5 comments about Pro ASP.NET 3.5 in C# 2008, Second Edition (Windows.Net).

1. This book is an excellent resource for learning ASP.NET 3.5. It also serves as a great reference.
   
   It is a comprehensive book that covers all of .NET 3.5, not just the new features in .NET 3.5, but all the features that have been there over the last several releases.
   
   Mathew includes chapters on Linq, ASP.NET AJAX, and Silverlight. If you only want to learn about the new features in .NET 3.5, buy separate books on ASP.NET AJAX and Silverlight. Mathew does a great job of putting Linq into it proper place within a common ASP.NET 3.5 Architecture. So far he has done this best job of this I have seen in a book.
   
   One reviewer on Amazon pointed out that the book has a lot of material from previous versions. That is to be expected since all the previous versions are included in the technology. Like I said above, this book covers everything.
   
   Mathew does a great job relating everything to real world scenarios. He also provides very usable code samples.
   
   If you are developing in ASP.NET 3.5, this is a must have book.



2. This book is almost too thorough, and I highly recommend it if you are a serious programmer or software architect for ASP.NET web apps. I don't recommend many books since most provide superficial overviews with content can be gleaned free from Google or MSDN searches. You won't be disappointed in the sections on security, AJAX, JavaScript, and deployment. This book and Scott Guthrie are the only two sources that I trust for ASP.NET development.
   
   Although it covers LINQ, I only use this technology if you access data from a database via a stored procedure; otherwise you bypass the DBA. Not good for big shops like I work for. There are too many cowboy programmers out there who lack the team concept of checks and balances. LINQ is great for XML and iterating through object collections.
   
   Great buy and better resource.



3. 'Pro ASP.NET 3.5 in C# 2008' by Matthew McDonald is an update to the earlier versions that covered ASP.NET in the .NET 2.0 flavor and earlier. With this updated revision you get 200+ pages of new material covering such new concepts as the incredibly hyped LINQ, ASP.NET AJAX and Silverlight. The content here is VAST, with 33 chapters and 1500+ pages. The content is broken up in logical fashion from the basics of ASP.NET to data types and conditional loops to database access and everything you would need to know. I like this book perfectly fine and think it's a good resource but I can't imagine that most people are going to sit down for the weekend and start reading this cover to cover. With the previous version I felt that some content needed to be trimmed and I feel the same with this edition as well. Good writing, nice examples but the editor needed to take out the red marker and make this a manageable size. The core audience is someone that is new to ASP.NET and wants to learn. This encyclopedia is tough to learn from and intimidating in general.
   
   Is it a usable ASP.NET book?? Very much so, just a bit too long and this might turn some people off in the long run.
   
   **** RECOMMENDED



4. This book is the best so far that I've read on ASP.NET. I will list the good points.
   
   1. Explains the internal workings of ASP.NET and what goes on behind the scenes unlike other books who just teach you the syntax.
   
   2. Explains the pros and cons of using different but related controls/classes so that we can make an intelligent choice.
   
   3. Explains the properties of classes concisely and with simple examples.
   
   4. Explains the history of Internet server, visual studio IDE, asp.net.
   
   This is really an excellent, nearly comprehensive book touching on nearly all aspect of asp.net. However, it doesn't teach you C#, the programming language which is found on another book.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   



5. This was a breath of fresh air, and restored my hopes that some authors do care about training, really teaching, really conveying meaning -not just padding pages. This book gives excellent overviews of web development, of web-development with ASP.NET, and of Visual Studio. All topics thereafter are properly introduced, the big picture conveyed, before details explored. Code dumps are sparse and pertinent, not filler fluff. Writing style is of the highest quality: rich, correct, to the point, but interesting. The author makes the topic very exciting, and seems to know you, seems to know your level, what you need explained.

5 comments about Mastering Regular Expressions.

