4 comments about Cross-Platform .NET Development: Using Mono, Portable.NET, and Microsoft .NET.

1. I prefer this book to the Mono : Developers Notebook which was also recently published. This book provides a much wider angle view on the .NET cross platform development space. For example, the developers note book covers TK#, this book covers TK# and #WT.
   
   This book is much more architectural in design than the Developers Notebook. So if code is your thing then you may want to evaluate both. I personally prefer architectural perspective because in this case it's more about choosing a direction of development as opposed to learning the structure of the TK# library, which is interesting, but can be gleaned from the online documentation.
   
   This is a must have book for anyone who wants to take their .NET code beyond the confines of the Windows operating system. It's well worth the price of admission.



2. Microsoft and cross-platform?! Sounds like an oxymoron. Yet the book shows how .NET has given rise to this. The key step was Microsoft transferring the specifications of C# and .NET's CLI to ECMA and ISO. This lets third parties write compilers that produce IL bytecode and thence to assembly in a given hardware.
   
   So you could write C# code on some platform, like linux. Then with Mono or Portable.NET, produce x86 binaries.
   
   The authors describe the open source Mono and Portable, and compare these with Microsoft's own .NET offerings. They show that Mono and Portable are quite functional. For example, using Portable, you can write in Java, C#, C or VB.NET and compile.
   
   The book goes into some moderate level of detail about CLI. But if you are a programmer in C# or C, say, and you just want to get native binaries, without wanting to know about CLI, the book is still useful. You can safely skip the CLI sections, without losing the gist of what you need to know. For many of us, whatever language we use, we don't need or want knowledge of a specific assembly language.



3. Cross-Platform .NET Development Using Mono, Portable .NET and Microsoft .NET is a guide written especially for professionals. Expert .NET programmers M. J. Easton and Jason King explore the three most popular .NET implementations and demonstrate how to build a powerful cross-platform software using their framework. Flowcharts, examples and sample code lay out all aid in clarification of complex principles of organizational superstructure that will save labor, time, and money. Chapters address common cross-platform pitfalls, using GUI toolkits, incorporating native code, strategies for testing and building, and much more. An enthusiastically recommended resource especially for anyone pursuing, building, or studying for a career in the field.



4. Okay, I got this book mostly to get into issues common to cross platform development. With focus on say, cross-platform gui libraries, and other cross-platform libraries.
   
   In that I was a bit disappointed, but I was very happy to see how many somewhat advanced design principles were covered, and the breadth of this book. I am hoping that they expand into at least a companion book on maybe the Tao libraries, GTK#, wx.Net and other cross-platform libraries for front-end/interface coding.
   
   I've also been reading the Nantz book for "Open Source .Net Development" and found it to be even more broad, and more shallow. Hopefully we will see some books that cover a bit more depth on fewer topics, and more specifically towards open-source cross platform libraries.
   
   It is definately a good book, and covers a lot into the hows, and why's, but not so deep in any of the topics covered that you get a solid grasp on anything beyond design principles... This gives it a Four-Star rating in my book. It's worth a read for a mid-level developer looking to branch out into more serious development, or a development manager looking for better organization into development (cross platform or not). Don't expect to walk away comfortable on any of the tools that are mentioned in the book.

1 comments about Expert Service-Oriented Architecture in C# 2005, Second Edition.

1. If I could rate the first half of the book separately from the second half, I'd give the first half 1 star, because it's filled with junk and hype and stupid marketecture assertions about magical things that services do that ordinary components don't. Most of these assertions are simply false, the kind of "selling-it" nonsense that usually accompanies a bleeding-edge technology. Thing is, the edge isn't bleeding for Web Services or SOA any more, and we can see through the hype pretty clearly, but Hasan hasn't caught up. So the first half of the book is pretty useless, just as it was in the first edition.
   
   On the other hand, also just like the first edition, the second half is amazingly useful, dead-on practical, and totally hands-on. It's probably the most coherent summary of WSE 3.0 around, so the second half should get 5 stars. If you need to know how to get anything in WSE 3.0 up and running (and you should if your Web Services actually do anything significant), then the second half of this book is the first place you should look.

