C# and the .NET Platform [Paperback]

Andrew Troelsen (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1893115593 | ISBN-13: 978-1893115590 | Publication Date: June 2001 | Edition: 1

C# is the native language for Microsofts .NET platform. In this book, Andrew Troelsen shows you how to use C# for developing virtually every possible kind of .NET application. From Windows-based to Web-based applications, it's all here. This book includes detailed discussions of every aspect of .NET development and useful examples with real code.

Relentlessly practical and complete, C# and the.NET Platform begins with a brief overview of the C# language and then quickly moves to the key technical and architectural issues facing .NET developers. Troelsen covers the .NET framework intensively, and even includes coverage of trickier areas, such as proper thread usage. You will learn to use C# for graphical user interface applications, and you'll receive a complete discussion of Windows Forms and GDI+. This book contains useful discussions on how to use C# and .NET for Web development, Web Services, and data access using ADO.NET. Troelsen even includes complete coverage of the subtler issues involving .NET and COM interoperability.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Aimed at the reader with some previous programming experience, C# and the .NET Platform provides an enjoyable and well-paced tutorial for learning C# and Microsoft's new .NET Framework. This well-written guide is all you need to get onboard with the latest in Windows development.

Today, there are a growing number of titles available for C#. This text strikes an excellent balance between a basic language tutorial with an authoritative presentation of what's new and better in .NET with coverage of the some of the inner details of the platform, including deployment. The author's patient writing style is never dull or overly technical, which will mean this book is a good choice for a wide range of readers approaching C# from a variety of languages including C++, Java, and Visual Basic.

At certain points, the author looks at "intermediate language" (IL) bytecodes that underlie the C# language. This is particularly informative in chapters that look at assemblies and deployment. As a tour of the basics of the C# language, this book distinguishes itself with short, effective examples (many of which use a set of classes modeling cars). Coverage of programming Windows Forms is really good, as is the chapter on getting the older COM and .NET components to interoperate. The focus of this book is mostly on traditional client-side development, though it does cover the latest in Web development with sections on basic ASP.NET and Web services, which round out the book.

The author does a good job at explaining how .NET works while bringing readers of different abilities up to speed with C#. Experts will appreciate the detail on class design, COM, and Web services, while beginners will be able to follow the author's well-organized tour of the basics. In all, this combination of strengths makes C# and the .NET Platform an attractive choice in the growing list of titles on Microsoft's latest programming language. --Richard Dragan

Topics covered:

• Introduction to the .NET platform
• Common Language Runtime (CLR)
• The Common Type Specification (CTS)
• The Common Language Specifications (CLS)
• Assemblies
• Basics of C# classes
• Constructors
• Flow control and iteration
• Arrays and strings
• Boxing and unboxing
• Object-oriented programming in C# (encapsulation, inheritance, and polymorphism explained)
• Exception handling
• Garbage collection
• Implementing the ICloneable and IComparable interfaces
• Introduction to .NET collections (including custom collections)
• Custom indexers, delegates, and events explained
• XML-based documentation
• In-depth guide to .NET assemblies (including shared assemblies)
• Versioning techniques for side-by-side deployment
• Multithreading and synchronization
• Type reflection and attributes
• Windows Forms tutorial (design options, survey of components, menus and other UI widgets)
• Programming the Windows registry
• GDI+ graphics tutorial (including fonts, brushes, images, and using .NET resources)
• Input and output (directories, files, and streams)
• COM, COM+, and .NET interoperability
• Tutorial to ADO.NET for database programming (including DataSets and XML basics)
• Introduction to ASP and ASP.NET programming for Web development
• Web services basics (including SOAP, WSDL, and the Discovery Service Protocol, DISCO)

Review

"...the one book on [C#,.NET] you not only should have, but will want to keep next to your keyboard." -- Dr. Dobb's Journal

C# and the .NET Platform by Andrew Troelsen is a 12th Annual Jolt Awards Nominee! -- Software Development Magazine

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 970 pages
• Publisher: Apress; 1 edition (June 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1893115593
• ISBN-13: 978-1893115590
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.5 x 1.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (69 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,621,002 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Andrew W. Troelsen is a partner, software developer, and trainer at Intertech, Inc., a Minneapolis-based training firm that specializes in education for Enterprise Web Developers. Troelsen is a Microsoft Certified Solution Developer and holds the Master of Technical Training (MTT) designation. He has presented at various technical conferences, and is also the author of Developer's Workshop to COM+ (1-55622-724-8).

