C# Books

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

Bill Evjen, Scott Hanselman, Devin Rader

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 27 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Awesome 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

Simply put, this is the best tech book I've read on a topic in quite a while. The authors do a great job of covering almost all important topics of asp.net. For any given topic, the writing is easily readable, thurough, filled with examples, and a mimimum of full. If you want to learn about asp.net 3.5, start here.

Good All Around Book on ASP.NET 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

This book is a good all-around book on ASP.NET. This means that the book covers a lot of topics to get you up to speed on ASP.NET, rather than focusing on specific areas like other publishers do. That's what makes this book pretty versatile, as it covers a lot of ground and exposes its readers to some new arenas they may never have developed in before (like IIS 7).

It's also written by some talented writers, so that makes for an easier read as well.

Editorial Review:

ASP.NET 3.5 brings the power of Visual Studio 2008 along with the multitude of language improvements in C# 2008 and Visual Basic 2008 as well as powerful new technology called LINQ, together with the ASP.NET 2.0 Framework you already know and love. Combine all this with the release of IIS 7.0, and you have a truly revolutionary leap forward in web application development. Greatly expanded from the original best-selling Professional ASP.NET 2.0, this new edition adds hundreds of pages and dozens of code samples so youll be prepared to put these new technologies into action.

Murach's ASP.NET 3.5 Web Programming with C# 2008

Anne Boehm, Joel Murach

Amazon Price: $33.08 List Price: $52.50 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Mike Murach & Associates Amazon Marketplace: 22 new & used starting at $32.98

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Good summary and reference 4 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

In the past year and a half I have purchased several Murach books on various programming subjects, and I find them to be quite helpful and I refer to them often. The format makes it easy to look up concise information and code snippets on specific topics. This book is no exception.

To remain a concise reference, there are bound to be omissions. For example, the text gives good information on the HTML structure of tables, but does not mention that a table may be added to a web form by using the drop-down menu in the Visual Studio IDE. On a positve note, the one page summary of regular expressions is the most helpful and useful summary of regular expressions that I have seen.

For professional programmers, this will not be the only book on ASP.NET that you will want in your library, but it is a very good concise reference.

For someone totally new to ASP.NET I would recommend reading
Beginning ASP.NET 3.5: In C# and VB (Programmer to Programmer) before moving on to the Murach book.

Editorial Review:

This book is for C# developers who want to learn how to develop professional web applications with Microsoft's ASP.NET 3.5. The first 4 chapters present a quick-start course that works both for beginners and for experienced web developers who are new to ASP.NET. Then, the next four sections present (1) the skills you need for any business application, (2) the skills you need for database applications, (3) the skills you need for e-commerce applications, and (4) the skills you need for developing code that can be reused in other web applications. Along the way, you'll learn about .NET 3.5 enhancements that streamline web development, like the ListView and DataPager controls, LINQ, and AJAX.

Agile Principles, Patterns, and Practices in C# (Robert C. Martin Series)

Robert C. Martin, Micah Martin

Amazon Price: $51.99 List Price: $64.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Prentice Hall PTR Amazon Marketplace: 40 new & used starting at $43.99

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 19 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

With the award-winning book Agile Software Development: Principles, Patterns, and Practices, Robert C. Martin helped bring Agile principles to tens of thousands of Java and C++ programmers. Now .NET programmers have a definitive guide to agile methods with this completely updated volume from Robert C. Martin and Micah Martin, Agile Principles, Patterns, and Practices in C#. This book presents a series of case studies illustrating the fundamentals of Agile development and Agile design, and moves quickly from UML models to real C# code. The introductory chapters lay out the basics of the agile movement, while the later chapters show proven techniques in action. The book includes many source code examples that are also available for download from the authors' Web site. Readers will come away from this book understanding *Agile principles, and the fourteen practices of Extreme Programming *Spiking, splitting, velocity, and planning iterations and releases *Test-driven development, test-first design, and acceptance testing *Refactoring with unit testing *Pair programming *Agile design and design smells *The five types of UML diagrams and how to use them effectively *Object-oriented package design and design patterns *How to put all of it together for a real-world project Whether you are a C# programmer or a Visual Basic or Java programmer learning C#, a software development manager, or a business analyst, Agile Principles, Patterns, and Practices in C# is the first book you should read to understand agile software and how it applies to programming in the .NET Framework.

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

Cristian Darie, Zak Ruvalcaba

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 37 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Learn how to build impressive ASP.NET 2.0 Websites in both C# and VB from scratch.

