5 comments about A Programmer's Introduction to C# (Second Edition).

1. Eric Gunnerson, A Programmer's Introduction to C#, 2/e (Apress, 2001)

   The title of the book pretty much tells you all you need to know, though it might better have been termed "A Programmer Who Knows How to Read Microsoft Documentation's Introduction" etc. Gunnerson is (of course) more complete in his overview than the Microsoft documentation team usually are, but the book does assume more knowledge than even most intermediate programmers already have. Specifically, while one can assume, say knowledge of the basic way string classes work, the book treats some of the more esoteric new features of .NET with the same glossing, leading to some confusing passages.

   This is definitely a worthwhile reference book, as an adjunct to your more in-depth reading, but isn't a good starting point. ***




2. This text has the possibility of being really good. The author obviously has some fresh ideas on how to structure and present Yet Another Language Text that does not follow the tried (and perhaps tired) structure of the classics.
   
   Unfortunately, the text lets me down in several ways. First, there are plenty of glaring misprints in the code examples; this can be pretty devastating when you tend to rely on the examples to gain insight in the language. The index, too has reference errors, which is more than a little annoying.
   
   The biggest problem with this text, however, is in the structure. The subjects seem to come in no particular order at all, and many things are used in examples that aren't explained until much later - now, this is unavoidable, of course, but a short reference to a place where you can read up on it would have been good. The author starts right off with exception handling, the motivation being that it is important, and this way, examples can use exception handling. Great idea - except the examples never do, making the early focus on it somewhat moot. I get the feeling the book was intended to look quite different, and has been edited to death in the interest of lowering the page count.
   
   This could have been a very good book on this subject. As it is, it is better than nothing, but I would recommmend looking elsewhere for a better text.



3. Easily the best C# book on the market. If you want to learn the C# language (as opposed to an introduction to OOP or .NET), then this is the book to get - it's clear, to the point and easy to follow. I've purchased and returned about half a dozen C# books (just search Amazon for C# and you'll see which ones) before discovering this book. Gunnerson writes in a clear and concise style that's simply refreshing after going through so many other poorly written books.



4. This book was recommended to me by a colleague as an introduction to C#, but I have to say I'm a bit disappointed.
   
   I'm a fairly experienced C++ and Java programmer, and for someone at my level, it spends too much time on basic programming concepts (object-oriented programming, threading, etc) rather than teaching me about C# at the level I need. (At the same time, the treatment of these subjects is probably too cursory for someone who did not already understand them.)
   
   There are also numerous typos and formatting errors; this might not ordinarily matter so much, but it often makes the code samples more difficult to read.
   
   For an experienced programmer I might recommend "Inside C#" by Tom Archer & Andrew Whitechapel instead.



5. I am an intermediate C++ programmer who hadn't been programming for a few years.
   
   While i disliked how he went into some pretty advanced inheritance topics first and then into simple array manipulation second... i can see why he did that.
   
   I personally loved how every single paragraph ended with a fully functioning example that i could compile. (or a non-functioning program that explains why it doesn't function)
   
   Either way, Eric did a great job on this book and i'm excited to read his 2.0 book once my friend finishes it.
   
   I especially enjoyed the section on threading and asynchronous processing.

4 comments about Microsoft Visual C#.NET 2003 Kick Start.

1. This is a very solid book. It assumes you know the basics of programming like loops, modules and the likes... If you are familiar with any regular programming language (like C, C++, Java, PERL, python, ruby, even shell scripting) then this books is probably your best bet to learn C# quickly.
   
   There is no whole chapters made to get you to write a "for" loop here, you must have programming concepts to really benefit from this book.
   
   As a programmer, I really enjoyed it and was able to get to work quickly on C# programs. If you are totaly new to programming, get another book to get your feet wet before jumping on this one.



2. For any programmer coming over from another language, I really think this book offers the most bang for the buck (and for your time). I'm a VB6 programmer who wasted a lot of time and money on other books that either offer too much hand-holding (next to no code, everything through forms designer) and wasted time on extensive examples building software I'll never use or focused only on console C# applications with no explanation of topics like ADO.NET, winforms, etc. I need to use C# at work and like many programmers, I'm busy and have little time to waste. Yet, I also needed a comprehensive book because the real world of business programming requires the use of data-access technologies (ADO.NET), security, network technologies, etc. This book succeeds on all counts. The coverage is surprisingly comprehensive and details are well fleshed out. Even using ADO.NET in code is covered while many other books only cover using it through form controls in Visual Studio (anyone who writes database-connected applications knows that you really need a high level of control of shaping the data before you can present it). Nothing is dwelled upon for long so be warned that the book does move fast and info is densely packed into each page.



3. This a a very good book for someone who has programming experience. Fundamental concepts are in the book, but they are not belabored. The book quickly gets on with C# and what it takes to create real applications that do something more than say "Hello World".
   