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent C#/.NET Book, October 3, 2002

By 

Matthew K. Morgan (Ruther Glen, VA USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: C# and the .NET Platform (Paperback)

I was informed by my manager to purchase a C# book, and I set out to do some research as to which book would fit my needs. I stumbled on this title as one recommended instead of another that was reviewed here on Amazon.com Based on the reviews posted for this book, I decided to purchase it. The positive reviews for this book are well-founded.

One of the very first things I noticed about this book is that it has a sticker on it that says that online updates for the final version of .NET are available. I went to the site and downloaded the list of changes to the book. The list was actually fairly short and the changes straightforward. I regard this as a good sign.

The book is well laid out and clear, the first 130+ pages dedicated to fundamental concepts and structures of C#. A 70-page introduction to OOP, in the context of C#, follows. The next few chapters deal with advanced topics including container classes and threads. Next the reader is launched into more graphically-oriented topics. Finally, the topics move into such as object serialization, database access, and web-centric subjects. The progression from subject to subject is logical and smooth, and each section is written clearly so as not to leave the reader in the dark and each presented after its prerequisites.

Example code in this book is clear, concise, and explained. The source to the examples is *not* included with the book, but is available readily for download.

This book is a great start into C# and .NET. It is *not* comprehensive, but it covers most of the important topics that get used regularly. Seriously consider this title when investigating C# and/or .NET.

25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Awesome Book on C# and .NET, June 20, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: C# and the .NET Platform (Paperback)

I evaluate new development technologies. I own and read A LOT of books. Andrew is a fantastic writer and trainer.

I've attended two of Andrew's Intertech-Inc workshops on COM. Both were awesome. In his ATL workshop, I received his first book on COM and ATL. While the ATL and COM book is better than any other COM and ATL book on the market, this book on C# and .NET will become the standard for C# and .NET programmers.

Using this book, I was able to figure out new technologies like ADO.NET. Throughout, Andrew's straightforward writing style focuses on "how" and backs it with clear examples. The examples are ARE NOT the C#/.NET version of "Hello World." A ton of books miss the mark by using examples that are too simple, focusing on "why", or, becoming absorbed in esoteric disertations. This is not one of those books.

If you need to use C# and .NET, define how it will impact your existing enterprise applications, or get clear understanding techs like Windows Form Controls, get this book.

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best book on C# so far, July 4, 2001

By 

Sanjeev Das (Cupertino, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: C# and the .NET Platform (Paperback)

This is by far the best book on C# to be published so far. Unlike other books this one doesn't waste three chapters explaining the "if" and "while" statements. Almost all the major topics of the .NET platform are covered in depth.

I especially like the fact that the author does not waste time on explaining the Visual Studio.NET IDE. This keeps the focus on where it belongs-the C# language and the .NET class libraries. I feel a language the libraries are best learnt by doing the coding in a notepad like environment-where you write all the code, make mistakes, stumble, and in the process, learn. Using an IDE that produces wizard generated code can be counter productive (although the VS.NET IDE itself is superb)when you are in the process of learning.

I do have a few gripes abt the book, though not about the quality of the content, rather what is missing from the book. I would have loved to see more on network programming and using the xml parsing APIs (something that I use a lot myself). (perhaps a vol II of this books will cover those!). But a book cannot cover everything. And what is covered is absolutely top notch.

....