1. Before reading this book, I would have considered myself an intermediate regexer. After the first 2 chapters, I realized how novice I really was. Having only made it through 5 chapters of this book, I can't say enough about it. The detail and step-by-step analysis that Mr. Friedl takes to describe the regex matching process is the best I've ever seen. It's little things that make the analysis easy to follow -- like the brackets he uses to mark the regex, and the small triangle cursor to show where the engine is in the matching process. I continue to look forward to each new chapter. Thank you for a wonderful work of art.



2. I have been in computer software developer over 7 years now and never really used regular expression until a year ago. True, you can live without it. But, with regular expression at hand, you climb up another level of programming. Code will be much concise and code research will be like a breeze.
   
   Anyway, I didn't read this book entirely since later chapters explain intricacies and subtle differences of each specific language, e.g., java, perl, php, etc. It didn't take long to apply the knowledge I gained to real work and benefit. By the time I completed the first chapter, I already started to get rewards. My life is a lot easier now.
   
   Even with only the first 3 chapters, this book is well worth its price. The author did superb job explaining what's going on behind the scene and guide you through the right way of constructing regular expressions for various situations. Of course, he will show you common pitfalls to avoid, too. Very detailed and comprehensive.
   
   Highly recommended.



3. This book is seriously worth the money. I knew just enough regular expressions to get by, then I started reading this book and it has paid off already; saving me time on several long, arduous tasks.
   
   The book is really well written, very interactive w/ quick, quizzing questions mixed throughout the chapters. The authors writing style is very effective and surprisingly entertaining.
   
   If you don't know much about regular expressions or even if you think you do, purchase this book. It will be well worth it.



4. An incredible book. Absolutely incredible. It will take 200 lines of your code and reduce it to 1 or 2 lines. It will open your mind to search and replace possibilities. Your life will change (just kidding). It's a great deep book.
   
   However, I agree with the comment that one should not begin learning regex with this book. it's a little too advanced. Go on the internet, get an introduction. Or else, buy one of the introductory books on the subject first. But definitely get around to buying this book!



5. How deep down the rabbit hole do you really NEED to go? I had a serious need to get on top of regular expressions to solve one particular problem. I looked at several online tutorials which didn't take me where I needed to go, so I ordered Mastering Regular Expressions after reading the Amazon reviews. I always look at the negative reviews first. In spite of the negative reviews I ordered the book with an open mind.
   When the book arrived I began reading it with enthusiasm. In the preface there is a small section on "How to Read This Book". I bought into the author's suggestion to read the book's first six chapters first. I was captivated through the first three chapters, and then somewhere in chapter 4 I began to get very weary with information overload. After putting the book down for a couple of days I decided to skip the rest and use what I needed to write the one regular expression I had need of. The book did successfully help me accomplish this, so I gave it 3 stars. Not only did it give me the information I needed that the online tutorials didn't, it also gave me the confidence I needed. For that, which I am grateful, I would have liked to have given it more stars. I think many of those in need of learning about regular expression could be well served by a "lite-edition" of this book. Perhaps someday when I have the time and the need I may try to wade through the rest of the book, but as it is now Mastering Regular Expressions took me far farther down the rabbit hole than I really needed or wanted to go.
   If you need to get on top of Regular Expressions, I would recommend this book, however just be ready to be taken far deeper than the average coder probably needs to go.

5 comments about C# 3.0 in a Nutshell: A Desktop Quick Reference (In a Nutshell (O'Reilly)).

1. Bought this to learn LINQ. Found that it has an excellent treatment of all topics and lots of sample code. Very clear and concise explanations. This is a good technical book I have read in a long time.



2. This book is a hands down winner among the C# books currently in market. Written in a clear and precise manner, it is both a tutorial and a reference. You can get a taste of the book from the authors' website where they have posted tutorials (check out the tutorial on Threading in C#).
   I came to know about this book from a link on Chris Sells' blog where he is all praise for the book.
   Highly recommended.



3. A Quick Way To look up anything that deals with C#
   Terms, Keywords, implementation etc...
   great for both a beginners referanece and a seasoned professional



4. References to this book kept coming up at the top of internet search results while I was trying to figure out how to implement a QBE UI using LINQ.
   
   I finally took the hint and bought the book.
   
