5 comments about Effective C#: 50 Specific Ways to Improve Your C# (Effective Software Development Series).

1. First off, since writing my initial review, I find myself continually referring to this book. It has worn well. I wish I could change my rating from 3 to 4 stars. Unfortunately Amazon's review system doesn't allow that (only 3 stars for them!).
   
   While there are many books that teach the C# languague, this is the only book I've found that offers advice on how to effectively use the language once you know it. It is unique and therefore indispensible. It's a "must-read" for any serious C# programmer.
   
   The recommendations will help you understand C# so that you can write programs that are faster, more efficient, more maintainable, and easier to understand. Specific topics include things like value-types versus reference-types, "boxing" and "unboxing", minimizing garbage, the advantages of the operators "as" and "is" over casts, and so on.
   
   I believe the writing and explanations could be more clear and concise. I wish the editors had spent a little more time cleaning up the text. Also, A second edition that assumes C# 2.0 should be released, since some of the recommendations deal with shortcomings of C# 1.0 that have been fixed by C# 2.0. Also, I found a couple small errors. For example, "as" is not always faster than a cast-- in some cases they generate code that is exactly the same speed. However, that's a trifling point.
   
   I recommend this book.



2. Some of these glowing reviews are a bit misleading. Effective C# is a decent book, but not great. This book covers much of the same material as Jeffrey Richter's "CLR via C#", but in a different format and without the same amount of depth or clarity.
   
   Effective C# is not a bad book, and I probably would have given it 4 stars had I not read "CLR via C#". In short, pass on this one and get Richter's book.



3. I agree with those who say that Effective C# is not for beginners. Even experienced programmers should go elsewhere for an introduction to the language and the .NET environment. While other books might serve as a comprehensive textbook for learning the rudiments, this one offers some in-depth insights into how to build solutions that are elegant, efficient, reliable, and maintainable.
   
   I also agree with those who are disappointed in the poor editing. The book is riddled with typos, especially word spacing problems. Mostly, these are little more than a minor annoyance but they make the book a really poor example of publishing quality.
   
   "Software engineering" has been described as finding the best solution for a given problem where "programming" is merely a matter of developing something that works. That's what this book is all about. Sure, there are going to be times when you don't need to build the kind of quality into your code that the author advocates. The need to get something done quickly will often outweigh issues like whether you're really getting optimal performance, whether accepted OO principles are always being followed, or whether your employing the best of all possible solutions. But this book is about how build "industrial strength" classes that can be reused without breaking or creating undue heartburn for the poor slobs who have to rely on them.
   
   Like most programming books, lots of the information is conveyed in code examples. However, this is not the book you'll want if you're going to cut-and-paste somebody's sample program and hack it into your own working version. In fact, the code examples are so brief and simple that they often seem almost pointless at first glance. As you read the explanations, which are more punchy and to-the-point than they are eloquent, you begin to grasp the essence of the principle being explored. Personally, I feel there's room for improvement in Mr. Wagner's writing style, which can be a little too concise to be really illustrative, but he does get his message across.
   
   Possibly the book's greatest strength lies in the rationale given for the recommendations offered, as opposed to the recommendations themselves. The fifty items are more than a series of "best practices" to be blindly followed whether you understand them or not. Good programming is often a matter of choosing from a set of alternatives by weighing the value of each approach, assessing trade-offs, and making intelligent decisions. That's where this book can really help.
   
   Evidently, this book carries on a tradition of "Effective" books in that it consists of a series of relatively short articles, each of which illustrates some very focused aspect of how C# code is compiled, the nature of certain .NET Framework types, and/or how the CLR operates. I, for one, think a more conventional format, where the content is broken down into longer chapters that go into major concept areas in depth might have been a better way for Mr. Wagner to share his obviously thorough knowledge of the subject. At first glance, this book gives the impression of being a set of little hints and tricks, as opposed to the serious technical book it really is.



4. Excellent book. My only complaint -- where's the new edition for the new version(s) of the framework?



5. While C# is pretty easy to get up to speed with coming from a C/C++ background, the similarities can lead to costly blunders! .Net/C# is a "real" language and as such deserves the respect of any self-proclaimed professional. This book is a great resource for getting that first glimpse to advanced topics that every pro should strive for. It's an easy read and the format (recipe) lends itself very well to quick reading sessions that stick in your mind. Your coding style will invariably change for the best upon closing this book. Simply stated this book should be mandatory reading for anyone joining a .Net project but coming from a traditional language (C/C++).

