Learning C# 3.0 (Paperback)

~ Jesse Liberty (Author), Brian MacDonald (Author)
Key Phrases: grid width, multidimensional arrays, mathematical operators, Visual Studio, Test Your Knowledge, Hello World (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

If you're new to C#, this popular book is the ideal way to get started. Completely revised for the latest version of the language, Learning C# 3.0 starts with the fundamentals and takes you through intermediate and advanced C# features -- including generics, interfaces, delegates, lambda expressions, and LINQ. You'll also learn how to build Windows applications and handle data with C#.

No previous programming experience is required -- in fact, if you've never written a line of code in your life, bestselling authors Jesse Liberty and Brian MacDonald will show you how it's done. Each chapter offers a self-contained lesson to help you master key concepts, with plenty of annotated examples, illustrations, and a concise summary.

With this book, you will:

• Learn how to program as you learn C#
• Grasp the principles of object-oriented programming through C#
• Discover how to use the latest features in C# 3.0 and the .NET 3.5 Framework--including LINQ and the Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF)
• Create Windows applications and data-driven applications

You'll also find a unique Test Your Knowledge section in each chapter, with practical exercises and review quizzes, so you can practice new skills and test your understanding. If you're ready to dive into C# and .NET programming, this book is a great way to quickly get up to speed.

About the Author

Jesse Liberty is a Microsoft Senior Program Manager where he is responsible for the creation of tutorials, videos and other content to facilitate the learning and use of Silverlight. Even before joining Microsoft, Jesse was well known in the industry in part because of his many bestselling books, including O'Reilly Media's Programming .NET 3.5, Programming C# 3.0, Learning ASP.NET with AJAX and the soon to be published Programming Silverlight.

Brian MacDonald has edited programming and networking books for major publishers on topics ranging from securing Windows servers to PHP web programming to running an eBay business. He also coauthored O'Reilly's Learning C# 2005 and Learning ASP.NET 2.0 with AJAX.

Product Details

• Paperback: 704 pages
• Publisher: O'Reilly Media; 3rd edition (November 18, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0596521065
• ISBN-13: 978-0596521066
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.8 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #17,679 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #19 in	Books > Computers & Internet > Programming > Languages & Tools > C#
  #31 in	Books > Computers & Internet > Databases > SQL
  #36 in	Books > Computers & Internet > Programming > Software Design, Testing & Engineering > Object-Oriented Design

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

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Surprisingly Good For Experienced Student, February 5, 2009

By	Allison Lanager (Miami, FL) - See all my reviews

I'm a recent Master's graduate, in Computer Science. Programming concepts certainly aren't new to me. I've done C++, VB, Java, JSP, SQL, etc, etc, and figured it was time to pick up C#. I didn't even get this book from Amazon, I picked it up at my local B&N, but I was so pleased with it I had to make a post here.

The Good For Beginners:

He starts off with easy concepts, each chapter is broken up just right. Just when you may start to fidget and wonder how you're going to remember all of it, the chapter will end with a summary, a set of questions, and exercises. And the exercises are done well. If you grasped the concepts you can do them, and they are not too complicated that you may fumble. Plus, the solution is in the back of the book.

The Good For The Experienced:

I may have personally been better off with C# Programming, which is the more advanced book, but I started off with this since it had been a while since I touched a C-styled language. I read through even the introductory chapters, rather than skipping through, and was surprised at what I picked up. I know all of the concepts discussed, but he also includes best practices, as well as very good explanations that make you understand even these simple concepts better.

In my classes, the focus was all on 'This is how you make the code do this', with only one class focused on 'This is how you *should* write your code for readability, updating, some standards, etc'. This really answered a lot of my questions in that department. I feel like a slightly more professional programmer just from paying attention to these bits.

Basically, I liked the format and writing style enough that O'Reilly books, those by Jesse Liberty in particular, are where I look first to learn something new.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good Beginning C# Text, January 30, 2009

By	D. K. Boren (Pennsylvania) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This text is a good one for those new to C# and also for those who are familiar with C# but not fluent with it. I have read almost all of Mr. Liberty's books for varied languages at one time or another and he is a good teacher. Like most Authors, the concern with selling books is there. However, Mr. Liberty cares more than selling books. He seems to truely care about teaching people programming concepts. He seems to care if you "get it" while exploring some of the varied theorems, algorithms, and syntax rules. While this text is for novices and structured for newbies to C# and programming in general, it also touches on the more advanced areas of C#. While not exploring some of these areas for long periods of time, the book is good because it at least introduces a person to most concepts. No text is perfect and for a high level language such as C# there is no way possible for a person to include everything into a single text as the C# library is just far too large. However as far as the basic syntax for C# 3.0 this book pretty much covers everything a person needs to know. After a text such as this one a person could delve into a more advanced text in order to get practice at coding. The best way to get proficient in any language is to WRITE CODE WHILE you are learning a book. Practice, practice, and more practice. This book will teach you most of the basics you need to know. The rest is up to you. After this text a person would need to decide if they wanted to delve into web programming, desktop apps, etc. before getting an appropriate text for their chosen area.

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Approach for C#, February 27, 2010

By	Dr. Harlan M. Brewer "sonofkong" (Utah) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Amazon Verified Purchase

I bought a copy of this book for study and reference at work. I really like the approach of stripping away all the fluff for the Windows and Web forms to focus on the essentials of the C# language. As a former college teacher and professor, I think it's a great way to show students the semantics or syntax of the language.
The organization of the book seems very good to me. I'm at the tail end of chapter 11 and am looking forward to the rest of the book. My background is that of VB 6, VB .NET, VB 2005 and VB 2008. I also have some Java in my days as a professor. This book's approach really connects with my previous experience with classes in VB and Java. I would recommend this book to a beginning programmer, to someone who is coming from a VB background, or for someone wishing to brush up on the essentials of C#. An interesting read with good details.