   Now that I have the book, after having sifted through it, I can attest that it explains C# clearly and thoroughly and is delightfully insightful. On par with the best O'Reilly nutshell references.
   
   I believe it is currently the best C# 3.0 reference on the market.



5. I'm a professional developer but I have no experience using C#. My current project required learning C# at a highly accelerated pace and this book did it for me.
   
   If you are an experienced developer needing to learn C# quickly and thoroughly without resorting to the "for Dummies" types of books this is an effective tool, use it.

5 comments about Head First C# (Brain-Friendly Guides).

1. I would like to say that I am very impressed with this book. It is not often I find books that keep me interested. I have read books on C, C++ and Java but they all had programs that were of little value. With this book the first program your create shows what you can do with C# by creating a simple Contact program. I am very pleased with this book and recommend it to anyone wanting to learn c# for windows applications.



2. I'm going to agree with most of the other reviews here. I think this book is a spectacular learning device. I just finished the book off over two weeks, and feel like I've gotten more out of it than any other book by far. I still used some other books to get a little more in depth, but all in all I have no complaints.
   
   I think a new user could take this book and write some good code when they were done. Make sure you do all of the interactive exercises, they will help to ingrain your knowledge.
   
   I have over 20 Beginning/Professional C# books and this is by far my favorite.



3. A read a lot books about C# and .net stuff. But there are one big problem with all them they are all so boring... It's not about this book i never think that book about writing code can be so fun and interesting. Thanks amazon for open this book for me because i couldn't find this book in my country.



4. bought this book with very little programming experience and must say, its a fantastic book for those looking to dive into the world of object oriented programming.
   
   It's easy to read, the projects are well thought out and get you involved right from the get go.
   
   The authors are very clear in the beginning of the book that if you are an experienced programmer, or looking for a reference guide, this is NOT the book for you.



5. Head First C# is exactly what I was looking for in a programming book --- minimal technobabble and light on the concepts. I wanted to see what the language can do and that's what this book delivers. It's a hands-on book so it's geared toward readers who learn by doing. It's not for readers who want to sit down and read it cover to cover.
   
   If you want to be a real C# programmer, this book is a great place to start!

4 comments about Pro WPF in C# 2008: Windows Presentation Foundation with .NET 3.5, Second Edition (Books for Professionals by Professionals).

1. I have the first edition of this book (Pro WPF: Windows Presentation Foundation in .NET 3.0), so I was hesitant in buying this version. WPF 3.5 did not have major feature upgrades from 3.0. I am glad that I did buy it, but I can't really recommend doing so for other people with the .NET 3.0 version, only because there is not that much new material.
   
   However, I highly recommend the book if you don't own the previous edition. I also highly recommend it even if you have the first one and you are like me and pretty much trashed my first edition copy. It has been through several storms and has a lot of notes and ink running all over it. So it is nice to have a new copy to beat the crap out of. I also like having the latest information I am using up to date.
   
   Here is what is new in this release:
   --Firefox support for XBAPs.
   --Data binding support for LINQ.
   --Data binding support for IDataErrorInfo.
   --Support for placing interactive controls (such as buttons) inside a RichTextBox control.
   --Support for placing 2-D elements on 3-D surfaces.
   --An add-in model.
   
   Matthew has added content for all the topics listed above.
   
   Some of the highlights of the book I like:
   --His in-depth coverage of printing.
   --His Custom Elements chapter.
   --The new chapter on Application Add-Ins.
   --The chapter on using ClickOnce with WPF.
   --Everything is gone into in depth. This is not a brush over the topic book.
   --The usability of the code makes the book all that much more valuable.
   
   The book focuses on WPF only. It has a few pages on LINQ, but that is about it as far as the rest of the .NET 3.5 framework goes. In other words, the book does not cover how to best use WPF in relationship to WCF, WF, or LINQ. This does not take anything away from the book because Matthew does not claim that the book does this. I only mention it because his ASP.NET 3.5 book does go into LINQ application integration.
   
   The downloadable code is very well organized and is very usable.
   
