Just published: Murach’s C# 2010
Mike Murach and Associates has just published a 2010 edition of their best-selling C# book, now entitled Murach’s C# 2010. It teaches how to develop Windows forms applications the way the best professionals do.
To do that, it incorporates the features that have made earlier editions such popular choices among developers:
#1: It focuses on the essential skills that professional C# developers need every day
That may sound obvious. But too often, critical skills are glossed over or ignored in C# training.
So in teaching how to use Visual Studio 2010 and C# 2010 to create business applications, this book covers the skills that developers need most on the job. That includes skills like how to validate input data, how to work with different data types, how to use arrays and collections, how to do structured exception handling, and how to read and write text, binary, and XML files.
#2: The OOP section deals with business objects, not cats and dogs
Many C# books explain object-oriented programming by using examples that are meant to be easily understood, like illustrating objects by creating animal classes such as mammals, cats, and dogs. However, the analogy breaks down as developers try to figure out how to apply it to business applications.
So this book presents business objects like customers, invoices, and products to show how OOP is applied in the real world. Likewise, it explains critical concepts like inheritance, polymorphism, and interfaces within the context of business applications so there’s no confusion.
#3: There’s a 4-chapter section on database programming…plus a chapter on LINQ
Because data handling is so critical in business applications, this book presents more coverage than is usual in introductory C# books.
To begin, it teaches how to prototype database applications using rapid application development tools like the data sources feature, datasets, and bound controls. But beyond that, it shows developers how to start using ADO.NET code to work directly with databases for more processing control than the RAD tools offer. It also includes an introductory chapter on LINQ, with a practical focus that prepares developers for in-depth LINQ training.
#4: Complete applications show how all the pieces interact
One key to mastering C# development is to have plenty of applications that show how the features you’re learning interact and what problems you might run into as you work on your own. So this book shows complete Windows forms applications for everyday business functions. These can be downloaded for free from the Murach website, along with coding starts for the practice exercises in the book.
#5: The paired-pages format lets developers set their own pace
Murach books have a distinctive format, where each two-page spread presents a single topic. Both beginning and experienced developers find that this format makes it easy to focus on the information they need, whether they’re using the book for training or reference.
Murach’s C# 2010 is available in both printed and eBook format directly from the publisher at www.murach.com. The print edition is also available from all major retail outlets.
Murach’s C# 2010
Author: Joel Murach
Pages: 812 ISBN: 978-1-890774-59-2 Price: $54.50
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Head First C# | Head First C#
Head First C# is the latest release from O’Reilly Media. Authored by Andrew Stellman and Jennifer Greene, Head First C# introduces the C# Programming language in a fun, visual way.
You’ll quickly learn everything from creating your first program to learning sophisticated coding skills with C# 4.0, Visual Studio 2010 and .NET 4, while avoiding common errors that frustrate many students.
The second edition offers several hands-on labs along the way to help you build and test programs using skills you’ve learned up to that point.
In the final lab, you will put everything together. From objects to garbage collection and from exceptions to interactions, you will learn C# in a way that engages and entertains your brain.
Here are a few of the topics you’ll learn:
. Start by building a useful application with pre-built components in Visual Studio 2010
. Discover how objects work, using real-world examples
. Store numbers, text, and other basic data types using primitives
. Save complex data in files and databases with great C# tools
. Build intuitive and easy-to-use interfaces by following simple rules
. Design your code to catch exceptions — things you don’t expect
. Develop good programming habits, such as refactoring code and applying unit tests
. Learn how web services put your programs in touch with the rest of the world
. Make it easy for other people to install your software
Andrew Stellman comes from a programming background, and has managed teams of requirements analysts, designers, and developers. He and Jennifer Greene formed Stellman & Greene Consulting in 2003, with a focus on project management, software development, management consulting, and software process improvement.
