Visual C# .Net Programming [Paperback]

Harold Davis (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 9, 2002

C SHARP (pronounced C-sharp) is Microsoft's newest programming language and is a key piece of Visual Studio.NET. C SHARP is based on C++ but adds a number of features that make it the ideal language for programming Web applications on the Windows platform. Some have called it a "Java killer," because it borrows some features from the Java language. It was created by the same programmer who developed TurboPascal and Delphi for Borland. Many industry experts feel that there is a high probability that many Visual Basic and Visual C++ programmers will want to learn C SHARP, because it was optimized for the.NET platform.

Editorial Reviews

From the Author

This is a different kind of book about a programming language.

The conventional thing is to begin with syntax and semantics, proceed through user interfaces and object orientation, and end with various applications. But why be conventional? This book does not do the standard thing.

In contrast to the conventional structure of the programming language book, the narrative structure of this book involves immersion. You’ll learn by doing—starting with creating a web service in the first few pages. It’s only later that the nitty-gritty of language syntax is covered in detail. The idea is that you’ll be having so much fun by then that the pain of mastering the details will be muted.

As author to reader, what commitments am I making?

First, regarding the code in the book: I’ve tried to provide examples that you will be able to use in the real world, based on my experience as a developer. I’ve run and tested every example in the book. Many of the examples should be usable in whole or part as they are written. C# is a graceful language. I’ve tried to write about it in an intelligent, elegant, and humorous way.

I hope you enjoy this book. C# .NET is a powerful, exciting, easy-to-use programming language. The primary goals of my book are to:

· Share my excitement and joy in this aesthetically pleasing and productive tool.

· Help you to understand the concepts involved in programming with C# and the .NET Framework.

· Help you easily produce the code that you need for the real world projects.

C# represents a wonderful "next step" for Visual Basic programmers. If you are a VB programmer looking for new horizons, this book was written for you.

From the Back Cover

The aim of Visual C# .NET Programming is to teach you and other experienced programmers the most effective ways to program using the C# language in the environment it was designed for, the .NET Framework. To this end, it offers plenty of strong opinions and pays special attention to one of .NET's most prominent features: web services.

Right out of the chute, you'll build a simple web service and create an application that consumes it, quickly gaining a basic familiarity with the resources Microsoft has placed at your disposal. Then, with this practical introduction under your belt, you'll delve into the details of C# and its relationship with .NET-details that, by the end of the book, will enable you to tackle a wide variety of sophisticated programming challenges and accomplish many other things, as well.

You'll learn how to create more effective user interfaces, first for a web service consumer and then for a traditional Windows application. You'll also get a solid grounding in the world of C# objects and classes, discovering what they make possible within the context of .NET. Then you'll explore the language itself, beginning with syntax, continuing with arrays, and concluding with the ins and outs of object-oriented programming and string manipulation.

Everything comes together in an exploration of the ways you use C# to interact with the world at large: working with files and serializing objects, creating messaging programs, and using XML and ADO.NET to interact with databases. By that point, you'll be adept at using the C# interface and help system and you'll be well on your way in the new world of .NET programming.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 512 pages
• Publisher: Sybex Inc; 1st edition (August 9, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0782140467
• ISBN-13: 978-0782140460
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 7.3 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,494,488 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

For Harold Davis, a typical day's (or night's) work might involve photographing star trails from the top of Half Dome, investigating the close-up patterns of early morning dew drops with his camera, or finding a new location for photographing the Golden Gate Bridge.

Harold Davis is an award-winning professional photographer. He is the author of more than 30 books, including Photographing Flowers: Exploring Macro Worlds with Harold Davis (Focal Press), Creative Black & White: Digital Photography Tips & Techniques (Wiley),Creative Composition: Digital Photography Tips & Techniques (Wiley), Creative Night: Digital Photography Tips & Techniques (Wiley), Creative Close-Ups: Digital Photography Tips & Techniques (Wiley), The Photoshop Darkroom: Creative Digital Post-Processing (Focal Press) and Practical Artistry: Light & Exposure for Digital Photographers (O'Reilly). Harold writes the popular Photoblog 2.0, www.photoblog2.com.

Harold is a popular presenter on digital photography topics. His workshops are often sold out.

Harold is well known for his night photography and experimental ultra-long exposure techniques, use of vibrant, saturated colors in landscape compositions, and beautiful creative floral imagery. He is inspired by the flowers in his garden, hiking in the wilderness, and the work of great artists and photographers including M.C. Escher, Monet, van Gogh and Edward Weston.

Harold lives in Berkeley, California with his wife Phyllis Davis, a graphic designer and writer who frequently collaborates with Harold on book projects. They have four children.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not so good, May 25, 2003

By 

PJ (Fort Wayne, Indiana) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Visual C# .Net Programming (Paperback)

Granted, the author states "this book is to teach you and OTHER EXPERIENCED PROGRAMMERS..." but he also states something along the lines of "no previous programming experience is absolutely necessary..." but in the first chapter about web services, he never says more than 2 sentences about what a web service really is. How is it different from an ASP.NET web application? I had to get the answer from the book "Introducing MS.NET." Also, the author assumes you have experience with VB, because he doesn't note when he uses VB-exclusive features (such as a Property Get statement) in C#. Not recommended for beginning programmers with no experience of VB.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is really a good programming book!, August 29, 2002

By 

Pradeep Giat, PhD (Silicon Valley, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Visual C# .Net Programming (Paperback)

This is the book to buy if you want to learn C# and the .NET Framework. But, specific topics aside, it is just really a very good read about programming. I particularly have found useful the material on type conversion and regular expressions.

I found some other things cool and lots of fun -- the "Guns, Germs, and Steel" OOP application simulating the life cycle of tribes, city states and nations, for example. (Let's hope we don't run into the "Borg Civilization" <g>).

I also enjoyed the "Dinosaur" class examples, the demonstration of how to use map data from TerraServer, the MSMQ apps, and the material on web services as architecture.

In addition to the good programming information, this is a lucid and literate book that uses quotations from Dickens, Thackeray, and others to make its points. Highly recommended!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great for getting up to speed quickly, January 19, 2004

By 

K. Nosack (Payson, UT USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Visual C# .Net Programming (Paperback)

As an experienced programmer new to c#, .net and even asp, I found Harold Davis' book to be very good and bringing me up to speed in a wide variety of areas. Don't expect to become an expert after reading this book, that's not the intent of this book. It gives clear, concise explanations and examples in a wide range of topics. I believe it makes an excellent introductory book to .net and c# for experienced programmers.