Customer Reviews

C# in Depth, Second Edition

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Of all the C# books I've read, this is by far my favorite. Anyone who is interested in furthering their knowledge on C# should own this book. All of Jon's explanations are clear and easy to read, and he has obviously spent a painstaking amount of time mastering every detail of the language. More importantly, he takes what could be considered a very dry topic (studying features of a programming language is considered truly exhilarating by few) in subtly injects humorous comments in the text. Besides is surprising thoroughness of his book, this is actually what impressed me the most about his writing.

All this being said, this is not a book for true C# beginners. If you have experience with other languages, such as Java (as it is similar to C#), you'll probably be able to grasp a lot of what Jon talks about as what you know can translate over, but this is not a book which will walk you through learning how to start programming. This should not be the first book you buy. This should be the second. After you've read the first one, throw it out to make room for this one, and buy it. I'm pretty confident to say, this is the only C# book you need. It covers versions 1 through 4, and out does any other book I've read on the subject.

Jon Skeet is a rare bird (I mean that only as the highest praise), and it shows in this book. It seems like many tech book authors these days are folks who spend more time on the conference circuit than noodling out production code, and that shows in the level of depth of many a doorstop covering the latest version of whatever framework/language/productivity app. But Skeet writes production code for Google in Java apparently at the same time he puzzles out the minutia of the C# compiler and how it interfaces with the .NET runtime, BCL, and surrounding tooling. That sort of a "comparative religions" understanding really comes through in his insightful commentary and explanations of how C# works and why.

It's fair to say that this book doesn't cover as much of the compiler and BCL as many other C# titles for a couple of reasons. First, it covers mostly what has changed through the various versions of C#, so it leaves out a few minor areas that haven't changed (like the use and creation of custom Attributes, for example). You won't miss the few things that Skeet omits if you have any other book on C#. Also, it really is a book about the C# language and compiler so while the behavior of the runtime is discussed somewhat, it's in relationship to the specific IL generated by the compiler in different situations. (If you really want a book about the CLR, I'd recommend Jeffrey Richter's book, CLR via C#.)

What Skeet does describe is the thorniest and most poorly understood aspects of C# in a version-by-version analysis of each language feature, how it was introduced, and exactly how it functions. All of this is critical for a developer who wants to get the most out of C#'s new language features (e.g. LINQ) and start to understand the functional programming paradigm that is making its way into the world of corporate IT. (I've actually read two other books specifically on LINQ and this book does a better job of explaining LINQ than either of them.)

Just one minor nitpik... the writing style is conversational and the text seems more verbose in places than it needs to be. This is easily forgivable because the writing is all very clear, and Skeet always has a definite point in mind. I think this just limits the book's usefulness as a quick reference somewhat.

All in all, I think this book is to C# what Joshua Bloch's Effective Java is to that other semi-colon language.

As an experience C# developer, I tend to find most programming books written more for a reader who is just starting out in that particular language. When I do find a programming book that is written more for the advanced developer, the content is usually too specific. I jumped on the .Net bandwagon back when it first started off; I dabbled in 2.0 and didn't start focusing on the language changes until 4.0. I was very pleased by the way Jon Skeet approached his audience and kept the material interesting. My favorite parts of this book were in the first few chapters where the author shows you how we got from 1.0 to the 4.0 version of the language. Even though some of this was review, the approach made the material interesting and kept my attention. The rest of the book delved into more detailed information but it wasn't specific to any one topic. Jon focused mostly on what he discussed at a higher level earlier on in the book. I would definitely recommend this book to any experienced programmer looking to learn C# or someone who already knows enough C# to be dangerous.

"CLR via C#" by Jeffrey Richter or "Effective C#" (and "More Effective C#") by Bill Wagner is what I would call "C# in Depth". Jon Skeet's book is written with knowledge and flair - five stars, without a doubt - but is, in my opinion, only incrementally "deeper" than, for example, Mark Michaelis's (very good) beginner-friendly "Essential C#". Let me distinguish literary merits and "interesting" information - such as the "How it looked in C# 1.0" passages, or explorations of corner cases - from actionable practical knowledge. I felt that the book did not provide enough of the latter to justify its stay on my bookshelf. Should-read, probably. Must-have, sorry, no.

This is not a beginners book but clearly an advanced book. For those who have already programmed in C# and want to fill in the details on how the more used parts work underneath. It will take generics for instance and really dive into them, what is really going in the compiler, what are the nuances, what's missing and how to make better use of them. I've never run across a book like this, very well written, fast reading. The author Jon Skeet has a very informative blog on the C# language and stays abreast of all new developments coming from Microsoft.

I'll keep it simple and to the point:
Best take aways from this book (YMMV):
* Chapter 14, about DLR and the dynamic keyword: Probably the MOST comprehensive and detailed material available in any form book/article/blog/whitepaper. The amount of information Jon Skeet gives you in this chapter about the dynamic keyword is simply immeasurable.
* Chapter 9, about Lambda expressions and Expression trees: Using 'Func' in my code has never come to me naturally (never before, I should say). Now I know what I was missing!

I agree with a post made by another user here that the book is not for a novice, but the title of the book C# IN DEPTH, clearly indicates it.

Simple and effective language, clear and concise code samples make reading this book well worth it.