5 comments about Pro Visual C++/CLI and the .NET 2.0 Platform (Expert's Voice in .Net).

1. The book starts with the very basics and quickly moves to the important aspects, leaving nothing to be explained. It covers more than just code, including XML, windows services, web services, security, assemblies, and much more, giving readers a perfect understanding of Visual C++.Net and the Common Language Interface.



2. As a person well-versed in C++ and looking to make a transition to the Managed world (the times they are a-changing), C++/CLI seemed to be the perfect language to take up. As this was one of the only books out when I took up this task, I decided to give it a shot.
   
   Firstly, the material in this book is comprehensive. A simple look at the chapter list will quickly reveal this. The first 4 chapters or so will provide the reader with a solid base of new concepts, such as the handles, properties, and the managed heap. While none of this might be new to someone already within the .NET world, to a native C++ developer they're....well....they're like a foreign language. As this book is so encompassing, naturally, it is also looooong. One would surely struggle to get through the whole thing sequentially like one would do with so many other books. However, this book is laid out so that the reader can skip to any chapter after those first four and tackle the topic of his/her choice. As such, this book serves less as a structured learning environment so much as it does a reference. When you need it, go find it.
   
   Secondly, as my title implies, the author has personality, and he shows it in his writing. This is a refreshing departure from so many dryly written books that are just trying to get the information across. The book doesn't read like stereo instructions, it reads like a guy sitting there telling you how to program. Books of the former nature often threaten to put the reader to sleep, which sort of defeats the purpose of the book. You shouldn't fall asleep with Fraser's book.
   
   If I have one criticism about this book, it's that there aren't too many practical examples. While it does include copious amounts of code to show how things work, it would have been nice to have some real programs to do along with the chapters. A growing program that runs the length of the book might put this one over the top. Given the non-sequential nature of the book, and the fact that it covers so much may have made that an impossibility, but it would've been nice.
   
   For someone making a transition from C++ like I did, this is a great resource to help the switch. I can't really speak for someone brand new to programming. Overall, this book probably deserves a 4.5, but I'm knocking off a half star for Fraser's admitted Dungeons and Dragons obsession. Geek test!



3. I'm not sure when to start to review this text. I've read it cover-to-cover, at least four times. I've read over the material and examples so many times, I can practically quote it chapter and verse. This book is hands down the best reference manual on C++/CLI that exists in print. If you had to select just one book to purchase on the topic, this one is it.
   
   One of the things that particularly amazes me about this text is the sheer volume of it. Books this large are usually 75% reference material that can be found elsewhere. This is not the case with this text. It's has very little straight reference material, but instead is jam packed with original content, that's laced with useful insight and terrific examples.
   
   I don't think there is much I can say critical about the material. About the only weaknesses are in the coverage of triple slash documentation and XMLReader/Writer usage.
   
   The triple slash docs lack really useful examples -- and are built around NDoc. A more more useful set of examples, that show the output that results from specific input would have been more helpful. And NDoc development has halted, and is now replaced by Sandcastle.
   
   I had never read another book by this author, but you can be sure I'd purchase one anytime I have need of a topic he's treated. Steven Fraser is an excellent author -- a real credit to his trade.



4. I got this book almost 2 years ago, when there were almost no C++/CLI books on the market.
   
   This book is fairly well written, and the author is undoubtedly a very experienced tech writer/software developer.
   
   That said, I am a little dissappointed that after 2 years, there is one significant error in the book that is still not corrected in the errata.
   
   On page 104 of the book, "Memory Management Destructors", it is said " You can call the delete operator on the handle of the ref class object, and the managed memory will be dealllocated IMMEDIATELY in reverse order to which is was allocated".
   
   This is compleletly wrong. After calling delete, the physical memory hold by a reference class can NOT be deallocated immediately but will be reclaimed during next garbage collection cycle, it is STILL managed by garbage collector. C++/CLI just allows "delete" as an eye candy for C++ developers but still it is garbage collector that plays.
   