   I highly recommend this book to anyone getting into WPF with .NET 3.5.



2. Please buy this book if you haven't explored Windows Presentation Foundation. The separation of the UI (with XAML) and the code-behind page controller (C# or VB.NET) will revolutionize .NET development. If you don't have a designer you must learn Microsoft Expression Blend, but a UI designer will push your view (from Model-View-Controller) to the extreme.
   
   The browser-based XBAP works like a Winform app, but it can be viewed in Internet Explorer. If you've ever tried to create a dirty flag to denote changes in form data in ASP.NET, you know how superior Winforms are for this purpose. XBAPs give you the ability to access the textbox text changed event like Winforms. This takes a ton of JavaScript to accomplish the same programming task in ASP.NET forms.
   
   The update of the application to the client machine (the XBAP runs on the client) can be done with new technolgy called ClickOnce. What a technology!
   
   I've even tried to learn the XAML markup from a very good chapter on this.
   
   This book is really well done. Kudos to the author.



3. I've bought three books about WPF, including Windows Presentation Foundation Foundation Unleashed and Silverlight 1.0 Unleashed. Matthew MacDonald's book is for developers and is what I needed. It uses Visual Studio 2008 and is up to date with current development tools. I've also read his books on ASP.NET and this is one top-notch author. I fully recommend this book.



4. The book is good so far. Only about 150 pages into the book, but so far easy to read, examples range from simple to more advanced. I will post another review upon completion.

5 comments about LINQ in Action.

1. During my attempts to learn LINQ and implement it into my work, I've searched several sites looking for answers related to syntax, deferred execution, LINQ to XML, LINQ to SQL, and LINQ performance statistics. I spent hours going from one site or blog post to the next. This book covers all of these topic and more. If only I had this book sooner...



2. Linq in Action is a clear and deep presentation of a technology that, even in its first incarnation, is increasing the productivity of programmers, and setting an even higher standard for dynamic websites and programs. The authors, who were instrumental in the development of Linq, proceed in an intuitive path from the basics of the technology, all the way to very sophisticated ideas and examples. The authors also participate online to answer questions and add even more material for an even more through presentation. I recommend this book for any developer or aspiring developer.
   
   Paolo



3. I am a newbie both in visual basic and Linq, and I have to say that this book is really great. It provides a LOT of understandable explanations, that are so useful for who's not a guru already.
   
   There are tons of examples, plus quite a lot online resources that can be extremely useful.
   
   Great book, probably one of the best on LINQ subject, and it's definitely worth the price



4. A good book, very complete and full of infos. All topics are well and deeply explained. I give only 4 stars for two main reasons
   1. I don't like the writing style. It is too friendly, I prefer a formal and clean one.
   2. Some explanation is 'obscure' and needs to be rewritten, for example the SelectWith extension method.
   Anyway it really worths to have a copy on your desk.



5. I've read every LINQ book that i"ve come across and on the whole, they are all really good. As a subject area, the coverage is amazingly well done. This book is a natural fit b/c in every important respect, it's excellent.
   
   First off, it's easy to read. Learning the basic mechanics of LINQ isn't all that difficult. Learning advanced LINQ mechanics is still pretty straightforward. However understanding why certain approaches should be used over other ones, understanding potential pitfalls (getting something back you weren't expecting) and ensuring your code performs well after you get back more than a few records, well, that takes some effort. I think this book helps you accomplish each of those in a manner that's very clear and very straightforward. [As a stylistic note, I think really understanding Lamda expressions, which admittedly aren't a linq feature per se, is challenging at first. This book did not shy away from them and went at them head one. B/c learning them isn't a linear process (at least it wasn't for me or anyone i know), you often make no real progress, then have a moment of understanding that gets you to the next level. That type of learning is best facilitated by seeing several examples - seeing several ways to accomplish something and then reverse engineering the differences. The extensive number of examples really makes that process a lot simpler].
   
