Pro C# 2008 and the .NET 3.5 Platform, Fourth Edition (Windows.Net) (Hardcover)

by Andrew Troelsen (Author)
Key Phrases: text box, protected mode, car library, Visual Studio, Windows Forms, Console Application (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
The first edition of this book was released at the 2001 Tech Ed conference in Atlanta, Georgia. Since that time, this text has been revised, tweaked, and enhanced to account for the changes found within each release of the .NET platform (1.1, 2.0, 3.0 and now 3.5).

The last version, .NET 3.0, was more of an augmentative release, essentially providing three new APIs: Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF), Windows Communication Foundation (WCF) and Windows Workflow Foundation (WF). As you would expect, coverage of the "W's" has been expanded a great deal in this version of the book from the previous Special Edition text.

Unlike .NET 3.0, .NET 3.5 provides dozens of new C# language features and .NET APIs. This edition of the book will walk you through all of this new material using the same readable approach as was found in previous editions. Rest assured, you'll find detailed coverage of Language Integrated Query (LINQ), the C# 2008 language changes (automatic properties, extension methods, anonymous types, etc.) and the numerous bells and whistles of Visual Studio 2008. What you will learn

• Everything you need to know - get up to speed with C# 2008 quickly and efficiently.
• Discover all the new .NET 3.5 features -- Language Integrated Query, anonymous types, extension methods, automatic properties, and more.
• Get a professional foothold -- targeted to appeal to experienced software professionals, this book gives you the facts you need the way you need to see them.
• A rock-solid foundation - focuses on everything you need to be a successful .NET 3.5 programmer, not just the new features. Get comfortable with all the core aspects of the platform -- including assemblies, remoting, Windows Forms, Web Forms, ADO.NET, XML web services, and much more.

Who is this book for?

If you're checking out this book for the first time, understand that it targets experienced software professionals and/or students of computer science (so please don't expect three chapters devoted to "for" loops). The mission of this text is to provide you with a rock-solid foundation to the C# 2008 programming language and the core aspects of the .NET platform (OOP, assemblies, file IO, Windows Forms/WPF, ASP.NET, ADO.NET, WCF,WF, etc.). Once you digest the information presented in these 33 chapters, you'll be in a perfect position to apply this knowledge to your specific programming assignments, and you'll be well equipped to explore the .NET universe on your own terms. About the Apress Pro series

You have gotten the job; now you need to go hone your skills in these tough competitive times. Apress Pro Series books expand your skills and expertise in exactly the areas you need. Master the content of a Pro book and you will always be able to get the job done in a professional manner. Written by experts in their field, Pro Series books give you the hard-won solutions to problems you will face in your professional programming career.

About the Author
Andrew Troelsen is a partner, trainer, and consultant at Intertech-Inc., and is a leading authority on both .NET and COM. His book Pro C# 2005 and the .NET 2.0 Platform won the prestigious 2003 Referenceware Excellence Award and is now in its third edition. Also of note are his earlier five-star treatment of traditional COM in the bestselling Developer's Workshop to COM and ATL mirrored in his book, COM and .NET Interoperability, and his top-notch investigation of VB .NET in Visual Basic .NET and the .NET Platform: An Advanced Guide. Troelsen has a degree in mathematical linguistics and South Asian studies from the University of Minnesota and is a frequent speaker at numerous .NET-related conferences. He currently lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota, with his wife, Amanda, and spends his free time investigating .NET and waiting for the Wild to win the Stanley Cup. You can check out his blog here: Troelsen's Tutorials

Product Details

• Hardcover: 1370 pages
• Publisher: Apress; 4 edition (November 12, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1590598849
• ISBN-13: 978-1590598849
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 7 x 2.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (56 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #3,484 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

66 of 68 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Deserves the "Pro" description., December 16, 2007

By	J. Pease (Odessa, TX United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Visually this book is easy to read. A detailed 37 page index and bold page numbers at the top of the pages make it easy to quickly locate desired information.

Sometimes the term "Pro" is used in the title of books that don't really deserve that classification. In my opinion, this book has very much earned the "Pro" designation. While the C# language is covered in detail, no time is wasted describing what an array or variable is. Another example, the book spends more time explaining how to implement encapsulation, inheritance and polymorphism within the language than explaining these basic OO concepts. So if you are new to programming, look elsewhere.

The style of writing might be described as a touch dry. Not much in the way of humor or such, but then again this is a "Pro" book. You are reading it for information, not entertainment.

In many respects this book is a two in one deal. The first ~450 pages are a thorough coverage of the C# language. The remainder being an extensive look at the .NET framework.

In short I would describe the book as a very comprehensive guide to C# 2008 and the 3.5 version of the .NET framework recommend it highly.

42 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hits its target, December 6, 2007

By	Kris Gustafson (San Diego, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I purchased this book to help me get up to speed with .NET 3.5 as it relates to C# and WPF. I was not disappointed with the C# coverage, and at 1332 pages, the author had to draw the line somewhere. WPF gets introductory treatment, but as the author points out, the subject is too large for this book (and he points the reader to a soon-to-be released book that specifically covers WPF).

Beginners to C# will find a thorough, readable presentation of the language with many short example programs from basic to advanced topics. Intermediate to advanced users will find this work a handy reference, with no dark corners of C# left unexposed.

ASP.NET and ADO.NET are given several strong chapters (including an excellent introduction to LINQ), and WCF and WF each get a good introductory chapter; WPF gets good (but admittedly not-comprehensive) coverage starting at XAML, proceeding to working with WPF Controls and ending at 2D graphics, resources and themes. Of course, Pro C# 2008 really shines in presenting the new C# .NET 3.5 additions, why they are there, and when to use them (think "LINQ").

There is even a very good appendix on getting C# to interoperate with non-managed COM code.

Beginners on up will find this a valuable addition to one's programming library.

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Contines a tradition..., November 27, 2007

By	Rus Ambler "Scrat" (Cincinnati, OH, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Troelsen's 3rd edition was one of my most thumbed-through C# books on my bookshelf. I found myself invariably rereading the same chapters each time gleaming just a little bit more than I had previously - and that for me is a good thing and what I really appreciate in his work; the examples he gives are ones which seem to keep on giving. On the first read through you get an appreciation for the technology used, subsequent perusals allow me to really hone down and understand the magic behind the code.

The 4th edition continues this trend and it is obvious that a huge amount of work went into keeping this book up to date. Where advances in the framework or language allow, you'll find that previous examples from the 3rd edition are still there but are now supplemented and enhanced by their younger 3.5 and 2008 siblings. Many aspects of the latest language editions are given enough coverage as to be useful without overbearing the overall tome (for example LINQ). In addition the author provides a good explanation as to the background for some of the new language features which, at first glance, may seem somewhat superfluous.

If there is to be any complaint at all it would be in the index, for example Extension Methods merits but a single page entry which directs you to a page in the "Introduction to LINQ chapter", despite the fact that the subject itself is covered in its own section over nine pages in the previous chapter! In addition the pages feel a tish thin which doesn't help when the opposing page have one or more console screen shots (with black backgrounds) - but that's a minor gripe.

Given the books size (it tops out at a toe-crunching 1370 pages) it's tough to see how much more the author could have packed in to this treat!

Highly recommended.