C# in Depth: What you need to master C# 2 and 3 (Paperback)

by Jon Skeet (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
C# in Depth is a completely new book designed to propel existing C# developers to a higher level of programming skill. One simple principle drives this book: explore a few things deeply rather than offer a shallow view of the whole C# landscape. If you often find yourself wanting just a little more at the end of a typical chapter, this is the book for you.

Expert author Jon Skeet dives into the C# language, plumbing new C# 2 and 3 features and probing the core C# language concepts that drive them. This unique book puts the new features into context of how C# has evolved without a lengthy rehearsal of the full C# language.

C# in Depth briefly examines the history of C# and the .NET framework and reviews a few often-misunderstood C# 1 concepts that are very important as the foundation for fully exploiting C# 2 and 3. Because the book addresses C# 1 with a light touch, existing C# developers don't need to pick through the book in order to find new material to enhance their skills.

This book focuses on the C# 2 and 3 versions of the language, but clearly explains where features are supported by changes in the runtime (CLR) or use new framework classes. Each feature gets a thorough explanation, along with a look on how you'd use it in real life applications.

C# in Depth is both a vehicle for learning C# 2 and 3 and a reference work. Although the coverage is in-depth, the text is always accessible: You'll explore pitfalls that can trip you up, but you'll skip over gnarly details best left to the language specification. The overall effect is that readers become not just proficient in C# 2 and 3, but comfortable that they truly understand the language.

About the Author
Jon Skeet has worked with C# since 2002, and has been a Microsoft C# MVP since October 2003. He has spent a great amount of time in the C# community answering questions in newsgroups as well as writing articles on the most misunderstood aspects of C# and .NET. After having read tens of thousands of questions over the years, Jon has developed a deep insight into the areas that developers have trouble with, as well as what they're trying to achieve. A keen reader of specifications, Jon aims to understand the language at the deepest level, which enables him to provide a detailed exposition of C#, including a few dark corners which can trip up the unwary developer.

Product Details

• Paperback: 424 pages
• Publisher: Manning Publications; Pap/Pas edition (April 21, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1933988363
• ISBN-13: 978-1933988368
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (32 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #40,633 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent non-beginners C# book, May 4, 2008

By	Andy Warhol (UK) - See all my reviews

I know these comments are going to give the impression of being one of those "independent" reviews that often get put up on Amazon shortly after a book is released. Those reviews all give the book in question five stars to make sure the author makes a few quick sales until people find out the real story about it...but this isn't one of those...it's actually a truthful review!

C# In Depth is an excellent, bordering on brilliant, examination of C#2 and C#3.

The author clearly understands the C# language at a very deep level and has the gift to be able to communicate his understanding in a way that really gets through to the average developer like you and me.

Jon Skeet starts with the assumption that you already understand the basics of C#1. He then deliberately skips over the usual route of discussing the .NET framework libraries, instead concentrating exclusively on the C# language itself.

He is therefore able to focus his book on reaching deep into the C# language itself....certainly to a level that I've never seen any other book come close to.

What I especially liked was the author's own free little tool for running his code snippets. Instead of getting bogged down in masses of unnecessary supplementary code to demonstrate a simple point, "Snippy" allows you to just enter the few lines you really want to understand and play with - and then it takes care of compiling and running them for you...a really neat idea.

I always say that there's a simple way to tell if someone is really an expert in something....ask them to explain something complex.

The pseudo-expert will only be able to explain complex topics using complex jargon and complex analogies. The real expert can explain complex topics using simple language and simple analogies...and this book demonstrates that the author is a real expert!

An excellent advanced C# book.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Detailed and technical yet a joy to read!, December 27, 2008

By	keith "keithflo" (Philadelphia, Pa USA) - See all my reviews

Simply stated, this is an excellent C# book.

Its NOT for beginners ... but, if you are coming to C# from another language (like Java) or you know some C# but want to get a thorough understanding of features .. like .. how to write and use delegates(p. 34) ... What are generic type constraints? Why would I want to use them? (p. 75) ... then this book is what you need.

I love the writing. Its detailed and technical yet a joy to read. Even some light humor! Excellent!

I'm a Java developer and was looking for a good C# book and I stumbled upon the author's blog (and this book) while looking for reviews of another C# book I was considering ... this, out of the C# books I've seen, has the best combination of detailed coverage and good readable writing. IMHO.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Simply a must-have for C#, April 29, 2008

By	Marc Gravell (UK) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Most "C#" books are actually books about the .NET framework (and the various core classes) using C# as the language for examples. Not this book; instead, this is truly a book about C# itself, touching on the framework only where necessary to explain the language design.

There are a lot of language features introduced in C# 2 and C# 3, and the simple fact is that many of these generally aren't fully understood by most developers. This book could truly change that. I consider myself an experienced C# developer, yet C# in Depth showed me depths (*useful* depths) I simply didn't know - even in the C# 2 areas that I thought I understood well. It also covers a lot of the language specifics surrounding LINQ (that being the main goal of C# 3), which I would consider essential for anyone serious about .NET 3.5 / VS2008.

A deeper understanding of the language is incredibly useful; especially when trying to understand why something isn't behaving as you expected (a prime example being the subtleties of "captured variables"). But equally, knowing how to work *with* the language (rather than against it) is key to robust and reusable designs. For example, the ability to use a more functional programming style in C# 3 (and what that means...).

And yet somehow, Jon manages to cover this technical vista while keeping the tone easily approachable, engaging, and even entertaining. Not a small challenge.

All in all, highly recommended: it will make you a better C# developer.