C# 3.0 Pocket Reference: Instant Help for C# 3.0 Programmers (Pocket Reference (O'Reilly)) (Paperback)

by Joseph Albahari (Author), Ben Albahari (Author)
Key Phrases: web services, operator overloading, nullable types, Pocket Reference, Type Basics, Framework Overview (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
This book is for busy programmers who want a succinct and yet readable guide to C# 3.0 and LINQ. C# 3.0 Pocket Reference tells you exactly what you need to know, without long introductions or bloated samples. Despite its conciseness, this book doesn't skimp on depth or detail, and embraces the conceptual challenges in learning C# 3.0 and LINQ. Tightly focused and highly practical, this pocket reference covers more ground than many of the big books on C#. C# 3.0 Pocket Reference includes plenty of illustrations and code examples to explain: Features new to C# 3.0, such as lambda expressions, anonymous types, automatic properties, and more All aspects of C# syntax, predefined types, expressions, and operators Creating classes, structs, delegates and events, enums, generics and constraints, exception handling, and iterators The subtleties of boxing, operating overloading, delegate covariance, extension method resolution, interface reimplementation, nullable types, and operating lifting LINQ, starting with the principles of sequences, deferred execution and standard query operators, and finishing with a complete reference to query syntax-including multiple generators, joining, grouping, and query continuations Consuming, writing, and reflecting on custom attributes

You'll also find chapters on unsafe code and pointers, preprocessor directives, XML documentation, and a framework overview. If you're already familiar with Java, C++, or an earlier version of C#, C# 3.0 Pocket Reference is an ideal choice. No other book or online resource can get you up to speed so quickly.

About the Author
Joseph Albahari is a core C# design architect at Egton Medical Information Systems, the largest primary healthcare software supplier in the UK. He has been developing large-scale enterprise applications on .NET and other platforms for more than 15 years, working in medical, telecommunication and education industries. Joseph specializes in writing custom components and controls, and has designed application component frameworks for three companies.

Ben Albahari is currently involved in the bioinformatics business. He was a Program Manager at Microsoft for 5 years, where he worked on several projects, including the .NET Compact Framework and ADO.NET.

He was the cofounder of Genamics, a provider of tools for C# and J++ programmers, as well as software for DNA and protein sequence analysis. He is a co-author of C# Essentials, the first C# book from O'Reilly, and of previous editions of C# in a Nutshell.

Product Details

• Paperback: 242 pages
• Publisher: O'Reilly Media, Inc.; 2 edition (February 26, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0596519222
• ISBN-13: 978-0596519223
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 4.2 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #106,043 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

• This item is part of The O'Reilly Pocket Guides Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A reference for programmers, and for book writers, May 4, 2008

By	C. Roddie "croddie" (Princeton, NJ United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I agree with the positive comments of the other reviews but would recommend this book for learning C#. It is well structured for the purpose of learning the language and does not assume familiarity with it: it defines the necessary concepts.
Even though programming is a very logical enterprise, programming books have a tradition of extreme verbosity, and so I hope this series continues to grow because it is almost the only place one can get the concision that allows for quick learning.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Quick and Effective, December 26, 2008

By	George - See all my reviews

This book can be used by those who may have little prior knowledge of C#, but some general programming experience or as a quick reference for those familiar with C#. The reader will find page after page dedicated to quick, short topics in C# 3.0.

This is not a programming tutorial, it is quick and easy reference for the C# 3.0 language. If the reader wants an in depth book on C#, this is not the book. If you are looking for short, concise information about C# 3.0, this is a great little book.

Topics are explain in one or two brief paragraphs. Enough information to understand the topic without overloading the reader with details. The code examples are short and to the point.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Quick and Effective Information, March 11, 2008

By	Rodrigo Costa (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

As C# is a complex language, there are lots of things that we, C# programmers, need to know when writing some code. With so many things to learn and so many features available, how can we remember all the syntax and all the details of everything in C#? The answer is: We can't. Everytime we forget something, we go look for help in the internet, don't we?

So this book is pretty much of this: Why search the internet and waste a lot of your precious time visiting tons of websites that doesn't have the information that you need until you find a website that has something to help you, if you have a book that you can carry everywhere and search for all those things in a very quick way?

Although this book explains most of the features to you, I don't recommend it for those who want to learn C#. This book is a great help for those who already know C# and want to have a reliable reference or even get a closer look at the new features in C# 3.0.

If you don't know any of the new features in C# 3.0, or if you don't know C#, I recommend that you read a book that describe the features in a more detailed way, like C# 3.0 in a Nutshell.