Professional C# 2008 (Wrox Professional Guides) [Paperback]

Christian Nagel (Author), Bill Evjen (Author), Jay Glynn (Author), Morgan Skinner (Author), Karli Watson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 24, 2008 | ISBN-10: 0470191376 | ISBN-13: 978-0470191378 | Edition: 1

Professional C# 2008 starts by reviewing the overall architecture of .NET in Chapter 1 in order to give you the background you need to be able to write managed code. After that the book is divided into a number of sections that cover both the C# language and its application in a variety of areas.

Part I: The C# Language gives a good grounding in the C# language itself. This section doesn’t presume knowledge of any particular language, although it does assume you are an experienced programmer. You start by looking at C#’s basic syntax and data types, and then explore the object-oriented features of C# before moving on to look at more advanced C# programming topics.

Part II: Visual Studio looks at the main IDE utilized by C# developers world-wide: Visual Studio 2005. The two chapters in this section look at the best way to use the tool to build applications based upon either the .NET Framework 2.0 or 3.0. In addition to this, this section also focuses on the deployment of your projects.

Part III: Base Class Libraries looks at the principles of programming in the .NET environment. In particular, you look at security, threading localization, transactions, how to build Windows services, and how to generate your own libraries as assemblies.

Part IV: Data looks at accessing databases with ADO.NET and LINQ, and at interacting with directories and files. This part also extensively covers support in .NET for XML and on the Windows operating system side, and the .NET features of SQL Server 2008. Within the large space of LINQ, particular focus is put on LINQ to SQL and LINQ to XML.

Part V: Presentation focuses on building classic Windows applications, which are called Windows Forms in .NET. Windows Forms are the thick-client version of applications, and using .NET to build these types of applications is a quick and easy way of accomplishing this task. In addition to looking at Windows Forms, you take a look at GDI+, which is the technology you will use for building applications that include advanced graphics. This section also covers writing components that will run on Web sites, serving up Web pages. This covers the tremendous number of new features that ASP.NET 3.5 provides. Finally, this section also shows how to build applications based upon the Windows Presentation Foundation and VSTO.

Part VI: Communication covers Web services for platform-independent communication, .NET Remoting for communication between .NET clients and servers, Enterprise Services for the services in the background, and DCOM communication. With Message Queuing asynchronous, disconnected communication is shown. This section also looks at utilizing the Windows Communication Foundation and the Windows Workflow Foundation.

Part VII: Appendices (Online): This section includes three appendices focused on how to build applications that take into account the new features and barriers found in Windows Vista. Also, this section looks at the upcoming ADO.NET Entities technology and how to use this new technology in your C# applications. You can find these three appendices online at www.wrox.com.

Note: CD-ROM/DVD and other supplementary materials are not included as part of eBook file.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Professional C# 2008

Updated for .NET 3.5 and Visual Studio® 2008, this book is the ultimate guide to C# 2008 and its environment. Beginning with a look into the architecture and methodology of .NET, the team of superlative authors explains why the C# language cannot be viewed in isolation, but rather, must be considered in parallel with the .NET Framework. After gaining an understanding of the foundation of C#, you'll then go on to examine the fundamentals of C# programming with each successive chapter.

New examples provide helpful explanations on how to use C# to solve various tasks. Plus, completely new chapters on LINQ, SQL, ADO.NET entities, Windows Communication Foundation, Windows Workflow Foundation, Windows Presentation Foundation, arrays, system transactions, tracing, and event logging all deliver essential information to help you gain a clear and thorough understanding of all that C# 2008 has to offer.

What you will learn from this book

• How to write Windows® applications and Windows® services

• Ways to use ASP.NET 3.5 to write web pages

• Techniques for manipulating XML using C#

• How to use ADO.NET to access databases

• Ways to generate graphics using C# 2008

• Numerous C# add-ins

• How to use LINQ to easily work with your SQL Server databases and XML

Who this book is for
This book is for experienced developers who are interested in learning the latest version of the number one developer language: C#.

Wrox Professional Guides are planned and written by working programmers to meet the real-world needs of programmers, developers, and IT professionals. Focused and relevant, they address the issues technology professionals face every day. They provide examples, practical solutions, and expert education in new technologies, all designed to help programmers do a better job.

About the Author

Christian Nagel of thinktecture is a software architect and developer who offers training and consulting on how to design and develop Microsoft .NET solutions. He looks back on more than 20 years of software development experience. Christian started his computing career with PDP 11 and VAX/VMS platforms, covering a variety of languages and platforms. Since the year 2000, when .NET was just a technology preview, he has been working with various .NET technologies to build numerous .NET solutions. With his profound knowledge of Microsoft technologies, he has written numerous .NET books, and is certified as a Microsoft Certified Trainer and Professional Developer for ASP.NET. Christian speaks at international conferences such as TechEd and Tech Days, and supports .NET user groups with INETA Europe. You can contact Christian via his Web sites, www.christiannagel.com and www.thinktecture.com .

Bill Evjen, Microsoft MVP is an active proponent of .NET Technologies and community - based learning initiatives for .NET. He has been actively involved with .NET since the first bits were released in 2000. In the same year, Bill founded the St. Louis .NET User Group ( www.stlnet.org ), one of the world ’ s first such groups. Bill is also the founder and former executive director of the International .NET Association ( www.ineta.org ), which represents more than 450,000 members worldwide. Based in St. Louis, Missouri, Bill is an acclaimed author (more than 15 books to date) and speaker on ASP.NET and SML Web services. In addition to writing and speaking at conferences such as DevConnections, VSLive, and TechEd, Bill works closely with Microsoft as a Microsoft regional director. Bill is the technical architect for Lipper ( www.lipperweb.com ), a wholly owned subsidiary of Reuters, the international news and financial services company. He graduated from Western Washington University in Bellingham, Washington with a Russian language degree. When he isn ’ t tinkering on the computer, he can usually be found at his summer house in Toivakka, Finland. You can reach Bill at [e-mail].