   This cast serious doubt on the authors understanding the essence of C++/CLI.
   
   Besides that, the book is a very good book, and I have great respect for the author's efforts. But it is still looks like the author translate it from his previous version in managed C++ and rush it to publish two years ago.



5. This book is full of problems. Unfortunately I can't point to anything better.
   
   From the chapter about Windows Services:
   
   "Windows services, I'd like to point out, is a bit of a misnomer, as this same functionality is also available on the Mono/Linux platform using what is called a monod, which (I believe) is an implementation of a forked daemon and has nothing to do with Windows at all. I am also pretty sure the other .NET-implemented platforms don't use Windows in any way to implement the functionality. Admittedly, I have not looked into it. Personally, I think Windows services should be called service processes, as the implementing .NET Framework namespace suggests."
   
   What is the author doing making pronouncements riddled with "I believe", "I have not looked into it", etc.?
   
   Furthermore:
   
   "Also, due to the fact that the Windows service has no interface, it is ideal for running in the background thread on a server. Since I do not cover multithreading until later in the book (Chapter 16), I will not the cover placing of a Windows service in a background thread, but after you have read Chapter 16, you should have little difficulty doing so."
   
   If the services are ideal for threading (which they are) why is the chapter on threading deferred until after the chapter on Windows Services? Why weren't threads covered, and then the services could be covered including threads?
   
   The whole book reads like this. It's a superficial reading at best.

5 comments about Pro ASP.NET 2.0 E-Commerce in C# 2005 (Expert's Voice in .Net).

1. Overall a pretty good book that covers design and implementation concepts that can be used for nearly any type of ASP.NET application. Although I understand why the author chose to exclusively use Stored Procedures to implement database access, I do wish he implemented some functionality that didn't use stored procedures in order to futher demonstrate the use of Microsoft Data Access Application Blocks.
   
   I would absolutely recommend reading ASP.NET 2.0 Website Programming: Problem - Design - Solution (Programmer to Programmer) in addition to this book in order to get a more complete coverage of architecting a multi-layered application.



2. I like the book's approach and organization. It really has a easy to follow order, and I like how the author ties everything up at the end of a chapter or section. I'm new to ASP.NET but I've picked up what he's teaching because I understood his approach. I also liked his use of multi-tier approach to application development (which others might simply expect on a "Pro" book, but I find it quite insightful as a beginner). I also like its visual diagrams of tables and classes which made it easy to go back to from later chapters. And the code formatting is easy to read.
   
   Although I found out that some codes in the book are incorrect (eg, in Chapter 13, the construct for ProductSelectByIDDataParameters is assigning to a public property--perhaps a re-formatting typo error; and there is a few also I noticed in other chapters). So it is a good idea to download the sample codes from the publisher's website.
   
   But aside from that, I really think this book is a good knowledge accelerator on ASP.NET and E-Commerce (especially for someone who's just started on ASP.NET). And good that the author mentioned also about (Data Access) Application Blocks, as now I know it exist (and it is now, in fact, a part of the wider Enterprise Library). Quite useful to know and have on your projects.



3. I wanted to get up to speed quickly on ASP web apps and e-commerce so I bought this book for it's tutorial value.
   
   It's a very easy read; succinct and well organized. No goofy jokes or silly icon symbols. Treatments of requirements gathering and UML are so light they're nearly useless. However, the book is a case study and tutorial, not a treatise on a particular discipline.
   
   I rate it 4, because it's BLOATED with HTML and C# code. But, no need to type it, since it's available on-line. OTOH, its inclusion is a quicker reference than digging around on disc.
   
   Looks like a very good choice for following a complete project and learing the essentials of ASP.NET 2.0 E-commerce.



4. Picked up this book and was rather excited to build a function, sample, website that I could use as a baseline e-commerce site for practical use and as a demonstration site. While Paul Sarknas's book demonstrates good design concepts, the document is fundamentally flawed in execution. The code in the book is buggy, and in fact does not match the code that can be downloaded (for free) from Apress. I've spent more time debugging the code that I have reading the book. To add to the problems getting this web site running the code in the book, evening including the downloaded code, is incomplete. One must write a couple of SQL stored procedures from scratch without any clear clue as to what they are supposed to do.
   
