Microsoft Visual C#(TM) .NET Step by Step (Step By Step (Microsoft)) (Paperback)

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Editorial Reviews

Product Description

This title gives readers with previous Microsoft Visual C++ or Microsoft Visual Basic experience the foundation they need to hit the ground running with the versatile Microsoft Visual C# .NET object-oriented Web development language. Real-world programming scenarios and easy-to-follow, step-by-step exercises offer the fast and clear instruction readers need to begin creating stable, efficient business-level objects and system-level applications. Readers also get code samples on a companion CD-ROM to study and reuse in their own projects.

Product Details

• Paperback: 621 pages
• Publisher: Microsoft Press (January 23, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0735612897
• ISBN-13: 978-0735612891
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 7.3 x 1.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.9 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (40 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #669,406 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

47 of 48 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great beginner's book, February 16, 2002

By	[e-mail] (Nashville, TN USA) - See all my reviews

I have not been a fan of the Step By Step series in the past. If this is the direction they are going, I may have to re-examine by own personal bias against them.

Admitedly, this is a beginner's book, rather than a book for people who have already gained quite a bit of experience in C# through the betas. But, that is not all bad.

My own personal reason for picking up this book is the large amount of time I have spent on Visual Basic .NET, as of late. The fact it was free made it worth even more to me.

My personal love of this book comes from the fact it is the first one I have sat down and read that covers more than syntax. Okay, Wrox did have a book that went beyond, but it was rushed and not as well designed for learning a new language and paradigm.

From the first chapter, you are encouraged to get into code and start developing with C#.NET from the first chapter. The book also covers a variety of types of projects. Parts 4-6 take you through Windows Forms and WebForm applications, as well as working with ADO.NET. Sweet!

The book is broken down into nice bite size chunks, each with its own projects. Overall, I wish Microsoft was still putting the ebook on the CD, as I like to carry the CD instead of the entire tome, but that is a minor knock.

There is one potential downside to the book. You can easily develop with C# using notepad. Much of the book, however, relies on Visual Studio .NET. While I don't consider this a major negative, those that are not using Visual Studio .NET will not get as much value from the book.

I am a bit reluctant to give this book 5 stars, as I, as an advanced developer, do not get as much value out of this book. However, it hits its intended target and makes a wonderful book for someone just learning C#. And, with almsot 600 pages of content, and a reasonable font size, it packs quite a punch. The fact that the layout looks rather nice and makes it easy and enjoyable to learn is an added bonus.

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent C# tutorial, March 30, 2002

By	NoKindle3MeYet "NoKindle3MeYet" (San Diego, CA USA) - See all my reviews

One of the best C# tutorials available. Also quite a nice intro to OOP as well as the Visual Studio.NET programming environment.

If you are new to programming, coming from a non-OOP language such as Visual Basic 6.0 (or previous) or even a long-time coder who needs a quick into to the C# language, you should be able to find something for you here in this book. The first half of the book teaches you the basics of the C# language and how to program using the Visual Studio.NET programming environment. The second half introduces basic Windows programming, some ASP.NET as well as ADO.NET and even XML.

Obviously, Windows programming and using the .NET framework are very complex topics and no single book can possibly cover everything, but for the newcomer, you'd be hard-pressed to find a better starting place.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book for an Intro to .NET and C#, April 15, 2002

By	Robert L. Grant "rgrgrg" (San Jose, CA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I am about 85% through this book and it is great if you are looking for a comprehensive intro to .NET and C#. If you are already familiar with most of .NET and want something in-depth on a particular aspect of .NET, than you should probably look elsewhere. I attended a 1 week, $2500 class on .NET and this book is much better from my perspective. Covered most of the same topics, but in more depth than the class (although still not beyond intermediate level). The book is tutorial style which I like for the most part. So yes, you need to be in front of your computer. Remarkably, I have not had ANY problems with any of the code so far other than one difference in a diagram display which did not effect the programs operation. Now that I am about through the book, I know what I want to learn more about and have an excellent overview of .NET and C#. Just keep in mind that it is a beginning to intermediate level book.