   If this is your first experience with programming, then this book is not for you. If you have done some programming and are moving to C# for the first time, then this book is a great addition to your library.



4. As an experienced C++ programmer, I wanted to try C# out of curiosity. Obviously, I didn't want to read long-winded explanations of the most basic programming constructs -- I just wanted syntax and effective ways to use it. This book fulfills this purpose well. Within a few days, I was able to start writing real, useful C# applications. And, since I'm a game developer, I was able to find Managed DirectX tutorials and I've already written the fundamentals of a C# game engine!
   
   So, if you know how to code, this book will show you how to do it in C#. Thanks, Steven Holzner!

No comments about ASP.NET 2.0 Black Book (Black Book (Paraglyph Press)).

5 comments about Windows Forms Programming with C#.

1. I don't care if you've been coding for years, if your moving to .Net and are learning the basics of c# and the framework, you won't find a better starting place.
   
   I've had a few attempt at .Net, but this book lays out in a clear and precise way what you need to know to get you started. I would suggest its a cover to cover type of book, building on previous examples that are easy to follow, developing an application that touches all concepts of "Windows Forms (desktop)" development. If you want to write n-Tier, ADO.Net ASP.Net or Web Services apps then there are other books out there, but you need a base to build from and this is the book to provide you with that knowledge.
   
   Thank you Erik for providing the best computing book I've read in 10 years, and I've read a few.



2. Most programming books takes two routes: a.)they shorthand the explanations of the code in keep things moving at lively pace or b.) they give such a lengthy, terse description of every line in the code that you could die of old age just thinking about it.
   
   "Windows Forms Programming with C#" brings just the right balance that is oh-so-rare in programming books. It explains everything that happens, but is also brisk enough to keep you from being bored.
   
   The book builds, almost exclusively, a single image viewer application where you get to apply nearly every one of the dozens of Windows Form components. An explanation or every form component, it's attributes, and it's uses are explored in this book, but without being overly academic.
   
   Another great feature are the conventions used in this book. A lot of programming books add little notes and factoids that really contribute nothing. In this book, there are class explanations and action-results tables that are surprisingly well used.
   
   There really isn't anything bad to say, except for that the code does use some Hungarian notation at times (an area of irritation for some). Windows Forms are going to be an important topic for as long as the eye can see, and if you want to learn everything there is to know about them, this is easily the book of choice to read.



3. I love this book and when I upgraded to Visual Studio 2005 I picked it up again to re-do all of the examples. I knew there would be some changes but Microsoft changed Menus considerably more than I expected in VS 2005 and I was left slogging through the mud in Chapter 3. I finally gave up because I don't have the time to spare. I understand a new version of this book has gone into production and may be on the shelves in April 2006. I plan on buying the new book.



4. This book might be useful to a beginner with no experience who needs step-by-step guidance for even the simplest things, but for anyone else it is tedious at best.
   
   The text is needlessly wordy, and the presentation of certain information is regrettable. For example, the properties, methods, and events of each control are listed in a table; but the items are presented in alphabetical order rather than by order of importance or frequency of use. No context is provided about the C# language or the use of Windows in an a production environment.
   
   Even a beginner could learn more easily by experimenting and reading the documentation that comes with Visual Studio and the .NET Framework. And there are much better books on the market.
   
   I'm sending my copy to the recycle bin.



5. This is a decent step-by-step book for programming using Windows forms in C#. The entire book is well written in a tutorial format. Plenty of examples present key how-to-use features of the Windows forms. It's an excellent entry level book for GUI programming with C#. However, as some reviews mentioned, the details on some specific topics, such as progress status bar and the multi-threading, are missing.
   
   Buyers/Readers be aware: this book is a bit out of date. The examples in the contents are different from you will find in Visual Studio 2005 or later.

1 comments about C# in Easy Steps (In Easy Steps).

1. This is a very good book. I bought it today from a local bookstore. The cover is a little different than whats shown and the price is only $9.95 brand NEW. As far as the content, the book has many examples in each chapter. One example for each new item. If you have programmed before in C++, you'll pick everything right up with no trouble. If you've never programmed before, you might need a bigger book if you have trouble understanding programming concepts like classes and functions. I would suggest getting it if you're interested in programming in C#.

2 comments about C# Annotated Standard.

1. Disclaimer: I'm one of the annotators in the book, so have a natural bias.
   
   If you care about understanding the code you're writing, you should care about language specifications. When code doesn't behave as you expect it to, the quick way of handling the situation is to experiment until it does what you want - but it's far better to consult a book to find out *why* the original code failed. What better reference could you possibly hope for than the language specification?
   
   Unfortunately, specifications are typically difficult to read. Where tutorials can be vague and woolly, specifications are meant to handle every possible situation, or at least explicitly state which aspects of behaviour are unspecified. Furthermore, they rarely contain the motivation behind various decisions - and it's understanding that motivation which can help you to learn to work hand-in-hand with a language instead of fighting against it.
   