   As a side note here, don't deploy this code in a production environment without some significant code hardening. There is virtually no input validation and as written is vulnerable to cross site scripting (XXS) attacks.
   
   Overall I appreciate the attempt here, but recommend that you wait for version 1.1 (perhaps an update for VS 2008?) before buying this book. Simply stated this book is not for beginners and will not result in an operable web site in its current form.



5. The content is well-presented in a logical fashion, it's examples are useful and re-usable. The author doesn't makes use of a few things that are beyond the scope of in-depth discussion within the book (such as MS DB Helper) but he gives sufficient information to use and understand these elements.
   The code is occasionally illogical (to me) in its layout. For example the declaration of public class variables being left to the end of a file may lead a total novice to wonder why intelisense is having difficulty with their code. I suspect this is a quite likely occurence as the book comes across as a learn-as-you-go affair.
   
   Some development steps are occasionally overlooked, such as instructing the reader to add certain references to their class libraries (done at some points but not others), and the book has some fairly serious coding typos. I shan't hold these points against it too heavily as it makes the reader think more carefully about what they're doing rather than letting them copy verbatim and switch off.
   
   I especially like the "How it works" paragraphs on pretty much every bit of code. Most of it's pretty obvious, but as with any coding project (especially 3-tier architecture) there are times when it becomes complicated enough to overwhelm the reader, I found these sections really hold the book together and keep me on track with what's going on and why.
   
   Also worth a mention is the use of the Paypal API. I haven't the cause to make use of it myself, but having read through it, I'd thoroughly recommend this book to anyone considering using Paypal services on any level.
   
   Lastly, I'm also the the not-so-proud owner of "Beginning ASP.NET 2.0 in C# 2005: From Novice to Professional (Beginning: From Novice to Professional)" by Matthew MacDonald. If you have any intentions of making a working commerce website, and you're thinking, "which of these titles is best for me, I'm only a novice?": Go for Sarkansas. He will make you a professional. If you take the MacDonald option you will be a novice forever.

5 comments about Beginning ASP.NET 2.0 in C# 2005: From Novice to Professional (Beginning: From Novice to Professional).

1. I have read many books on ASP.NET, by far this book is the most well organized, user friendly book that will teach you ASP.NET
   
   I disagree with posts that says that this book is not for the novice. It takes you step by step from a subject to a subject and keeps you intrested in reading the book.
   
   This is my first book ever that I realy said to myself that I will have to take the time and write a review on a book.



2. I had a mixed reaction to this book. It's obvious that Mr. MacDonald is quite knowledgeable, but I think this book chews off a bit more than it can swallow. It was all there, but I don't know if a beginner would have the patience to read this book cover to cover. As a "Beginning ASP.NET" book it has a very cursory overview of programming basics, object oriented programming, .NET Framework including the Basic Class Library (BCL formerly the FCL) and the CLR. There's an introduction to Visual Studio 2005 and C#.
   
   It is over 1,000 pages, but I'm not sure that a beginner reading this book could successfully write a solid web application when they were done. I think the book would have been more successful if it helped you build an application in a step-by-step fashion, explained and introducing specific concepts. The organization of the chapters was also a little awkward. There's a discussion of modifying web.config settings programmatically in the web form fundamentals chapter before really getting into web site configuration. Tracing, logging and error handling is discussed I think a little too early.
   
   This was an ambitious endeavor, but I wish it would have covered less, but in more depth.



3. When I first started to work with this book I was actually impressed. The author seemed to be clear and easy to understand. But once we started getting into code the whole thing started falling apart. The code samples in the book frequently just dont work. From typo's which are easy to find to entirely left out concepts and sections of necessary code. At first in the more basic section of the book it's not so bad because the programs are simple and its usually fairly easy to figure out where the mistake was. But the further in you get and the more complex the code becomes the worse it gets. In some samples short of opening up his own downloadable sample code and looking at where his sample code is completely different from what he is telling you to do in the book it is virtually impossible for a beginner to the language to figure out.
   