5 comments about Pragmatic Unit Testing in C# with NUnit, 2nd Edition.

1. You keep hearing about it.
   "Unit Testing, Unit Testing, Unit Testing"
   The time is now. Stop talking about and start becoming a more responsible developer.
   This book takes you through the scenarios. Well written, and easy to get going.
   This book has been the key ingrediant to get other developers at my company involved with NUnit testing.
   
   NUnit is freely available. If you have VS2005Pro, then plugging in NUnit make the most sense.



2. This is a great introduction to writing unit tests in C# with NUnit. The authors do a good job of explaining why unit tests should be created, how having unit tests are better than not having unit tests, and what exactly should be coded for in a unit test. The book is well-written, easy to follow, and includes helpful guidelines for things that might be confusing to developers.
   
   The real strength of this book is not the author's approach to writing unit tests, but rather they clearly illustrate what exactly should be tested in a unit test. The authors show how adhering to the guidelines they set forth results in unit tests that are well-written and fail at appropriate times. The authors then generalize this to some extent and provide an excellent discussion on the properties of a good unit test.
   
   My favorite section of the book was actually one of the appendices. In the first appendix, the authors go through a list of gotchas--both in writing unit tests in general and specific to unit tests in C#. This is a very short discussion (only 6 pages), but they identify some issues I've seen with poorly written unit tests.
   
   This is a great book as an introduction to writing unit tests. The authors clearly explain why unit tests should be written, they show clearly what should be tested in a unit test, and they describe some of the problems that have been avoided by writing intelligent unit tests.



3. The book is packed with practical advice on unit testing. Why should you do unit testing, what do you need to know to write good tests, how do you know if you're writing good tests, how can unit tests not only improve your code, but also your design, can unit tests doom a project (if not done right) --- you'll find answers to all of these questions and more. The authors also give numerous short code examples that help solidify the concepts. You'll also find extensive references and links to web-sites where appropriate. The authors' writing style is fluid. If you enjoy reading good technical books, you'll read this like a novel!



4. I have to respectfully disagree with all the fawning reviews. It's a chatty, drawn out, tedious read, something of an accomplishment given the fact that it's only ~200 pages long. Frankly, anything more then something like the O'Reilly Pocket Reference is overkill on this subject. NUnit is a snap to use and the freely available documentation and tutorials are more than adequate and not nearly so time-consuming to digest.
   
   The first passage that discusses actual test coding (~20 pages or so into the book) presents a simple case where a method should accept an integer array as a parameter and return the largest element. The book then explains how this function, if it behaves properly, should perform. A series of simple test cases are discussed before we get to the real toughie for all you computer scientists out there - a data set consisting of negative integers. A test vector consisting of the array [-9,-8,-7] is passed to the method and -7 is returned. The book explains 'It might look odd, but indeed -7 is larger than -9. We're glad we straightened that out now, rather than in the debugger or in production code where it might not be so obvious.'
   
   ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!? Just what audience was this thing written for? One would have thought that that little gem wouldn't have been necessary... but in fact that is the tone of the entire book. Expect to have your hand held in this manner throughout. If that's the sort of thing that appeals to you, you'll love this one. If, on the other hand, you're trying to learn to incorporate NUnit testing into C# development in an efficient, professional manner, save your money and time and read the NUnit docs.



5. This is a decent getting started book, but it doesn't give good coverage of things such as NUnit projects or using app.config files with NUnit.
   
   Unfortunately, this book isn't good as a stand-alone. I'll admit that it did help me get started, but it lacks so much that I can't give it more stars. A second volume that covers more advanced topics is suggested, or the next edition can add the missing parts.

No comments about Microsoft Visual C# 2008 Express Edition: Build a Program Now! (PRO-Developer).

No comments about Programming Microsoft® Visual C#® 2008: The Language.

5 comments about Build Your Own ASP.NET 2.0 Web Site Using C# & VB.