   Another really strong point is the examples themselves. In the LINQ to XML coverage, there's an example of how to create a RSS feed from a collection with one linq query. It's beauty is its elegance and b/c most developers have given writing RSS a try, it's a great juxtaposition to show how powerful and useful LINQ can be. That example isn't alone though - there are several others that extend beyond the cliche'd Hello World samples that leave people wanting for more.
   
   The coverage of each topic is superb as well. At no point did I finish a chapter with unanswered questions in mind. Often, authors will make an assertion "you should do it this way b/c otherwise you'll open up security vulnerabilities" or whatever without explaining what the downside is that they are talking about. I know it's a seemingly unimportant thing, but I found that they always explained the points they make, even the minor ones. It's a typical example of the attention to detail the authors put into this book.
   
   Having co-authored several books, I know how hard it is to write a book with a unified writing style. The editing for this book is done in such a way though that it looks like one author wrote it. Yes, there are some differences in their individual writing styles, but it's all close enough that it really does feel as though one person wrote it. That is a huge plus and again, it's just one of those small things they do that shows a serious attention to detail.
   
   So it's easy to read, they cover everything really well, they selected great examples and explain them well and they start out with general coverage and move onto very detailed coverage - making it ideal for both a LINQ newcommer or a seasoned vet.
   
   It's a great book and IMHO, the authors are to be commended for putting it together. Although I've found all of the LINQ books I've come across to be very good - this one made an impression and it's excellent from start to finish.

5 comments about Pro LINQ: Language Integrated Query in C# 2008 (Windows.Net).

1. This is a great book for learning LINQ. Lots of code examples, fairly exhaustive and does well at explaining concepts. However, the first chapter must have been given special attention knowing it would be the sales pitch for the book. The rest of the book falls into a more rushed fashion, evidenced by typos (mostly in code), and sometimes condescending tone. Also, if there are two extension methods with the same signature, and one has the word Descending tacked on the end, please don't take another four pages to describe its usage. LINQ to Entities is not covered at all, and they don't claim it is, just a heads up to the potential buyer. All that said, this is overall a great book on the subject, but it could use a little polishing.



2. I agree with all of the above positive reviews. Excellent book. I just wanted to comment on the publisher. This is my 3rd book(my other two were a book on WPF and C++/.Net) published by Apress and they have all been very good. I don't know if that is just dumb luck but they do an excellent job.



3. Microsoft must be under new management, we are getting a slew of new, truly useful tools that are making pretty big strides forward for faster more enjoyable C# development and ease of maintenance. The latest technologies seem well worth taking the time to master. I find the combination of LINQ and the Sync framework couldn't have come at a better time. While the book mentions that LINQ to SQL only supports SQL Server, that is no longer true as you can also use (at least) MS SQL Server Compact Edition 3.5 (which is required for the Sync Framework). You can't use the visual object relational designer with SSCE but the book documents SQLMetal, and you can use that to create your context.
   
   Overall I found this to be a very good book but it has a few flaws. If like me you are interested in LINQ for a current or upcoming database project here is what I would suggest. First don't start with this book, finish with it. Start with the ten excellent screencasts by Mike Taulty. Then read this book. Your reading will go much faster and you'll get a satisfyingly sated feeling. The author will probably hate me for saying this, but if you already know SQL or ADO.NET 2.0, I would suggest reading Chapters 1-3, then skim 4 and 5 just to get an overview of the operators available. Then read part 5 (Chapters 12-18) on LINQ to SQL. After you digest that I would suggest whichever topics interest you the most, then I would finish with a more thorough read of Chapters 4 and 5 on Deferred and Nondeffered operators, which in my mind are really a thoroughly documented reference section.
   
   The reason the author will hate that, is he doesn't want readers to use LINQ for just database purposes, and he states that many times in the book. In fact, I think that is why he put the LINQ to SQL section at the end. However, he seems to have made a significant effort to make any part readable on its own, so I see no problem with skipping to the end so early.
   
   The book doesn't really cover data binding, but there is a lot of good information on that available on the internet (the above mentioned screencasts show some of them, and an overly long video on Channel 9 with Young Joo from August 2007 shows even more).
   
