Beginning Visual C# is now available. Beginning Visual C# is a new edition of this book, and is fully compatible with the final release of the .NET Framework. We strongly recommend that you order the new edition, Beginning Visual C# in preference to this edition.

C# is Microsoft's brand new programming language for its new platform, the .NET Framework. The .NET Framework consists of a runtime environment for managing the execution of our code, and a whole host of class libraries for performing almost any programming task you can think of. Although .NET code can be written in many languages, C# is the only language designed specifically for the .NET Framework, and as such is set to become the language of choice for writing .NET applications for years to come.

This book will be an indispensable guide as you learn to write C# programs, gradually explaining the key concepts of C# and .NET as your skills develop. After a thorough explanation of the basics of the C# language, we take an in-depth look at object-oriented programming in C#, before moving on to see how we write Windows applications in C#. We also show how you can create dynamic web pages and web services in C#. Finally, two case studies provide full examples of C# applications in action and show how it all ties together.

This book covers:

- The C# language
- .NET Programming with C#
- Object-oriented programming
- Writing Windows applications
- Accessing databases
- Writing web pages and web services in C#

Amazon.com Review Suitable for even those new to programming, Beginning C# presents a thorough and digestible tutorial on C#, the premiere new language for the Microsoft .NET Framework. This well-paced guide strikes a good balance between covering the language itself and the underlying .NET platform. It can put C# within reach of a wide range of readers of all abilities.

Weighing in at over 1,300 pages, the volume is big but never dense. The authors do a good job at focusing on the C# language first, with a minimum of cheerleading for the .NET platform. The book jumps right in with a well-paced language-based tutorial that covers everything, from basic data types and flow control to elements of class design in C#. Instead of assuming a lot of knowledge of other programming languages, the text takes the reader through from the very beginning, proving that C# is indeed a good first language to learn. The book is good at pointing out how to take advantage of tools and wizards available in Visual Studio .NET, which can help simplify class design. Clear explanation of advanced features of the language, like properties, indexers, events and delegates, and operator overloading, all get their due, illustrated with short code excerpts.

As the title progresses, it circles back toward the .NET platform itself, first with several sections on core APIs like strings and collections that will let you do more with C# with less work. A nice introductory chapter looks at Windows Forms for building traditional thick clients, while a section on ASP.NET introduces Web development on .NET. New APIs for database programming in ADO.NET and Web services are also covered.

The text closes with two longer case studies that show off C# in action--in an ASP.NET-based Web site for online polling, plus a fairly involved newsletter site with good administrative control of subscribers. These longer samples are fine, but it's the careful choice of shorter code excerpts, along with the authors' patient and clear explanation of key C# language features, that will help this book really fly. It's a strong choice for learning the basics of C# in a hurry, whether you are coming to Microsoft's new language from C++ or Java or are brand new to programming. While C# is still very new, the authors of Beginning C# manage to pack a lot of material that nails down this language accurately into a well-presented tutorial format that ranks with the best. --Richard Dragan