   The C# Annotated Standard is a rare gem - a reliable standard which allows the authors to express reasons, pitfalls, anecdotes, errors, and other little nuggets of wisdom.
   
   I can't wait for the C# 3 edition :)



2. Standards can be a pretty dry read but Jagger, Perry and Sestoft have managed to make this a fascinating read. This book is chock full of tidbits and interesting insights that reveal why C# and the C# 2.0 standard is the way it is.
   
   Every C# programmer should have this on their shelf.

No comments about How to Code .NET: Tips and Tricks for Coding .NET 1.1 and .NET 2.0 Applications Effectively.

5 comments about The Complete Visual C# Programmer's Guide from the Authors of C# Corner.

1. According to what I have learned this book is amaizing and tells every thing about using C# with databases and how c# works with them and you will be very happy when you read the chapter about windows programming, and also it gets very deep in describing ASP.NET as an introduction to the advanced material,and also covers XML ,and mobile programming!!!
   I advice every c,c++ developer to buy this book!



2. http://www.denvervisualstudio.net/Reviews/Books2003/Book01122003.htm

   Reviewed: January, 2003
   Reviewer: Jason Christensen
   
   I am usually very pragmatic in my opinions about books on programming. After saying that, this book is excellent. I have been working in Java/Unix for the last couple of years, and I am now in a position where I must work in C# as well. This book is well targeted for the experienced programmer who needs to come up to speed quickly on the vast and powerful Object Model associated with C# with no prior exposure to C# or .NET.

   I have already made this book a standard reference at the company at which I work. I also have recommended it to a number of friends. It has a very impressive balance between level of detail and breadth. A number of subjects are covered thoroughly enough for the experienced programmer to quickly come up to speed with C#. It also is detailed enough to keep around as a valuable desk side reference.

   The one thing I don' like is the user level rating on the book. It says that this book is rated for beginning to intermediate developers. While it does start at with some overview material on using the compiler and debugger with a .NET overview, I think that rating must apply to being new to C#/.NET but I don't necessarily believe that this book is adequate for a beginning programmer.

   Jason Christensen is a principal at Evergreen New Media, and heads up the Business Integration Services division. Jason has over 10 years of experience in distributed systems, and 3 years working with web-services on both Microsoft and Unix platforms. Based on that experience, Jason and Evergreen New Media's Business Integration Services team focus on advanced platform neutral solutions to web-service architectures.




3. "This is a thorough reference book with many useful Microsoft(r) Visual C# (tm) .NET programming examples. A programmer would be well advised to have this on his bookshelf," Susanne Peterson, Director for the Developer and Platform Evangelism Division at Microsoft corp.



4. Reviewed: January, 2003
   Reviewer: Jason Christensen
   
   I am usually very pragmatic in my opinions about books on programming. After saying that, this book is excellent. I have been working in Java/Unix for the last couple of years, and I am now in a position where I must work in C# as well. This book is well targeted for the experienced programmer who needs to come up to speed quickly on the vast and powerful Object Model associated with C# with no prior exposure to C# or .NET.

   I have already made this book a standard reference at the company at which I work. I also have recommended it to a number of friends. It has a very impressive balance between level of detail and breadth. A number of subjects are covered thoroughly enough for the experienced programmer to quickly come up to speed with C#. It also is detailed enough to keep around as a valuable desk side reference.

   The one thing I don' like is the user level rating on the book. It says that this book is rated for beginning to intermediate developers. While it does start at with some overview material on using the compiler and debugger with a .NET overview, I think that rating must apply to being new to C#/.NET but I don't necessarily believe that this book is adequate for a beginning programmer.

   Jason Christensen is a principal at Evergreen New Media, and heads up the Business Integration Services division. Jason has over 10 years of experience in distributed systems, and 3 years working with web-services on both Microsoft and Unix platforms. Based on that experience, Jason and Evergreen New Media's Business Integration Services team focus on advanced platform neutral solutions to web-service architectures.




5. After reading all the reviews on amazon I decided to buy this book as a book I would use to transition from VB6 to C#. This book sounded perfectly pitched for this. With excellent reviews I decided to buy this book.
   I have now decided that the reviews on amazon are rigged. Either the publisher or author is paying people to write excellent reviews. There is no way this is due to the value of this book.

No comments about ASP.NET MVC in Action.

1 comments about ASP .NET 2.0 Website Programming Interview Questions: Microsoft .NET Interview Questions, Answers, and Explanations.

1. This book is a rip off. The author may have written the book in one day. It does not contain enough material. If you search the internet you will find a lot more questions for free. I have purchased the entire series including the JAVA ones. It is just not worth it. I spent close to $250.00 for nothing.