   I also have a few nit-picky things that drove me crazy. The most significant one being the amount of repetition and unedited console output. I was also none too happy that the author didn't mention that the Visual Studio Command prompt was under the START menu not an IDE menu. But then again without the author I wouldn't even have known there was a Visual Studio 2008 command prompt.
   
   The weakest part of the book is the index, it is downright anemic. In the several weeks since I've finised the book the index has NEVER helped me find things I remember reading. If you find items of interest you better pencil them into the back cover if you want to find them again later. If one book ever needed a free PDF, this one is it, but they charge $10 for it. Maybe that is why they made the index so bad, to encourage you to fork over another $10.
   
   That said, I also found a good half-dozen or so gems in the book that saved me significant time. Now I could tell you what those are but I think you should buy the book to find out.



4. This book is very well thought out. The author helps you understand some subtleties of relational algebra (without really saying it) and helps you think like a LINQ head. It's a different way of doing things, but he shows that if you get a basic understanding of a handful of concepts you can grow it from there.
   
   awesome book!



5. No doubt about it. If you are learning/using LINQ, this is THE book to have. Author did an excellent job explaining the material and giving numerous examples, that work, about the material. Had to mention the "that work" part as I get so frustrated when I buy a book and the examples do not work. I could tell this book was a "labor of love" and he didn't just crank out a book to make $.

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

1. Andrew Troelsen has done a remarkable job. The book
   does a great job of explaining C#. Every time I had a question about a specific topic he would answer it with in a few pages. This is not a reference book. It is a book that through thoughtful text and coresponding examples leads you through C#. It is an intense book and every word and example needs to be examined so don't expect an easy trip. Pro C# 2008 and the .NET 3.5 Platform, Fourth Edition (Pro Series)



2. It's a great book for an experienced programmer who already knows Object Oriented Design and Programming, because many important concept (like inheritance and polymorphism) are explained very briefly.
   But if you come from Java, C++ or any other C++-derived language, you'll feel familiar with the concepts explained and begin developing in C# quickly.
   The development tools explained are principally Visual Studio 2008, but also some other IDE and compiler are explained.
   Maybe a little disappointing the examples, and some suggestion of exercises at the end of each chapter would be very usefoul.
   Anyhow, 4 stars.



3. This is a book that I'd expect from Apress pro series. As a java developer, I've had no prior experience with .net. This book has walked me through and tought me the .net concepts and the c# language in no time. Very straightforward, no blabla, and thorough. Also with 1300+ pages and being hard-cover, it is a bargain. Highly recommended.



4. Ho trovato un'ottima guida in questo libro. Gli argomenti trattati sono spiegati in maniera eccellente: breve introduzione, esempio banale e poi una trattazione approfondita dell'argomento. Un breve sommario conclude ogni capitolo e permette di fare un ripasso di quello che si e' letto all'occorrenza.
   
   E' un libro che consiglio sia a chi inizia per la prima volta a programmare in c#.net (seppure sono necessarie delle basi di programmazione oop) e naturalmente ai piu' esperti, pubblico a cui sembra essere destinato.
   
   Devo dire che ho trovato in questo libro un fedele compagno di lavoro, visto che e' corredato anche di un ottimo indice analitico e, per chi lo acquista subito, dell'intero pdf full searchable.
   
   Mi assumo la responsabilita' di consigliarlo a tutti :).



5. I would wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone who is serious about learning C# and is coming from an older .NET platform or from previous C/C++ experience. The book is extremely thick, yes, but wastes little space. The examples are detailed in explaining the topic at hand but do not carry extraneous details that could distract from the current topic.
   
   I would also recommend this book to anyone who might not have constant access to a computer to test out the topics. I find this book to be one of the few programming books that I can sit down with in front of the fire and read without having to get up every five minutes to see how an example really works. This book manages to fully explain the topics in such a way that the explaination is complete; a visit to the computer to try and understand the text is rarely needed.

4 comments about Professional C# 2008 (Wrox Professional Guides).