Jennifer Greene has spent the past 15 years or so building software for many different kinds of companies. She’s built software test teams and helped lots of companies diagnose and deal with habitual process problems so that they could build better software.
Additional Resources
For more information about the book, including table of contents, index, author bios, and cover graphic, see: http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/0636920000679
Head First C#, Second Edition
Andrew Stellman, Jennifer Greene
ISBN: 978-1-4493-8034-2
Pages: 848 pages
Book Price: $49.99 USD
PDF Price: $39.99 USD
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What are the different editors that are available for C# programming?
Once you have installed a C# compiler, the next process is to choose an editor to enter source codes. There are different types of editors such as Notepad and Visual C#. In addition to these two, many third party vendors have also developed editors for programming with C#. This FAQ briefly discusses each one of these editors.
Notepad is a commonly used editor among many programmers. It comes with Windows and it is very easy to use as well. But there are lots of disadvantages with this editor like it doesn’t supports syntax coloring and other features such as intellisense. Moreover, you cannot directly compile and execute a C# program from within the editor. Although it doesn’t support features such as line numbering, you can jump to a specific line of the code by using the CTRL+G shortcut.
Microsoft Visual Studio is a full featured development tool and it includes project templates for all .NET languages in an Integrated Development Environment (IDE). Other than C#, the IDE supports the development of major .NET languages such as Visual Basic , Visual J# and Visual C++. In other words, it provides a single development environment for all these languages. You need to master the various elements found on the IDE such as Toolbox, Properties window apart from learning the C# language.
Will I get Visual C# as a separate product?
Yes. Microsoft sells a standard version of the product named “Visual C# .NET Standard Edition” at a reduced price. It comes with four CD’s along with a printed manual. This product doesn’t supports advanced features such as Crystal Reports which is available with Visual Studio. This product is a big boon for developers with limited budget.
Visual C# .NET provides you with the required templates and wizards for building applications. It also supports features such as Intellisense and Dynamic Help. Dynamic Help is a new functionality which will provide you help according to the relevant situation while developing a project. It will be available only if you have installed MSDN Library collection. Moreover, it ships with powerful debugging capabilities and automatic syntax/clause completion features. For instance, if you enter the keyword “try”, remaining clauses like catch and finally will be automatically get listed on the code editor.
What do you mean by IntelliSense?
IntelliSense refers to popping up of methods and properties according to the context. For instance, if you enter Console followed by a dot, a menu automatically pops up, which gives you all the methods and properties of the Console class. You should already be aware of this useful feature, if you had used any of the languages in Visual Studio 6.0.
Where will I get MSDN Library?
MSDN Library ships with all editions of Visual Studio. You will be automatically prompted to install the same after the installation of Visual Studio. You will get periodic updates of the library if you have subscribed to MSDN. Alternatively, you can access the library online at any time. The biggest advantage of using Visual C# is that it significantly reduces the development time of projects by integrating all parts of a project under a single roof. Even though there are lots of benefits, Visual C# is not compulsorily required for programming with C#.
In addition to Visual C#, many third party vendors have also released editors for C#. They can be downloaded from the websites of the respective vendors. One of the most popular editors is SharpDevelop. It supports syntax coloring, compilation and execution from the IDE apart from other features. With the help of this editor, you can also build Visual Basic, User controls and Web Services applications. You can also create XML and XSL files. Moreover, the developers of SharpDevelop have provided the complete source code for this editor under an Open Source License Agreement. The product and its source code can be downloaded from www.isharpdevelop.com.
Another editor is Antechinus C# editor developed by c-point but it is not as much popular due to its limited capabilities. Some of the other popular editors are given below
Borland C# Builder
CodeWright
EditPlus
Even though there are many editors available on the market its up to you to decide which editor to use. I strongly recommend you to install one editor and learn the language completely.
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How do I begin programming with C#?
