Customer Reviews

C#: A Beginners Guide

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

If you know OOPs concepts already and you want a quick book to get started in C# then this is the right book. This book should help to get through the syntax of the C#.

As the book title suggests, this book is meant only for beginners ONLY beginners

I was instinctively drawn towards this book because I didn't want to repeat my experiences I had with learning Java. It was then that I bought books indiscriminately trying to find one that "worked", and it was Herb Schildt's book that did the job (Complete Reference). I am happy to say that this book has not disappointed either, although after learning Java the Schildt way, C# was not so daunting.

Because I am not a complete newbie, and because C# bears so much similarity on a cosmetic level to Java, the first 6 Chapters , and therefore more than half of the book, were almost superfluous. Yet they were brilliantly written and they are in a the style that proves that this author is a master in teaching computer languages.

The book comes into its own when it starts to tackle more advanced OO topics such as Inheritance, which is dealt with in an amazing chapter, worth almost the price of the book, and the features that are typical to C# which are Delegates, Events and Namespaces.

All the while chapters are interspersed with quizzes and tests to help you to decide to keep going or to re-read! A great book.
All I would ask is that Schildt come up with a book on the lines of a "Complete Reference" for C# and which also deals with more advanced topics like Remoting etc.

I am a computer programming student and have taken classes in C++ and WIN32 programming. I would like to take a class in C# but my school has not offered it yet. I bought Schildt's book on C# in December 2001 after looking over all the C# books I could find... I did have a bias towards Schildt because I bought his C++ book and found it to be much better than the book my professor had picked for my C++ class. I was not disappointed in the C# book. In my opinion it is the best book currently available on C# for a person with my background. Schildt does not assume you know anything and thus I was able to quickly follow all the lessons and example code. Many other books I have tried leave me mystified as to why their example code works the way it does.

Excellant book on the C# language itself using command prompt examples only. Here is yet another C# book that totally ingnores the power of the Visual Studio Integrated Devlopment Environment. I need to know how much work the IDE will do and how much coding is needed to fill in what the IDE won't do.

An excellent introduction to C#. If you're new to the language this the place to be in first before you go deep.. The author's way of explaining the material and examples are excellent. Once a good foundation is establish you can look into other advanced C# books.

I have a recent Associate degree in Computer Information Systems from DeVry University with GPA 4.0. If you are at the same level with me (that is, got education, but almost no practical experience), this book is for you. Extremely simple and clear explanations, perfect examples.
But, even if you are an experienced programmer and would like to learn C#, I think it's always much better (and more efficient!) to read a well-written book, than something where the author himself doesn't have a clue what the heck he was trying to say...
While reading C#: A Beginners Guide, you don't have to fight your way through the text. This guy really knows how to write easy-to-read tech books.
I recommend it.

It is simple, really simple... if you want to program in C# you must get this book, it is an invaluable tool that I have thoroughly worn out. I have read this book at least 10 times. It gives you all the basics, and can be used for years as a reference and/or cheat sheet. I have a few C# books, and all of them are great, but this one is the one I'd pick if I could only have 1
Very well written, easy to understand, it can teach even the computer illiterate to understand programming

After glancing through many books at Borders, this is the only book that seems to be great for the absolute beginner. I highly recommend this book to a beginning programmer such as myself. Don't think you are going to learn the whole language from this book either, it teaches you the basics. If you want to start learning C#, go for it!

I've picked up a couple of books on C# programming and I've decided - thus far - that this one is the best for those developers that are new to OOP. Schildt does an outstanding job using examples that proceed in a gradual pace and avoids the tendency to hammer into hyperspace like most authors have been doing. I bought this book to help backfill the areas that I felt Jesse Liberty's book (Programming C#) breezed too quickly over (the notorious chapter 4). Liberty's book, though good, assumed a great deal of prior programming knowledge ... perhaps more suited to an individual that has experience with Java or a background in C or C++ ... it was a bit perplexing however in that the pace of Liberty's book was moderate through chapters 1-3.

Schildt's book could be improved if there were more instruction on how to use the new Visual Studio .NET IDE, but given the date of this book's release ... it was probably more prudent on the part of the publisher to stick exclusively to the programming language. This is not a real detraction from the book ... but, could have been the icing on the cake.

I am also eager to reading Wrox's Beginning C# to compare with Schildt's work. It is unfortunate that a rather widespread stigma has emerged among developers to avoid books with the word "beginning" or "beginner's" appearing anywhere on the jacket of the book for fear that someone may think they're not smart or worthy of being part of a dev team. Some people I know prefer to buy the advanced tombs that are well beyond the learning pace of the programmer ... and become merely bookshelf trophies that gather dust. My advise: C# is a big step for even advanced ASP programmers ... if you want to run .NET, start by walking and talk your vitamins.

Firstly I can't easily locate anywhere on the book where it's says Visual Studio .Net is required. Because it isn't. In fact I'd suggest with this work, it's probably a bit of a hinderance, since the entire book uses no graphical elements. A freeware c# editor is probably just the ticket (try before you buy! Why fork outcash to MS for VS .Net anyhow?).

To the book.

This books covers a considerable amount of c# (I have a programmers introcution to c# by Deitler and Deitel and Schildt covers topics here that aren't covered there). Right up to Delegates, namespaces and such.

Let's face it, you're looking at this book because you're a beginner. Well this book is written for the beginner with lots of exercises, tips (with ALL the answers!) and mastery tests so you are encouraged to use the learning you have accumulated. And as I said, all the answers are there so if you struggle with an exercise, crack the back and reverse engineer the method. So you're never dumped into a situation where you're truly alone and without help. Herb is always there. This is a good thing for the novice, so you don't feel discouraged and quit.

This book is very easy to read, very focused and very explanatory. I would suggest that if you can't get the concepts of C# as they are presented in this book, with a reasonable amount of effort on your part, then you probably never will. Ultimately that is what it comes down to: effort, direction, purpose and a sense of achievement to keep persisting with whatever it is you're trying to learn. Herb gives you that (all but the effort). If you don't finish this book, feel a sense of accomplishment and feel justifiably knoweable and capable in the basics of C# I'd be surprised. Put the effort in, let Herb teach you and you'll ge there and in good time too. It's cheap as well!

The is a work rich with examples and through explanations of the examples, with elaboration on the point the example is trying to make (also teaches you some clever tricks now and then). Well, okay, this book will NOT teach you the graphical side of c#. But learn the basics (Properly) and then go on and do that and excell at that because you do have a strong grasp of the basics. This is what this book gives you- the basics as promised by the title.

I've used it. I learnt a LOT from it. I like it. And it is a good price! So it isn't thousand page brick...A 500 page book stuff full of good stuff that will be all read is better 1000 pages tome of crap that get's dumped halfway through.

That's my opinion.