Murach's C# 2008 (Paperback)

~ (Author), Anne Boehm (Editor)
Key Phrases: product maintenance, data source configuration wizard, yearly interest rate, Visual Studio, Future Value, Windows Forms (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

This is the .NET 3.5 edition of Murach's best-selling C# book on Windows Forms development. Here's what developers have said about earlier editions:

"I have to tell you that your C# book is far and away the best resource I have seen to date. It really does do what the learner needs. It is simple, straightforward, presents logical examples, and the two-page format is the best."

"With this book, I have quickly moved from being intimidated by C# to making it my language of choice, The fact that this process took me only 3 days should speak volumes about how effective this book is."

"I am actually flying through the C# 2005 book! And a lot of the topics I had problems with in the past are now making perfect sense."

What makes this book so effective? Here are several things it does that other C# books don t do:

#1: The OOP section deals with business objects, not cats and dogs
Object-oriented programming is the basis for C# 2008. But while other books try to explain it using whimsical examples (like mammals or cars), our book explains it in terms of true business objects, like customers, invoices, and products. So right from the start, you ll see how OOP is applied in the real world.

#2: There s a 4-chapter section on database programming
Business applications require database processing. So instead of glossing over this crucial function in a chapter or two, this book gives you 4 full chapters that show you how to use RAD tools like data sources as well as ADO.NET code to do fairly sophisticated database processing. There s certainly more to learn. But you ll have a solid set of skills that will let you easily prototype typical database applications in business.

#3: Complete applications show how all the pieces interact
The key to mastering C# development is to have plenty of real-world examples that show you how the features you're learning interact...and that help you avoid the problems that you can run into as you build complex applications. That's why this book gives you complete applications for everyday business functions (these can be downloaded for free from the Murach web site).

#4: The paired-pages format lets you set your own pace
Murach books have a distinctive format, where each two-page spread presents a single topic. You can read every page...skim or skip material you already know...quickly pinpoint the reference details you need...use the book however it works best for you. To see how this works, you can look at some pages in "Search Inside" above or download sample chapters for free from the Murach web site.

About the Author

Joel Murach has a background in software training and is a specialist in developing business applications, particularly web applications. In the past 5 years, he has written and edited books on Java, ASP.NET, and C# that have helped thousands of developers become proficient at creating the kind of applications that businesses rely on every day.

Product Details

• Paperback: 800 pages
• Publisher: Mike Murach & Associates; Revised edition (March 27, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1890774464
• ISBN-13: 978-1890774462
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 8.1 x 1.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #37,891 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars paired pages = wider audience, May 11, 2008

By	Jeanne Boyarsky (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

"Murach's C# 2008" follows the Murach style where there are two books in one. The even numbered pages contain text. The odd numbered pages contain related diagrams, tables and bulleted lists.

The book targets beginners to experienced developers in Java/C++/VB/.NET along with being useful for training and reference. I'm a little skeptical when a book tries to be all things to all people, but the author does a great job with this. The "paired page" format really helps with this because you can read the most appropriate one (or both) for you at the time. I'm a Java developer. While I was able to skim some sections, I was never bored.

I particularly liked the focus on idioms and skills. There were a lot of "how to do ________" examples along with techniques such as refactoring. The end of chapter exercises were also great.

The book also walks you through features in Visual Studio 08. I like how the author highlights differences between the professional and express editions. The chapter on using the debugger was excellent.

There were only two minor things I didn't like. First, there was one significant difference from Java that was in the text section and I almost missed it skimming. The other was that sometimes the text would continue after turning the page which made it harder to follow the paired pages. I'm impressed that these are the worst things I can write. I recommend the format.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent C# 2008 Resource, July 31, 2008

By	S. Epstein "electrical engineer" (Wilmette, IL) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Amazon Verified Purchase

Murach's C# 2008 book is an excellent resource for getting up to speed with Microsoft's VISUAL STUDIO development environment. At this point, I have read about 1/3 of the book.

An excellent feature of this book is its use of two adjoining pages for concept presentation. Instructions and explanations are presented on left-hand pages while sample code or screen displays are shown on right-hand pages. This makes it very easy to follow and comprehend material.

The book also has a companion website where sample code is avaiable for downloading. This facilitates both understanding of presented materials and experimentation with your own ideas.

This book is geared to VISUAL STUDIO C# 2008 and I believe you need the latest software. If you are using VISUAL STUDIO C# 2005, then you may want to consider purchasing an older edition with that name.

This book is an excellent college text and I strongly recommend it for that purpose.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Murach's C# 2008, May 1, 2008

By	John K (Florida) - See all my reviews

If you are new to C# this is the book from which to learn C# 2008. It is written in a clear understandable manner and can be used with Visual C# 2008 Express Edition. The exercises used in tne book are a great help in the learning process.