1. Examples, insights, and even code samples pack a reference for programmers working in C# and VB in an updated second edition to a popular step-by-step guide. Here's all the information you need to get up and running with ASP.NET, from how to build a first web site to applying the free code samples within to more advanced projects. It's a top pick programmers - especially newcomers to ASP.NET - won't want to be without.



2. The Book overall is good, but there are some mis-types in the code that, if you follow along, will screw you up. Its also vague about some things, but if you have some basic knowledge of visual studio and/or asp, it is a good reinforcement.



3. I am an asp programmer. And I would like to transform myself into asp.net. after trying one title after another by reading the PDF files that I found on the net, I thought I found the right book ASP.NET 2.0 Unleashed from Stephen Walther. I bought the book and learned from it. But I got stuck somewhere after the basic controls. The author assumes that the reader is either intermediate or advanced level with the .NET programming skill. I am not at that level yet. Again I went back to find other PDF files and I found this one and I knew this was the perfect fit for me. I bought the book and I am very happy with this book. it teaches asp.net 2.0 from beginning level. It explains in details all the basic knowleges that an asp.net programmer needs to know. Then it moves on to ado.net. But all these are just basics only. not going too far into advanced level. One thing that I like is that I build the project while learning. There are minor wording error. If you don't know programming, then this is the problem. If you already know programming (VB,C#), then you can see the wording error and correct yourself.
   If you are looking for a book that set you up from start with .NET, this one is the right one. If you already have the basic of asp.net and would like to get to the advanced level, then you may be disappointed.



4. i got into dot net when it first came out, when sample codes on how do things you take for granted were scarce or non existent. I was converting an ASP app to dot net. was ahead of my time, ran into too many mundane issues, cancelled my project after 5 months. Now I want to try ASP.NET for real.
   
   I've found this book to be very helpful in connecting the dots. The samples are good enough . Highly recommend it.



5. I have read many technical books and this is so far the best. I know my way around computers and the basics of programming and wanted to learn some more of ASP.NET. This book has been an excellent tutorial. Even the basics of object oriented programming and SQL are explained. Loved it.
   
   There is one caveat. The book was written for Windows XP and IIS 6. If you are using Windows Vista and IIS 7 like me, be prepared to search for some stuff yourself. Do not worry though, some Googling will help you along the way.

5 comments about Murach's ASP.NET 2.0 Web Programming with C# 2005.

1. This is a great book that'll help you hit the ground running. Sort of falls short on really specific things when it comes to writing code for maintaining a database. Gives the reader a quick overview of the key parts of the language, but not much else.
   
   It helps to have a few years experience of Visual Studio under the belt. I don't think I'd recommend this for beginners. It mainly deals with 4 languages at once. Html, ASP, C# and SQL. I've had experience with SQL, HTML, and C# previously. And PHP which is almost the same as ASP.
   
   Perfect for refreshing after you know about the language/programming style already. Excellent reference book, with code examples and explanation of the code side by side.



2. I had recently checked this book out of the corporate Library where I work. There are about 60 copies avaiable for checkout, and I was #37 on the waiting list. I had to keep checking it out in order to keep reading it. This bacame an inefficient way to read the book so I purchased my own copy, and I am glad I did.
   
   This book is a fantastic learning tool as well as an excellent referrence book. I am currently taking an ASP.NET class and I have found that the book is actually in parallel with the class, making the class more effective.
   
   I would recommend this book to anyone trying to learn ASP.NET Web Programming with C# 2005. I also recommend the Murach book "C# 2005" as a companion book. And along with those two, their Murach's SQL Server 2005 for Developers is also a great companion book since most ASP.NET web application are data driven one way or another. With these three books you will be on the fast track to becoming a solid web developer in no time.
   
   This book is great for the novice as well as the seasoned professional. I would recommend it to anyone wanting to learn ASP.NET 2.0



3. As a self-taught developer, I rely on programming texts to not only provide the syntax and rules of a language, but also to provide real-world examples and problems that reinforce the material. Because the move from the living room desktop to a professional cubicle is daunting, practical tutorials are an absolute necessity. And the Murach team's offerings never disappoint.
   