   Now me I'm just stubborn so I stick with it until I figure it out but I frequently have to go to outside sources and chat groups to try and figure out what the problem is which in my opinion just shouldn't be the case in a well thought out book. Maybe if it was a professional book where the user is suppose to have some knowledge it would be acceptable. But for a beginner to have to try and figure out entire concepts and classes that are missing entirely from the examples and are vital to the successful implimentation of the code. Well that is just unacceptable. Its sloppy and a book that costs 49.99 ought to be free of such errors.



4. I bought this book after someone had recommended it on a discussion forum. And that person was right. This book is perfect for the person who wants to learn ASP .NET using C# language. It covers almost every aspect of ASP .NET and C#. It's straight to the point with good examples. It requires some basic knowledge of programming, so if you are a begginer programmer and want to learn ASP .NET and the C# language buy this book.



5. I bought this book a while ago and have been reading it. I lost interest in the way the author deals with the topics. It is all theory and text. Developers need the real deal. Not just flab stuff. The novices will only confused with the way the info has been presented. I got the Wrox professional series and it is lot beter. Save money.

5 comments about Microsoft C# Programming for the Absolute Beginner (For the Absolute Beginner (Series).).

1. This book is exactly what it says, a book to teach C# to absolute beginners. I was just that. New to programming. I wanted to learn programming and after a reaserch on the internet I decided to start programming using C#. I bought myself a MS Visual C# step by step. Soon after a friend gave me C# Programming for the Absolute Beginner. I was amazed. The book is straight to the point, and everything you learn is supported by examples. So if you didn't get the idea by reading you figure it out by doing it. Great book! Great job Andy!!! Write one for c# 3.0 too!



2. I hadn't done any programming since I took Fortran in college 20 years ago and before that, I had taught myself DOS when it first came out (okay, age giveaway!). I did teach myself the basics of HTML, but I had no idea of where to even start with the newest languages out there now. This book led me from total ignorance through the basics of C# in a fun way and now I'm ready to progress into more advanced coding. I'm just a hobbyist, so this book was a perfect place to start for me!



3. I previously had started with Beginning C# Game Programming by Ron Penton, which was a disaster since much of his code doesn't work with DirectX 9.0c. I picked up this book and started back over from scratch.
   
   Harris does an excellent job of introducing a concept, explaining what it is and how to use it, then implementing it. Some of the code is a little dated and has to be altered to run in C# 2.0, but I was able to do it with only a little effort. Same with a few of the form components. Additionally, I contacted the author, and though he doesn't work in C# very often any more, he was able to point me in the right direction to get my questions answered.
   
   By the end of the book, I had successfully built a few C# applications to use at work.
   
   My only complaint with the book is that it just ends. There is no prologue at the end, just the end of the last chapter reviewing that material. It would have been nice for a summary and maybe some direction in where to go next.



4. For beginners who have not been exposed to any programming languages or their structures. He makes this subject very interesting by using games as examples. It is an easy read. I have been out of touch with programming for a long time and I needed a little basic introduction to get started into object oriented programming. It may be used as a stepping stone to understanding complicated subjects like threading, windows forms and event handling in other books.



5. If anyone has a problem with this ABSOLUTELY PERFECT C# Programming book it's because they never bothered to READ the cover! If you are a BEGINNING programmer and want to make GAMES, don't look any further. This is the book you've been looking for.

No comments about .NET 3.5 Wrox Box: Professional ASP.NET 3.5, Professional C# 2008, Professional LINQ, .NET Domain-Driven Design with C#.

5 comments about Essential ASP.NET With Examples in C# (Microsoft .NET Development Series).

1. I just finished reading this book, I'd say it's the best ASP.NET book! I highly recommend it!



2. Essential ASP.NET is 100% to-the-point containing very useful information with no fluff included. I particularly enjoyed the HTTP pipeline chapter. The entire book contains info that every ASP.NET developer should know.



