C# 2005 For Dummies (For Dummies (Computer/Tech)) (Paperback)

by Stephen Randy Davis (Author), Chuck Sphar (Author) "The C# programming language is a powerful, relatively new descendant of the earlier C, C++, and Java languages..." (more)
Key Phrases: intrinsic variable types, output the banner, underlying queues, Visual Studio, File Folder, Visual Basic (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
C# 2005 for Dummies is a thorough update of the original C# for Dummies title. The new edition brings the book up to date on C# features added in the C# 2.0 version that ships with Microsoft's new Visual Studio 2005. The book's friendly, conversational approach brings C# and new features like generics and iterators down to earth "for the rest of us." Readers with little or no programming experience can get a good start here. Readers with more experience will find this a congenial way to acquire a fine new language. Virtually every page of the original book has been updated or sometimes replaced to give you the latest cool stuff. Earlier versions of C# gave us "collections"--objects for storing lots of similar things. Now, C# 2.0 gives us the ability to write our own collections using generic constructs. Explore generics by helping OOPs, Inc., compete with its rival package shippers using their new generic priority queue collection. In C# 1.0, you could write your own iterator--an object that makes it easy to loop through a collection item by item. Now, C# 2.0 makes writing iterators much, much easier. Explore iterators by iterating anything that will hold still long enough. C# 2005 for Dummies thoroughly covers generics, iterators, and other new C# features and introduces many new features of Microsoft Visual Studio. As a bonus, you get tons of sample programs, five extra chapters, including one on using "C# on the Cheap," plus three nifty, valuable utility programs you can install and use for your own programming. And, to accompany and supplement C# 2005 for Dummies, there's a new Web site at CSharp102.com and a companion blog at CSharp102.blogspot.com. Visit soon.

From the Publisher
C# 2005 for Dummies is a thorough update of the original C# for Dummies title. The new edition brings the book up to date on C# features added in the C# 2.0 version that ships with Microsoft's new Visual Studio 2005. The book's friendly, conversational approach brings C# and new features like generics and iterators down to earth "for the rest of us." Readers with little or no programming experience can get a good start here. Readers with more experience will find this a congenial way to acquire a fine new language. Virtually every page of the original book has been updated or sometimes replaced to give you the latest cool stuff. Earlier versions of C# gave us "collections"--objects for storing lots of similar things. Now, C# 2.0 gives us the ability to write our own collections using generic constructs. Explore generics by helping OOPs, Inc., compete with its rival package shippers using their new generic priority queue collection. In C# 1.0, you could write your own iterator--an object that makes it easy to loop through a collection item by item. Now, C# 2.0 makes writing iterators much, much easier. Explore iterators by iterating anything that will hold still long enough. C# 2005 for Dummies thoroughly covers generics, iterators, and other new C# features and introduces many new features of Microsoft Visual Studio. As a bonus, you get tons of sample programs, five extra chapters, including one on using "C# on the Cheap," plus three nifty, valuable utility programs you can install and use for your own programming. And, to accompany and supplement C# 2005 for Dummies, there's a new Web site at CSharp102.com and a companion blog at CSharp102.blogspot.com. Visit soon.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 432 pages
• Publisher: For Dummies (October 31, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764597043
• ISBN-13: 978-0764597046
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #322,219 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Works well for jumping in and getting started..., December 18, 2005

By	Thomas Duff "Duffbert" (Portland, OR United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Seems like I've been ending up with a number of C# books in my review pile lately. The most recent one is C# 2005 For Dummies by Stephen Randy Davis and Chuck Sphar. As with many programming language books in the Dummies series, it's a solid coverage of the material for those who are looking for a broad coverage of the material for a first exposure...

Contents:
Part 1 - Creating Your First C# Programs: Creating Your First C# Windows Program; Creating Your First C# Console Application
Part 2 - Basic C# Programming: Living with Variability - Declaring Value-Type Variables; Smooth Operators; Controlling Program Flow
Part 3 - Object-Based Programming: Collecting Data - The Class and the Array; Putting on Some High-Class Functions; Class Methods; Stringing in the Key of C#
Part 4 - Object-Oriented Programming: Object-Oriented Programming - What's It All About?; Holding a Class Responsible; Inheritance - Is That All I Get?; Poly-what-ism?
Part 5 - Beyond Basic Classes: What a Class Isn't a Class - The Interface and the Structure; Asking Your Pharmacist about Generics
Part 6 - The Part of Ten: The 10 Most Common Build Errors (And How to Fix Them); The 10 Most Significant Differences between C# and C++
Appendix: About the CD
Bonus Chapters on the CD: Some Exceptional Exceptions; Handling Files and Libraries in C#; Stepping through Collections; Using the Visual Studio Interface; C# on the Cheap
Index

As I've mentioned in other places, I like Dummies books for the ability to allow me to figure out what I don't know about a subject. If I didn't know Java at all (C# is very close to Java in many, many respects) and wanted to get my feet wet in C#, this book would help me get the foundational skills I need. As someone who *does* already know Java, I think I was more interested in the bonus material on the CD. I really didn't know much about Mono, the open-source implementation of .Net. Nor did I know that there are non-Microsoft imitations of Visual Studio that you can use if you want to code in C# without spending hundreds of dollars for the VS IDE. Cool stuff! This probably wouldn't be the book you'd keep around as your main reference source if you are going to be a C# code-slinger, but it will help you figure out where the gun goes and how to put the holster on...

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic Book!!!, August 27, 2006

By	Frederick Masem - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

If you guys like me are starting programming with C# then
C# 2005 for dummies is the book to buy. It is extremely well explained with great examples, the loopings and object oriented are well explained as well. I purchased about 5 books on C# claiming to be beginners books but they were NOT. Most C# beginner book on C# assume some programming experience but NOT C# 2005 for dummies. By order I will recommend for a newbie in programming who wants to learn C#:
- C# 2005 for dummies
- The absolute beginner in C#
- Beginning C# 2005 from Wrox

Again Thanks to Mr Davis for this fantastic introduction to C#

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars C# 2005 for Dummies, August 4, 2007

By	K. M. Austin "colddarkwhispers" (Greenville, SC) - See all my reviews

After having a few different textbooks that were difficult to understand I am extremely pleased with the quality, easy understandability and usuability of this book. Paired with my textbooks I have been able to grasp the harder concepts of C# that once were very difficult. There is some knowledge required of the language in order to be able to understand some of the concepts and grasp them fully but this book definitely makes it so much easier. I soon will be graduating with an Associates Degree in Web Design and Programming and feel very sure I will use this book as reference throughout the beginning of my career."A reference for the rest of us!" is definitely an appropriate slogan for the "DUMMIES" series of books.