   Murach's C# 2005 and ASP.NET 2.0 Web Programming With C# are a two volume set that will take a disciplined beginner from "Hello World" to professional junior-level projects. The C# 2005 title takes you in a logical, orderly manner thru practically every aspect of the language, with accompanying tutorials (as already mentioned) to help the information 'stick'. Then the ASP.NET 2.0 with C# text shows you how to put all that newly-acquired C# knowledge to work on the web. All the basics of the IDE, all the new .NET tools, and ASP.NET using C# are covered. The two books together are still a tad light on detailed subjects like Web Services, network programming, etc., but there are plenty of more narrowly focused books out there to fill in those gaps.
   
   If you work thru the examples, and if you work the end-of-chapter problems, and if you really strive to understand how and why things are done a certain way, this pair of Murach manuals along with their SQL Server 2005 for Developers - and a good bit of HTML/CSS knowledge - will put you well on your way to that first Web Development job.



4. I like this book. It is a fast read. It is written so that someone fairly new to programming can create a website in c#. Even though I am experienced programmer in VB, there were many tidbits of information that I got from this book. The fact that is such an easy read makes it all that much better.
   
   I have read some other harsh reviews. In all fairness, this book is geared toward someone new to web application development. Murach tries to encompass what would take about 4 books and much development time if one were to become an expert in web application development.
   
   If you are interested in learning the basics of web app development, this is good place to start. If you are more experienced at programming, then there are many things you can take away from this book(especially from the later chapters).



5. Murach's C# 2005 and Murach's ASP.NET 2.0 with C# 2005 are plainly excellent books.
   They are organized and presented in such a way that the reader can learn very fast and acquire a very complete knowledge about C# and ASP.NET.
   These books go directly to the point, in a practical way, presenting examples that can be applied to real programs. The way they are organized makes them useful for learning and for reference.

5 comments about C# Cookbook, 2nd Edition (Cookbooks (O'Reilly)).

1. Being an advanced programmer I was looking for books to use as references or to further my skills. This book has proven a valuable asset.



2. If you are just coming into C# or have been doing it for a while - it doesn't matter - BUY THIS BOOK!!! Oreilly as we all know, makes very good tech/programming books and this one is one of the best I've had so far. This will be a book that will spend much less time on my shelf and much more time next to me on my desk.



3. I came across a project that had to do with XML, and I came to love this book. It has a lot of suggestions that helped me jump start my project.
   
   I wouldn't recommend this book to learn C#- (pick up John Sharp C# step by step for that.)



4. I'm an intermediate coder, familiar with programming and I have about 1.5 years programming C#. I've already used this book(C# Cookbook 2nd edition) to write C# code navigating in and around directories and files. The examples in the book regarding "Directory Info" and "File Info" were so clear and concise, I was able to complete my programming task with almost no lost time to the learning process. What I like most was that there was not one example, but many examples for the most used functionalities. This book has already paid for itself when I consider the time it saved me the first time I needed it!



5. This is a good intro book that eliminates the need for some of the first books I bought on C#. When compared to other "cookbooks", however, this book is incredibly weak (see: XSLT Cookbook, SQL Cookbook). If you have used C# for more than 6 months, you will know how to iterate over an array, to use String.IsNullOrEmpty, get the index of a value within a string, and use a generic arraylist. These are just some of the junior "recipes" you'll see in this book. The "recipes" just exercise the fundamentals (i.e. how to boil water) rather than how the fundamentals work together to solve complex problems in elegant ways. The easier the concept, the more information. There isn't really any analysis or best-practice justification present. I'd like to see some performance analysis of generics or at least some depth on partial methods. Nothing to see here for mid-level developers. Not written or organized poorly, just simple. If it were titled "Intro to C# by example", I'd give it a higher score.

No comments about Beginning C# 2008 Databases: From Novice to Professional (Beginning from Novice to Professional).

5 comments about Pro .NET 2.0 Windows Forms and Custom Controls in C#.

1. Since the moment when I took this book in my hands and was able to make practice with the examples on this book, I was able to feel recognized the simplicity in the complexity of the controls.
   
   The examples are clear and very well done, impeccables and flawless a good thing for the newbie and the old programmer.
   
   I am enjoying the controls that allow me to click on them and assign my own properties.