Arun

I've been working in C# (heavily towards Web usage via ASP.NET) for almost a handful of years now, with the various Wrox books, and online materials, serving me rather well. However, I never really dug 'deep' into C#, and knew that there was a great deal of functionality I just wasn't using.

This book, C# in Depth, comes up a lot during discussions of really understanding C#, or the man (legend?) that is Jon Skeet. So, while I'd consider myself an intermediate user, I decided to pick up a copy of C# in Depth and try giving it a read. Would it just go right over my head, or would I find it genuinely interesting?

Thankfully, I found C# in Depth to be an absolute pleasure to read, with only a few chapters going over my head, or slamming into it, causing a slight headache. (Thankfully, in all these instances he gave fair warning.)

First, Jon has a gift for explaining almost everything covered in easy to understand ways, using examples when necessary, and a good number of links for other resources. All too often books have, in my opinion, too few links, requiring the reader to hunt about for resources.

Second, he has an honest love of the language and its history, which becomes quickly apparent as you begin reading the book. Of course, he's also apt to point out the flaws of certain items, offering suggestions when possible.

All of this combines to make for a rather quick read, despite the rather large number of pages.

If you have any interest in understanding how C# has developed from version 1 to where it is now with version 4, and consider yourself something of an intermediate (or 'high' beginner), I'd strongly recommend this book. As I believe I'll refer to this book again, as I continue to work with C#, and wouldn't hesitate purchasing future editions, I give this book 5 of 5 stars.


Note: I purchased an electronic copy of this book direct from Manning, and read it on an iPad. Therefore, I can't speak to the quality of the physical book, but have found my previous Manning book (Silverlight 4 in Action) to be well constructed. Manning offered that electronic copy as a DRM-free PDF, among other formats, which secures it a place in the short list of publishers I'll buy an electronic book from again.

This book delivers exactly what the title says. I learned TONS and was able to apply those things right away.

If I had any criticisms of this book, it would be that Mr. Skeet likes to write (or talk?). Entire pages go by where he explains the background of something and his opinion on it which are sometimes helpful but sometimes rambling. He writes paragraphs in one section that are merely a preamble to the next section. It gets a tad wordy for the sake of filling pages at times. I think if there's a 3rd version for C#5, he should include a section summary at the beginning or ending of each chapter that is a brief explanation of the feature, apart from the detailed workings of the feature. At least then the reader won't have to wade through a lengthy diatribe on the author's opinion if they just want to get at the meat of a topic, or just remember some specific point.

That said, if you program in C#, you owe it to yourself to read this book.

If there is one thing that is rare in the world of books, it is a technical book that is well written and directed at the experienced practitioner. C# in Depth is one of these gems, and I highly recommend it to anyone looking to progress from having a good working knowledge of the language toward expert.

Some programming books go systematically through a great long list of features, but leave you wondering how you would actually use half of it, and what really matters in that mystical land we inhabit called the "real world". Other programming books have really pratical tutorials and examples, but lack the breadth of language coverage and so they leave you with big holes in your knowledge (and those book are also no good as references).

I think the reason this book is the best rated C# book is because it manages to blend astonishing depth of insight with comprehensive language coverage, and that is a rare feat. Also, you can download the PDF of the book for free, and it has nice colour highlights and is overall a very high quality PDF. Since this is such a practical book (every code sample runs directly in Skeet's freely downloadable compiler Snippy) I greatly enjoy having the PDF up for code cutting and text searching. Also, the book is written in a funny, laid back style that makes you feel right at home. This is a very rare programming text!

If you are looking for a book that focuses on the .NET framework (the CLI, WPF, Entity Framework, ADO etc. etc.) then do not buy this book. It is entirely about C# language features (I think the Wrox book "Professional C# 4.0 and .NET 4" would be the best general overview for that kind of thing). If you are totally new to C#, then this is not the place to start, either - it is for people who are already up and running, at least in C# 1.0. SO, if you are a competent programmer and want to know C# in Depth, then 'C# in Depth' is definitely the book to get.

Skeet knows the specification and IL back to front, but he also knows real world programming and the challenges and pitfalls that programmers face day to day (he's a bit of a legend on Stack Overflow, and he currently works at Google). This uniquely places him to overview all the latest greatest features of C# (like LINQ, code contracts, dynamic types and lambda expressions), to do so accurately, and to point out how things are used in production code - the role they play in the bigger picture. I just can't emphasise enough how good a job Skeet does in taking us from minute details of the JIT compiler to all the way to real world problems and practical coding solutions. It's really a delight to read and very informative, and he comprehensively covers the major new features of C# 2, 3 and 4 - keeping each edition seperate as much as possible (very useful if you are working on a project that targets certain versions of .NET).

This book is by no means perfect - he does ramble on a bit in chapter 7 (which contains some pretty useless stuff, BTW), he sometimes assumes a bit too much pre-knowledge (like WinForms and expertise with the 'using' block structure), and sometimes the jokes fall flat... but these really are minor criticisms that don't even come close to detracting from this book's status as a bona-fide 5 star programming book. I had a growing appreciation of C# as a truly remarkable language before reading this book (I am fortunate to be working on a project that uses C# to its full potential) but Skeet's passion for the topic is truly infectious.