3. Clearly this is the best ASP.NET book I have ever read.



4. This is a good book, easy to understand and covers a lot of material.



5. I enjoyed this book. It is definitely not for beginners - the high-level treatment suited my style very well. His initial exposition is especially clear and precise. Mr. Onion did not go into too great detail about aspects that I could look up on my own, choosing to focus more on theoretical details/implementation recommendations which are hard to figure out if you are a beginning ASP.NET programmer such as myself.
   
   The snag: He refers to original ASP programming all the time. Why? This is clearly horrible style. I don't know ASP, so I have to skip over the sections which he begins with "Traditional ASP only supported blah blah blah." Then, I become confused because he said something pertinent to the rest of his explanation, so I have to go back, think about Traditional ASP (which is a clear waste of time), figure out his point, and go on.
   
   A great book if you are already an experienced programmer with knowledge of .NET, web programming, etc.

5 comments about Programming in the Key of C#: A Primer for Aspiring Programmers (Step By Step (Microsoft)).

1. Charles Petzold, a veteran of technical book writing, proves himself in this book (again) to be a brilliant teacher. At around 420 pages it's slim in comparison to other Microsoft text books. Part of the reason is that, concentrating solely on the C# language, no screen shots take up space that is more effectively used to explain key concepts of this language & how it fits into OOP. If you're a VB programmer, (as I was) looking to get into C#, this is a great starting point. It does begin at the beginning, (Variable types etc) but don't let this discourage you as there are some subtle differences that you need to learn about which could save confusion in the future, for example, that there is much less in the way of implicit conversion of certain types & this must be taken care of in code. However, this section is a brisk read, & Petzold's clear explanations are enlightening. He really makes it easy to understand how to use this language with some good examples throughout the book. There is nothing about the IDE or controls & just enough on the Framework, but what he does introduce, he explains in depth. This approach keeps his focus on the language which is what this book, after all, is all about.
   
   You will need more once you've read this, but it's an excellent starting point, won't take you months to work through & most importantly, you will `understand' it at the end unlike other books which confuse the explanations with assumptions that you already know some C++.
   
   If I have any problems with this book, it is only that he didn't cover Indexers & Delegate creation as these are not particularly difficult concepts & are important & I'm sure his explanations would have been excellent, but you'll will have to read further to learn about those. Developers coming from a C++ background may want to read something else which encompasses the framework, but for a VB'er, it's a perfect starting point & an excellent reference.



2. Programming in the key of C# aims to introduce the programming language, C#, at a basic level. It covers fundamentals of modern objective programming features such as namespaces, classes and instances. It also reassures readers of what basic data types are supported in C# which follows the footsteps of .NET Framework.
   
   The book is more of a primer than specific (i.e., a book could be based on data structures or producing games). If you are looking to buy a book, and you are an elementary programmer you will find this book very very helpful in terms of learning C#. If you are a regular java, c and c++ developer you will also find this book somewhat helpful in terms of understanding some of the core technologies behind .NET Framework and C#'s language features. Otherwise, if you are looking for something that cover much more integral aspects of C# this book perhaps, isn't for you.
   
   In prelude, it states that the author tried his/her best to avoid making assumptions about any prior programming experience - thus the coverage of some elementary level basics of modern objective programming features.



3. Petzold's 'Programming in the Key of C#' is absolutely for beginner programmers and is written with them in mind both in terms of style and content...sort of.
   
   Late to the C# party, I decided to learn the language prior to a couple of new job interviews. I saw this and grabbed it, thinking it would be just what I'd need. Already knowing Java, C/C++, JavaScript and a bit a Visual Basic, I'm a bit disappointed that the subtitle isn't more specifically addressed to beginning programmers. Programming is a very large subject and all developers/programmers are each at his/her own level. We are all 'aspiring', aren't we? A 'primer' can be quite technical, but this one surely isn't and I blame myself for a wrong purchase -- I should have read a few more paragraphs prior to buying this book.
   