2. I've read quite a few books on Windows Forms applications which include creating custom controls. There are some that are average and there are some that are very good. Usually the average books tend to touch on the simpler aspects of windows forms and forms controls and not go into much detail, which is OK for the novice programmer dabbling in .NET for the first time. However, the more experienced programmers among us want much more. In this respect the very good books tend to be a little over the top for the average user.
   
   This book falls somewhere in the middle for novice and experienced programmers alike, whilst still being rather good. It offers a good discussion on what makes up the underlying architecture of Windows Forms applications which many books lack. The .NET IDE attempts to hide a lot of the nuts and bolts behind the outer layers and generally you shouldn't touch what's under the covers. But occasionally you need to, especially when using visual inheritance because that's when the IDE starts the go a little haywire. By understanding a little about what's happening underneath goes a long way in helping you get out of the mess when the IDE does screw up.
   
   The book covers most of the interesting forms controls .NET 2.0 has to offer and describes them in better detail than what can be found in the relatively useless MSDN on-line help. The code examples given are excellent, concentrating on real-world scenarios. A good portion of the book illustrates how to extend these controls further using custom controls and GDI+ owner drawing to modify the look and feel of these controls.
   
   The book also concentrates on developing 3-tier applications isolating the presentation layer from the business logic and data layers, which is a highly recommended practice for developing scalable applications.
   
   The book doesn't include a CD but all the code examples can be downloaded from the publisher's web site.
   
   Overall I give it 4 out of 5.



3. I checked this book out online and only read chapter 20(multithreading). In this chapter the author does an excelent job progressively building your knowledge about .net Threading. I would highly recommend reading this book to anyone wanting to learn about Threading.
   
   The only downfall about this chapter is that it does not talk about some of the more advanced Threading classes such as Monitor and ReaderWriterLock. I would love for this author to do a standalone book just about threading.



4. I needed this book for a training course on Windows development in .Net. It helped a great deal to have a good reference that was not the same as the book used in the course. Sometimes I found the examples a little hard to follow because of the distraction of the scenarios shown, but when I boiled them down to what they were meant to present, they were very helpful.



5. This book has already paid for itself in just a couple of weeks -- due to the time saved in trying to find the information I need. Every time I have a question regarding an issue in Windows Forms or with Custom & User Controls, I can find it here. Additionally, the content is written in a manner that can be understood by mere mortals, with some good tips and tricks thrown in too.
   
   Highly recommended.
   
   On the merits of this text, I've already purchased Matthew MacDonald's WPF book (the 3.0 one, since I haven't *quite* moved to VS 2008 yet...).

5 comments about Sams Teach Yourself Visual C# 2005 in 24 Hours, Complete Starter Kit (Sams Teach Yourself).

1. I have started learning programming about 6 months ago, reading several books. All the books have been on different programming languages at a beginners level.
   This book is definitely geared towards someone that wants to learn programming with Visual C#. I think this book is one of the best I have ever read. I am finding myself wanting to pick this book up and continue learning.
   
   I would totally suggest this book to anyone.
   Great Book!!



2. I have been programming for a very long time with a lot of VB6 experience. Before that I came from VB3, Delphi 1 and Clipper. I didn't need the programming aspect, I just needed to get acquainted with the C# syntax and the VS2005 IDE.
   
   This book is well organized and easy to follow. It delves deep enough into each main area far enough to show you what to do and where to look for more information. Being a guitar player myself, I also enjoyed the fact that there were guitars, amps and pedals used as .jpg examples!
   
   No complaints here!



3. This product did not deliver after all the good reviews I read on amazon. The book is clearly translated from the visual basic equivalent, as a result certain exercises have hints that are putting you on the wrong foot and dont make any sense at all. The book left me with alot of questions especially on the syntax of the language, and frustrated me with its lack of providing insight on what I was doing.



4. Very good book to get started with VC#
   The book was a little to slow in the first 2 parts



5. This book available in Online Reader form. I don't reccomend it. The viewer gets stuck, skips pages (requires restaring the browser) and even submitting a bug report generates a response from Amazon that "There is an error...".
   
   Biggest problem with this book is the online reader lets you zoom in only 1 time which makes reading the example code impossible.