1. 'Professional C# 2008' is one of those ginormous books that I usually (usually) complain is too big, too bloated, too MUCH but sometimes the exception is the rule and that is the case here. With 1750+ pages of material spread over 48 chapters and 3 appendixes, if you are looking for brevity and/or a simple learning book this is probably not for you. If you are looking for a complete solution on learning C# from top to bottom, keep reading because you are in the right place.
   
   Although it's lengthy, I feel a chapter listing is beneficial to detail out all the details of this book:
   
   01. .NET Architecture
   02. C# Basics
   03. Objects and Types
   04. Inheritance
   05. Arrays
   06. Operators and Casts
   07. Delegates and Events
   08. Strings and Regular Expressions
   09. Generics
   10. Collections
   11. Language Integrated Query (LINQ)
   12. Memory Management and Pointers
   13. Reflection
   14. Errors and Exceptions
   15. Visual Studio 2008
   16. Deployment
   17. Assemblies
   18. Tracing and Events
   19. Threading and Synchronization
   20. Security
   21. Localization
   22. Transactions
   23. Windows Services
   24. Interoperability
   25. Manipulating Files and the Registry
   26. Data Access
   27. LINQ to SQL
   28. Manipulating XML
   29. LINQ to XML
   30. .NET Programming with SQL Server
   31. Windows Forms
   32. Data Binding
   33. Graphics with GDI+
   34. Windows Presentation Foundation
   35. Advanced WPF
   36. Add-Ins
   37. ASP.NET Pages
   38. ASP.NET Development
   39. ASP.NET AJAX
   40. Visual Studio Tools for Office
   41. Accessing the Internet
   42. Windows Communication Foundation
   43. Windows Workflow Foundation
   44. Enterprise Services
   45. Message Queuing
   46. Directory Services
   47. Peer-to-Peer Networking
   48. Syndication
   
   Subject matter is extremely thorough, and the writing is right to the point. Full of usable examples and traditional (good) Wrox design, you will be able to use chapters piece mail to get the information you are looking for or read the book from beginning to end if you want the whole experience.
   
   I feel that this book is best for marginal/new C# developers who aren't intimidated by a tome of this size. There is lots of great information within and you certainly learn what makes C# such a fantastic language to use in today's world.
   
   ***** HIGHLY RECOMMENDED



2. If you are looking for a brief introduction to C# this is not your book. But if you are seriously interested in improving your skills in any area, this is definitely the book to have on your shelf.
   Great job.



3. If you are looking for one book which covers the ENTIRE applications of C# Language, then this is the only book you need to buy. Covers every different type of application that can be developed with C#. good examples all the way. As the title says, it is real PROFESSIONAL Book. 5 stars for sure. Worth every cent.



4. Although I am an advance C# programmer. I found this book excellent in the way it presents staff. It is well written and organized.

5 comments about Professional ASP.NET 3.5: In C# and VB (Programmer to Programmer).

1. Scott, Bill and Devin do a phenomenal job of covering evrything in 3.5. This massive book can be read cover-to-cover over a couple of weeks or sit on your desk as a reference. The info from these three is rooted in real-world experience. They cover the technical details as well as the how and why of decisions around developing Rich Internet Applications.



2. Bill, Scott and Devin are long-time ASP.NET experts, and the authors of several best selling ASP.NET and .NET books.
   
   This latest book is outstanding and provides an excellent end to end resource for almost all things ASP.NET related (UI, AJAX, Data Access, Security, State Management, Deployment, etc).
   
   The book is very well organized, with a nice balance of text, code samples, and screen-shots. All code samples are provided in both C# and VB - making it applicable to developers of all language backgrounds.
   
   The book does a good job of covering new .NET 3.5 material - with good content on LINQ, LINQ to XML, and LINQ to SQL, as well as the new ASP.NET 3.5 data controls - including the ListView control. It has chapters on ASP.NET AJAX and the ASP.NET AJAX Control Toolkit. It also has some great IIS7 material.
   
   One of the things that is particularly useful is that the samples and chapters are written with Visual Studio 2008 and Visual Web Developer Express 2008. The book does a great job of explaining both the core ASP.NET programming concepts, as well as showing off how to use the tools to easily take advantage of them.
   
