Beginning C# 2008: From Novice to Professional, 2/e (Paperback)

This book is for anyone who wants to write good C# code—even if you have never programmed before. Writing good code can be a challenge—there are so many options, especially in a .NET language like C#. If you want to really get the best from a programming language, you need to know which features work best in which situations and understand their strengths and weaknesses. It is this understanding that makes the difference between coding and coding well.

Beginning C# 2008: From Novice to Professional, Second Edition has been written to teach you how to use the C# programming language to solve problems. From the earliest chapters, and from the first introductory concepts, you’ll be looking at real–world programming challenges and learning how C# can be used to overcome them. As you progress through the book, the problems become more involved and interesting, while the solutions become correspondingly more complex and powerful as C# features interact to achieve the results that you want.

This second edition has been revised and improved to now include the latest SQL Server 2008 release and explain how you can integrate SQL Server 2008 with your C# applications.

By the time you’ve finished reading this book and worked through the sample exercises, you’ll be a confident and very competent C# programmer. You will still have many explorations of the .NET Framework API to look forward to, but you will have a firm foundation to build from, and you will know exactly where to go to find the things that you need to progress confidently in your projects.

What you’ll learn

• Everything to get you started with C# 2008 from scratch—from installing the tools to writing your first applications.
• The core concepts of .NET 3.5 programming: from decision trees to data structures, from exceptions to lambda expressions, and from objects to components.
• Learn what LINQ is, why functional programming can be important, how generics make your life easier, and much, much, more!

Who is this book for

This book is for anyone who’s just starting out to learn about C#. It doesn’t assume any prior knowledge of object–oriented programming, of the .NET Framework, or of coding in general. It simply assumes that you’re an intelligent person who wants to learn and starts the journey from there.

About the Apress Beginning Series

The Beginning series from Apress is the right choice to get the information you need to land that crucial entry–level job. These books will teach you a standard and important technology from the ground up because they are explicitly designed to take you from “novice to professional.” You’ll start your journey by seeing what you need to know—but without needless theory and filler. You’ll build your skill set by learning how to put together real–world projects step by step. So whether your goal is your next career challenge or a new learning opportunity, the Beginning series from Apress will take you there—it is your trusted guide through unfamiliar territory!