Morgan Skinner began his computing career at a young age on the Sinclair ZX80 at school, where he was underwhelmed by some code a teacher had written and so began programming in assembly language. Since then he ’ s used all sorts of languages and platforms, including VAX Macro Assembler, Pascal, Modula2, Smalltalk, X86 assembly language, PowerBuilder, C/C++, VB, and currently C# (of course). He ’ s been programming in .NET since the PDC release in 2000, and liked it so much he joined Microsoft in 2001. He now works in premier support for developers and spends most of his time assisting customers with C#. You can reach Morgan at www.morganskinner.com.

Jay Glynn started writing software nearly 20 years ago, writing applications for the PICK operating system using PICK basic. Since then, he has created software using Paradox PAL and Object PAL, Delphi, VBA, Visual Basic, C, C++, Java, and of course, C#. He is currently a project coordinator and architect for a large financial services company in Nashville, Tennessee, working on software for the TabletPC platform. You can contact Jay at [e-mail].

Karli Watson is a freelance author and a technical consultant of 3form Ltd ( www.3form.net ) and Boost .net, and an associate technologist at Content Master ( www.contentmaster.com ). He started out with the intention of becoming a world - famous nanotechnologist, so perhaps one day you might recognize his name as he receives a Nobel Prize. For now, though, Karli ’ s main academic interest is the .NET Framework, and all the boxes of tricks it contains. A snowboarding enthusiast, Karli also loves cooking, spends far too much time playing Anarchy Online and EVE, and wishes he had a cat. As yet, nobody has seen fit to publish Karli ’ s first novel, but the rejection letters make an attractive pile. If he ever puts anything up there, you can visit Karli online at http://www.karliwatson.com.

Product Details

• Paperback: 1848 pages
• Publisher: Wrox; 1 edition (March 24, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0470191376
• ISBN-13: 978-0470191378
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 7.2 x 2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #399,874 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

38 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars MEGA C# Reference, April 1, 2008

By 

Daniel McKinnon "Dan" (Tewksbury, MA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Professional C# 2008 (Wrox Professional Guides) (Paperback)

'Professional C# 2008' is one of those ginormous books that I usually (usually) complain is too big, too bloated, too MUCH but sometimes the exception is the rule and that is the case here. With 1750+ pages of material spread over 48 chapters and 3 appendixes, if you are looking for brevity and/or a simple learning book this is probably not for you. If you are looking for a complete solution on learning C# from top to bottom, keep reading because you are in the right place.

Although it's lengthy, I feel a chapter listing is beneficial to detail out all the details of this book:

01. .NET Architecture
02. C# Basics
03. Objects and Types
04. Inheritance
05. Arrays
06. Operators and Casts
07. Delegates and Events
08. Strings and Regular Expressions
09. Generics
10. Collections
11. Language Integrated Query (LINQ)
12. Memory Management and Pointers
13. Reflection
14. Errors and Exceptions
15. Visual Studio 2008
16. Deployment
17. Assemblies
18. Tracing and Events
19. Threading and Synchronization
20. Security
21. Localization
22. Transactions
23. Windows Services
24. Interoperability
25. Manipulating Files and the Registry
26. Data Access
27. LINQ to SQL
28. Manipulating XML
29. LINQ to XML
30. .NET Programming with SQL Server
31. Windows Forms
32. Data Binding
33. Graphics with GDI+
34. Windows Presentation Foundation
35. Advanced WPF
36. Add-Ins
37. ASP.NET Pages
38. ASP.NET Development
39. ASP.NET AJAX
40. Visual Studio Tools for Office
41. Accessing the Internet
42. Windows Communication Foundation
43. Windows Workflow Foundation
44. Enterprise Services
45. Message Queuing
46. Directory Services
47. Peer-to-Peer Networking
48. Syndication

Subject matter is extremely thorough, and the writing is right to the point. Full of usable examples and traditional (good) Wrox design, you will be able to use chapters piece mail to get the information you are looking for or read the book from beginning to end if you want the whole experience.

I feel that this book is best for marginal/new C# developers who aren't intimidated by a tome of this size. There is lots of great information within and you certainly learn what makes C# such a fantastic language to use in today's world.

***** HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good in combination with other resources, July 10, 2008

By 

Eric Weinberger (USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Professional C# 2008 (Wrox Professional Guides) (Paperback)

The content of this book is very good, but sentence structures are often confusing and vital information is sometimes missing. The quality varies greatly from one chapter to another, however, and some chapters are very well written. In combination with other books, this is a good resource, but on its own it can be frustrating at times.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Data Dump, October 21, 2009

By 

Wombat Ed "Wombat Ed" (Culver City, CA United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Professional C# 2008 (Wrox Professional Guides) (Paperback)

This book contains a lot of facts, but fails to present them in a way that helps you understand the big picture. For example, it has an entire chapter on Collections, including about ten different types. It offers a lot of detail about how each one works, but is useless if you're looking for guidance on which one to use in what kind of situation.

I am a moderately experienced .Net developer, and I bought the book about two months ago hoping it would help me move my level of expertise to a higher level. Since then, I've turned to it about a dozen times, and not once have I found what I needed.

This book is intended to be a "professional-level" work aimed at people who are already IT pros; it's readers know how to look up details of a given interface. These authors are obviously very knowledgeable, but they need to take a step back and think about the what their intended audience really needs.