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.
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