   All in all a great book and a fantastic addition to any ASP.NET developer's library.



3. If there's one book to own on ASP.NET 3.5 this is it! Unlike some other books that have simply added a couple of additional chapters at the end and a new cover, in Professional ASP.Net 3.5 sections that matter have been accurately updated to reflect the new changes and new chapters have been added where appropriate.
   
   This book is very well written, and is full of code examples. At 1674 pages it's a monster, but it's all solid content.



4. I've got the ASP.NET 2.0 version of this book (both the original and special edition versions) and all of the strengths still hold: It still walks you through all of the common (and some of the uncommon) usage for ASP.NET and provides great examples and code snippets to illustrate points. I'm not an ASP.NET newbie and I still find myself referring to the book from time to time - even in the age of Google - to find a nice, easy-to-understand example of this or that.
   
   That said, not much has changed from ASP.NET 2.0 to ASP.NET 3.5, so the important bits are the differences between this book and the previous version. So what is different?
   
   ADDED:
   * Lots about LINQ. Anywhere they discuss data - from databinding to working with XML - they've added info on how LINQ works into the picture. Thre is even a new chapter on "Querying with LINQ."
   * A chapter on IIS7 with a high-level intro to what it means for ASP.NET.
   * A chapter on basic HTML and CSS usage.
   * ASP.NET AJAX has been made a first class citizen with chapters on both the ASP.NET AJAX framework as well as the ASP.NET AJAX Control Toolkit. (It was an appendix in the ASP.NET 2.0 book.)
   * A section on WCF services has been added to the "Building and Consuming Services" chapter.
   * An ASP.NET-oriented subset of the indispensable Scott Hanselman Ultimate Tools List has been added as an appendix with screen shots and larger discussion of each tool.
   * An appendix has been added on basic Silverlight.
   
   REMOVED:
   * The introduction to Visual Studio. You won't get an overview of the IDE in the new book.
   * Basic .NET concept review like the chapter on "Collections and Lists" have been removed.
   * The chapter on developing for mobile devices using the contents of the System.Web.Mobile assembly.
   * The appendix on VB 8.0 and C# 2.0 language enhancements (generics, partial classes, etc.).
   
   COMBINED:
   * The ASP.NET 2.0 book separated out the discussions of "ASP.NET Web Server Controls" and "ASP.NET 2.0 Web Server Controls." This is now one chapter that doesn't differentiate by version.
   
   For the chapters that the two versions of the book have in common, really the only differences I could find were that the first few "intro" paragraphs for the chapter and the screenshots have been updated. A few sentences here and there have been updated to remove version-specific wording, but the copy is basically the same. I did a page-for-page comparison of one of chapters and almost everywhere it was exactly the same as the previous version, verbatim.
   
   That commonality is not a bad thing. It means the new version still has the great content found in the previous version, so if you didn't get the ASP.NET 2.0 book, the 3.5 book will cover you. If you did get the ASP.NET 2.0 book, Wrox also has a Professional ASP.NET 3.5 Upgrade book that just contains the new stuff so you don't have to re-purchase content you already have.
   
   Again, the typesetting irked me. The font really needs to be a point or two larger. Also, in the Professional ASP.NET 2.0 Special Edition, they used a light gray background to highlight code snippets so it was easy to make the distinction between prose and code. They lost that light gray background in the 3.5 book so the prose and the snippets run together a bit. (They use the light gray now as a "highlighter" for particular lines of code.) Of course, at 1600-odd pages, they might have to start shipping this bad boy on microfiche.
   
   In all, still highly recommended.



5. Being a Microsoft fanatic I always want to stay on top of things with Microsoft Technologies.I have been reading a couple of books on ASP.NET 3.5. I bought this book from Amazon. And having seen this book physically and went over the contents of the book and read couple of chapters of my interest, I can definitely say that, this is the ONLY book that any ASP.NET developer would want to have on his desk. Complete. Comprehensive. Cost effective. Definite BUY.