First of all, you need to install a C# compiler. You can either use a command line compiler available from Microsoft or third party compiler kit developed by Mono. Microsoft’s C# compiler is widely used by many developers as the Mono compiler kit is not yet fully developed. In addition to this you can also build C# applications with Visual C# 2008, which is available with Visual Studio 2008. It is a robust development tool used for developing all kinds of C# applications.
Is it necessary to install Visual Studio 2008 to build C# applications?
Not necessary. A command line compiler is sufficient to learn C#. Visual C# is only used to simplify the development process. Microsoft’s C# compiler is available in the form of a package called Software Development Kit (SDK). A latest version of this kit can be downloaded from http://www.microsoft.com/downloads. You will also find this kit along with many programming magazine CD’s or from popular C# books such as Sams Teach Yourself the C# language in 21 Days by Brad Jones.
After the kit has been downloaded, you have to install it. The installation process normally takes between 15-30 minutes depending upon the speed of your computer and is self explanatory. The setup will automatically register the required environment variables and hence you can straight away start programming with C# after the completion of its installation.
Is it necessary to install .NET SDK and Visual Studio 2008 separately?
If you have installed Visual Studio 2008 on your system, then there is no need to install .NET SDK separately as it will be automatically installed as a prerequisite during the installation of Visual Studio. To test whether .NET Framework has been successfully installed on your system, go to Visual Studio 2008 Command Prompt and enter csc. If the system returns a fatal error message with the code CS2008 then the installation is perfect. All C# error messages are documented with codes. These messages will become familiar to you as you gain more experience with C#.
In addition to Microsoft’s C# compiler you also have an option to install Mono C# compiler kit available from http://www.mono-project.com/Main_Page. Mono is a project started to create .NET compilers meant for platforms other than Windows, such as Linux. But the project is still under development and with each release of the kit more features and additional support for namespaces are added. The upcoming version of this kit promises to provide support for Windows Forms, ASP.NET and ADO.NET. Moreover, the new compiler will also provide database connectivity support for MySQL databases.
Can I install Mono C# compiler kit under Windows?
Yes. While Microsoft’s .NET SDK has been designed to work with Windows, Mono C# kit can be installed in both Windows and Linux.
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What are Identifiers and Keywords?
Identifiers are the names given to classes, methods, variables and interfaces. It must be a whole word and starts with either an alphabet or an underscore. They are case sensitive. The main point you should bear in mind is that the names should not clash with C# keywords. Some programmers use @ prefix as a first character while declaring identifiers to avoid clash with a keyword but it is not a recommended practice. Following names are valid identifiers in C#
1. Hello
2. hello
3. H_ello
4. HelloWorld
You should name the variables using the standard DataType prefixes. Also the first alphabet after the prefix should be capitalized. Table 1 shows a list of prefixes for the various .NET DataTypes. Interfaces should be named with "I" as the first alphabet so that you can easily distinguish it from a class.
Table 1
|
Data Type |
Prefix |
Example |
|
Array |
arr |
arrNumber |
|
Boolean |
bln |
blnSelect |
|
Byte |
byt |
bytNumber |
|
Char |
chr |
chrPick |
|
DateTime |
dtm |
dtmPick |
|
Decimal |
dec |
decPoint |
|
Double |
dbl |
dblData |
|
Integer |
int |
intVar |
|
Long |
lng |
lngMiles |
|
Object |
obj |
objVar |
|
Short |
shr |
shrNumber |
|
Single |
sng |
sngNumber |
|
String |
str |
strAddress |
All Windows Forms controls should be named with the special prefixes as shown in Table 2. This is to avoid confusion and also to distinguish between other controls in a complex project. As explained above, the first alphabet after the prefix should be capitalized. Once you master the naming conventions and prefixes it would be very easy for you to write and maintain code.
