Given its patient and comprehensive tutorial style, Professional C# is a great choice for any developer stepping up to the plate with C# and the Microsoft .NET platform. With plenty of material geared to the specific needs of C/C++, Java, and VB programmers, this thorough tutorial packs some worthwhile advice within a well-paced guide to what you'll need to know to succeed with Microsoft's newest programming language.

Weighing in at over 1,300 pages, this text delivers a wealth of material on C# from a team of expert Wrox authors. It does a good job of covering all the necessary language and runtime features of C#. Early sections look at what's new and better in .NET, and then it's on to a close look at C# as an object-oriented language. A real strength of this title has to be its tutorial style, which works patiently to bring developers of all stripes to the brave new realm of C#. Material specifically geared to C++, Java, and VB programmers will let a wide range of readers learn C# effectively. (Concise appendices tailored to all three types of users show what's different about C# in comparison to these older languages.)

After covering the basics of C# itself, the book then zeros in on the APIs of the .NET platform. From basic string handling, collections, and support for Internet programming to material on graphics, you'll gain a command of some essential classes for everyday development. Sections on late-breaking standards and technologies like XML and Web services will help ensure that you get the most out of .NET.

Coverage of database APIs (with ADO.NET) and server-side programming (with ASP.NET) rounds out the tour. More specialized topics show how to create Windows services, and how to work with the older COM/COM+ standards in Windows. You'll also learn to work with corporate directories (via Active Directory) and the Windows Registry. C++ programmers in particular will appreciate the guide to class design in C#, which includes all relevant features in the newer language clearly spelled out.

Bundling a wealth of information on both C# and .NET, Professional C# provides a state-of-the-art tour of what's next for Windows programming. Regardless of whether you are coming to C# from a C/C++, Java, or VB background, this far-ranging yet thoroughly approachable guide can help you master the essentials of C# and the new .NET in record time. --Richard Dragan

Topics covered:

• Introduction and overview of Microsoft .NET
• Compiling and running programs
• Intermediate language (IL)
• .NET base classes
• Assemblies and namespaces
• Tour of language options for .NET development (C# compared with other languages)
• Short history of C/C++/Java and C#
• Comprehensive C# language tutorial
• Data types
• Complex types
• Variables
• Operators
• Flow control
• Program structure
• Console I/O
• Using classes and inheritance in C# (including object-oriented design basics, properties, and inheritance conventions)
• Method overloading
• Constructors and clean-up methods (including Dispose() functions)
• Passing by reference and value
• Operator overloading
• Indexers
• Interfaces
• C# exception-handling classes and techniques
• Delegates and events
• C# preprocessor directives
• Unsafe code
• Tutorial for .NET base classes
• Comparing objects with Equals()
• String handling basics
• Regular expressions
• Collection classes
• Custom attributes
• Reflection
• Threading APIs
• Introduction to the Visual Studio.NET environment
• Programming with Windows Forms (including graphics and menu support)
• C# assemblies in depth (including the Global Assembly Cache, shared assemblies, and deployment)
• ADO.NET database APIs (including Command objects, data readers, and data sets)
• Using grid controls with data sources
• Tutorial on XML standards (including MSXML 3.0)
• Working with files, the Registry, and Active Directory
• Quick introduction to ASP.NET and Web Forms
• Introduction to Web services (SOAP and WSDL explained, plus a Web service-based room-booking sample service)
• Building custom controls
• COM and .NET interoperability
• COM+ transactions and other services in .NET
• GDI+ API graphics tutorial (including basic shapes, colors, fonts, and text output)
• Basic HTTP and IP network programming
• .NET remoting and distributed applications
• Creating Windows services
• Security issues in .NET (including code access, roles, and code groups)
• Quick tutorials for C++
• Java and VB developers migrating to C#

Professional C# 2nd Edition is now available. Professional C# 2nd Edition is a completely revised edition of this book, and is fully compatible with the final release of the .NET Framework. We strongly recommend that you order the new edition (Professional C# 2nd Edition, ISBN 1861007043) in preference to this edition.