   To wit, the book doesn't even begin discussing arrays (the most basic data structure of them all) until chapter 18. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but many beginning language books address arrays far, far earlier. It's difficult to learn much about a language's capabilities or learn much general information about programming without knowing about and having some experience with the array (specifically the ability to store objects and the ability to create dynamic data structures). The book doesn't even breach linked lists except for one quick mention in passing near the very end of the book. For another example, Petzold only gives one cursory example of recursion (the ubiquitous factorial program) and doesn't really go any deeper than that. Anyone who is an 'aspiring' (absolute beginning) programmer really should be given more than this when presented with such basic material.
   
   Nonetheless, the writing is in a good, easy-to-read style and I've enjoyed skimming through it. Petzold presents background information about the language and uses real-life examples and good little toy programs to illustrate the programming concepts he is discussing. It's altogether a good, easy read. Most of the main topics needed for a very general understanding of the language are presented such as virtuality, inheritance/polymorphism, parameter passage, constructors, etc. and all in a logical sequence that builds up the reader's knowledge.
   
   One serious flaw with this text is the lack of questions at the back of the chapters. In learning other langauges, I've found that a series of questions at the close of a text's chapters helps to hit home the concepts that chapter is teaching. Walter Savitch's Absolute C++ is a very good example of an excellent text that gives the reader much more in terms of small programming assignments, quiz questions, and review lists of terms and concepts.
   
   Although I already know much of the material here, I'm giving this book only 3 stars not because its content is so simple; rather, it is too simplistic. Beginners need a thorough grounding. Since this is the audience for this text, I expect one can do better.



4. The book is very easy to follow. The first chapters are really
   for beginners. But I regret that the classes methods are explained with
   trigonomety examples not that easy to follow even if the explanations
   are there. Also it will have been a better idea to explain objects , classes first then later try to explain a class method class. The book is nice but most of the examples use by the author are maths examples and trigonometry, the last think i was expecting is a trigonometry example to explain to me how a method works. Easier method can b e found in : C# 2005 for dummies. Actually the purchase of both books good be a wise idea.



5. A lot of people are interested in C# now thanks to XNA Games Studio Express and a lot of us have never programmed before. I sat at the book store and read the first few chapters of every C# book I could find and this one is by far the best for beginners like me. I'm through chapter 4 now and realize that if you're looking for a starting point with C#, this is it! It's clear, simple and seemingly written for idiots like me. :)

5 comments about Professional C# 2005 with .NET 3.0 (Wrox Professional Guides).

1. Contents : poorly written; Style different in each chapter. Examples : Don't work and download examples do not work. I have contacted authors and they dont care. Do NOT purchase this book.



2. I seriously don't agree with the previous reviewer's. The title says it all, it is for "Professional". Not for a kid, who finds out grammatical errors in a book. If you are a Pro developer, you will get the point across and do your work what you need to do. Not crib about the minor faults. This book is a serious book for serious people. The Complete book, I would say. I use it on a daily basis and is a GREAT reference for my work !! Kudos Authors !! Great work done !



3. This book is an excellent introduction to many great topics. I use this book as my C# bible and supplement it with other books when I need more detailed information about a subject.



4. Since I have some experience with VB .net
   I thought at the begging, that when I want to move to c#,
   I'll buy a small volume book and go thru the language.
   Appeared that was the hard way for me, those instance/accelerated books
   Are as their name suggested and it wasn't helpful for me.
   
   After that I decided to buy this book and to invest time in reading it.
   And to tell the truth -it filled my expectations.
   
   The book is good not too complicated , gives you the right direction and
   Covers what you really need to know.
   It's also contains the latest information and this edition has improvements
   In some chapters like: threading ,collection, networking,...and more.
   
   It contains a lot of staff and I think it's great ,because you can
   Approach later to subject and start learning it when you have the time.
   
   I highly recommend this book for new and experienced programmers.
   Don't be intimidated by it's large size (around 1800 pages), for me it's worth every penny.
   
   One thing is the paper back , it would be more convincement if this was
   A hard cover due to it's high volume.
   Hope you Enjoy it as I.



5. You need to spend a lot of time to read one page to figure out what exactly the author try to explain.