Table 2
|
Control Name |
Prefix |
Example |
|
Button |
btn |
btnSubmit |
|
TextBox |
txt |
txtFname |
|
CheckBox |
chk |
chkHobbies |
|
RadioButton |
rad |
radMale |
|
Image |
img |
imgIndia |
|
Label |
lbl |
lblCity |
|
Calendar |
cal |
calDate |
It is beyond the scope of this chapter to cover the prefixes of all the .NET controls. You will find a detailed list of them on the MSDN Library. Keywords are special words built into the C# language and are reserved for specific use. This means you cannot use them for naming your classes, methods and variables. For instance, if you attempt to use a C# keyword (if) as your class name, the C# compiler will emit runtime error as shown in Figure 1.
In order to resolve the problem, you may have to change the class name to some other meaningful name. There are around 80 keywords in C#, which can be used by programmers to develop applications using the user friendly language.
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What are the requirements for developing a C# application?
The first major requirement is that you should require a system running either Windows 2000 Professional or Windows XP Professional or Windows 2003/2008 Server. Windows XP Home Edition doesn’t provide support for .NET. It is not recommended to work with C# on Windows 98 systems as it is not compatible for developing server side applications or ASP.NET. Microsoft Vista Ultimate completely supports .NET Framework. The recently released release candidate of Windows 7 also provide support for .NET Framework. Linux also supports C# with the help of Mono C# compiler Kit.
Secondly, you should install .NET Framework Software Development Kit (SDK) which can be downloaded from the website of Microsoft located at http://msdn.microsoft.com/downloads. Windows 2003/2008 Server ships with .NET Framework and hence there is no need to install the SDK separately. However, it doesn’t comes with Visual Studio.
Finally, you require an editor to enter codes. In programming parlance, codes are called as source codes. They are nothing but syntaxes which adheres to the C# language conventions. Notepad is one of the most popular editors among many programmers. Even though Notepad is sufficient to learn C#, it would be better if you have installed Visual Studio. It ships with Visual C#, which offers many advanced functionalities than a traditional editor like Notepad.
Many third party vendors have released editors for programming with C# and other .NET languages. Notable among them are SharpDevelop and Antechinus C# Editor using which you can not only create HTML, XML, XSL and ASCX files but also the files oriented for ASP.NET development.
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What are Namespaces?
As I explained in a previous FAQ, namespaces are placed at the top of the .NET hierarchy. Namespaces are nothing but group of classes or types or assemblies. Each of these classes contains lot of methods. Basically, namespaces are treated as containers for all classes and are classified into several categories, based on its functionalities. For example, if you need to work with databases, you have to call the namespace System.Data. Similarly, if you are working with files you have to call System.IO namespace.
Namespaces in C# are similar to packages in Java, where we will use a statement like java.sql.* Moreover, all C# programs should call System namespace. This is the root of all other namespaces in the .NET Framework.
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What do you mean by .NET Framework Class Libraries?
The .NET framework class libraries are the core part of any .NET Framework programming language. It contains around 3400 classes classified logically into namespaces. Each class contains numerous methods and properties which you will use for your programming tasks. These libraries are available for any language under the Common Language Runtime environment.
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FAQ 4 – What is Common Language Runtime?
Common Language Runtime shortly called as CLR provides a universal execution engine for .NET applications and it is provided by the .NET Framework. Every target computer should require CLR for executing .NET applications. One of the most interesting points to note is that the CLR itself manages the life of objects. This is the effect of Automatic Garbage Collection system built into it. When the CLR finds an object that is not being used, it destroys them and thus freeing memory allocation.
The corresponding compilers (C#, Visual Basic .NET) generate meta code upon successful compilation. This meta code contains lot of information about code types, its members and references used. The CLR generates Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) when it makes remote procedure calls. SOAP is a protocol used to access .NET Web Services. In addition to the garbage collection, CLR also provides support for Managed Code, Effective Memory Management, Type Safety Verification, Conversion of IL to native code, Structured Exception Handling and Effective Interoperability between COM components and Unmanaged Code. You can build secured applications using the runtime since the .NET Framework provides support for advanced security features as well.
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