed to function. It only delves into the nitty gritty details when it would provide overall enlightenment contributing to the big picture. And, the book is sprinkled with mini-essays on topics developers will find interesting such as "Is C++ A Dying Language?" Finally, the margins are dotted with technical factoids.
The author has a good grasp not only of .NET technology, but of how to present it to a reader with no prior experience with it. The writing style is pleasant, direct, and economical. And, he is not afraid to confront delicate subjects in the Microsoft world— like the role of Java technology in the development of .NET.
Most of the source code examples are in the C# language; however, Visual Basic examples are used where appropriate.
Bottom line
Understanding .NET is a terrific survey of and orientation to .NET technology.
From the back cover
Microsoft's .NET is revolutionizing Windows-based software development. Since its initial release in 2002, .NET has changed significantly, becoming the foundation for a new generation of Windows applications. The .NET Framework and Visual Studio, the two core aspects of this initiative, provide a multilanguage environment in which developers can create Web services, graphical user interfaces, and other kinds of applications. Taken as a whole, the .NET technologies have changed the way nearly every Windows application is built.
Now fully updated for version 2.0 of the .NET Framework and Visual Studio 2005, Understanding .NET, Second Edition, is a concise guide to the landscape of Windows development. Margin notes, detailed diagrams, and lucid writing make this book easy to read and navigate, while analysis sections explore controversial issues and address common concerns. David Chappell's independent perspective and straightforward descriptions clarify both how the .NET technologies work and how they can be used.
Coverage includes
* An overview of .NET and its goals
* The Common Language Runtime (CLR)
* The .NET languages, including C#, Visual Basic, and C++
* The .NET Framework class library
* Building Web Applications with ASP.NET
* Accessing Data with ADO.NET
* .NET framework integration with SQL Server 2005
The key to using a new technology is to understand the fundamentals. This book provides the robust foundation developers and technical managers need to make the right decisions and maximize the potential of this revolutionary framework.
About the author(s)
David Chappell is Principal of Chappell & Associates and the best-selling author of Understanding ActiveX and OLE (Microsoft Press, 1996) and Understanding Microsoft Windows 2000 Distributed Services (Microsoft Press, 2000). Through his keynotes, seminars, writing, and consulting, David helps IT professionals around the world understand, use, market, and make better decisions about enterprise software technologies.
Table of Contents (abbreviated)
1. Introducing .NET
2. The Common Language Runtime
3. .NET Languages
4. Surveying the .NET Framework Class Library
5. Building Web Applications: ASP.NET
6. Accessing Data: ADO.NET
7. Building Distributed Applications
