George said
Own both this book and C# 3.0 Pocket Reference by the same authors. Pocket Reference is a great little book, it is short on detail and in depth information on the subject. In the Pocket Reference that is fine, but for more detail and in depth information C# 3.0 in a Nutshell is a good quality book. It is not one of the books that I have read cover to cover, but C# in a Nutshell is one of the first books I pull off the book shelf when I need to look up a concept. As stated in the title, it is a reference book and does that job very well. If the reader has a background in programming and just needs a reference book on C# concepts this is a solid book.
As one reviewer stated the book does have excess material which is not directly related to C#. That doesn't mean the information isn't important or valuable to anyone writing C# code.
If you want a quick overview of a concept and a peak at a code example, the Pocket Reference will do. If on the other hand you want a better understanding of the concept, choose C# In a Nutshell.
Brent M. Hoover said
I purchased this book because I use LinqPad which was written by one of the authors and the LINQ Quick Reference which is bascially a rewrite of the LINQ-related chapters of this book.
For a reference for people familiar with C# fundamentals it's top notch. If you want to start from scratch on a topic, even ones new to C# 3.0 e.g. automatic properties, anonymous variables or even LINQ, you are better off purchasing a book that will walk you through it more. But like every O'Reilly "In A Nutshell" book I have owned, as one book to keep on your desk to look up the details of a feature or concept this is a compact and complete as it gets and includes much better examples than the MSDN docs. Just don't confuse it with a "Learn C#" book.
If you are looking for a book for learning LINQ, I heartily reccomend "Essential LINQ: by Charlie Calvert" as it covers LINQ and the new features in C# 3.0 that make LINQ possible. I have been previewing the prerelease version and it was the first LINQ book that was able to cram this through my thick skull.
Nikola Stjelja said
C# 3.0 in a Nutshell is an excellent manual and reference book if you are an experienced developer looking to learn the latest version of the C# language.
This book can be separated in three parts. The first part is the C# language syntax which is covered extensevily with a lot of short and medium sized examples you can write in 10-15 minutes to see and test all the important language concepts.
The second part is LINQ. The book will first introduce you to LINQ by using Extension methods on general collections, and then it will show you the syntax followed by an extensive reference to all possible LINQ statements.
The third part is reserved to common programming operations in the .NET framework (IO, Networking, Threading etc. )
In short , if you are an experienced programmer and this is not your first object oriented programming language this book will teach you everything you need to know to be a productive C# developer.
What it will not teach you is a specific .NET framework (Win.Forms, ASP.NET or WPF).
Brian Maula said
I bought both this book and the APress .NET 3.5 Framework book using C#. I found the O'Reilly book a breath of fresh air. The book is much lighter than my other C# books, they also take the time to explain concepts because their goal is to explain the language and none of the peripheries like WWF, WCF, WPF, ASP.NET, etc...so what you get is a compact book, that's chock full of information and examples. It gets straight to the point and its approach is methodical and detailed. I especially enjoyed Chapter 19 (Multi-threading) as most books cover threading but many approach the subject with the pre-supposition that the author is aware of developing threaded apps in C#. The authors pulled strings and suggested tips for building asynchronous and threaded applications with examples. This book sits around my desk or in my bag, it's a fantastic reference book - a must have if you're a serious C# developer.
William J. Andrus said
Every programmer should always have a nutshell book in their programming language(s) on a bookshelf or at work. This is a necessity for C# programmers. The book goes through all the basics and deeper explanations on specific areas. This book is also known for its sections on LINQ. The author even has a small program on his site, called LINQPad, which is great tool for learning and everyday use.
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