Using a practical step-by-step approach, the authors introduce the ASP.NET framework, teach you about database design, and walk you through obtaining, installing and configuring all the freely available software you need to use ASP.NET 2.0. They then show you how to build several real world Web-based applications that you can put to use instantly in your projects.

Readers will learn how to:

Develop a fully functional Corporate Intranet with a dynamic navigation menu

Create an email newsletter system using ASP.NET 2.0

Build web forms using web controls, validation controls, and rich controls

Program in both C# and VB

Handle unforseen errors gracefully using a range of error handling techniques

Secure applications using form authentication

Use code-behind to streamline code.

This book doesn't force you to choose an ASP.NET language in advance - all code examples are presented in both C# (pronounced see-sharp) and VB. You can choose which one you want to use, and follow-it throughout the book. Best of all, this book doesn't assume any prior programming knowledge!

What The Reviewers Say...

"This is a very well written book and an excellent overview and introduction to developing websites in C#/VB.NET on ASP.NET 2.0." - About.com

"This is the kind of book most of the developers will be looking for not only to learn the technology faster but also to create and develop a real application in a short span of time." - ASP Alliance

"This is not your grandfather's ASP.NET 2.0 tutorial. It is not condescending, pretentious, stodgy, or deadly boring; rather, it is fresh, fun, even exciting; and, it does not take itelf too seriously. The topics flow logically from one to the next. The layout is approachable. The writers' tone is friendly. And, the writing style makes the material very accessible. I have yet to find a better book for Web development novices." - C# Online .NET

C# 2.0: The Complete Reference (Complete Reference Series)

Herbert Schildt

Amazon Price: $38.60 List Price: $59.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: McGraw-Hill Osborne Media Amazon Marketplace: 36 new & used starting at $29.87

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 11 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Yes, it is complete! 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This is a terrific book. So far, there has been no question that I have had that this does not answer and typically, they a have an example to go with it. This book gets a big A+!

Detailed, example driven introduction 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Well, if you have seen any of Schildt books, you have seen them all. The style is basically always the same: short, to the point, no fuss example illustrating the syntax and features of a language (be it C++, Java or C#) from A to Z. The good side is that you don't waste your time an energy on convoluted examples or wordy explanations and you get an extra clear, hands-on illustration of the language in question, which gives you the necessary confidence to start your own experimenting and fooling around. The bad side is that you are left without a global understanding of the technology and how to apply on a larger scale than the typical toy example.
Overall a great first C# book, but it needs to be followed by a more "framework oriented" one like "CLR via C#"

Editorial Review:

This comprehensive volume is fully updated for C# 2.0 -- the newest version of Microsoft's revolutionary programming language.The changes found in C# 2.0 bring Java-like power to millions of Windows programmers worldwide. With expertly crafted explanations, insider tips, and hundreds of examples, this book fully explains every aspect of C# 2.0. Written in the clear, uncompromising style that has made master programming author Herb Schildt the choice of millions, the book covers all the new and existing features of this major programming language.

Programming Microsoft Visual C# 2005: The Base Class Library (Pro-Developer)

Francesco Balena

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 11 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Great Intermediate Level C# Material 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 3 people found this review helpful.

If you have C# skills of no less then an advanced beginner, and want to find yourself securely in the intermediate range, then you have found the right book. Read it once and you will find your skill set drastically improved. Read it twice and study it thoroughly, and you will find yourself getting turned to for help from your more senior developers. Quite the ego booster.

It's well written, has appropriate examples for the target audience, and doesn't get bogged down in beginning C# material. It has plenty of advanced material, if that is what you are looking for.

Editorial Review:

Get in-depth coverage and expert insights on advanced Visual C# programming topics such interfaces, delegates, generics, and much more. Targeting experienced, professional software developers who design and develop any kind of application, this book assumes that the reader knows and understands the basic functionality and concepts of Visual C# and that he or she is ready to move to mastering the development of components and assemblies and other uses of class libraries in the Microsoft .NET Framework version 2.0. This book includes extensive practical code samples.

MCAD/MCSD Self-Paced Training Kit: Developing Web Applications with Microsoft® Visual Basic® .NET and Microsoft Visual C#® .NET, Second Edition (Pro-Certification)

Jeff Webb, Microsoft Corporation

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 23 Average rating: 2.5 of 5

A decent book if you FULLY utilize and understand it 5 out of 5 stars.
17 of 17 people found this review helpful.

I just passed the exam with a pretty nice score 1.5 hours ago, and relied solely on this book for preparing for the exam for 10 days. I have solid background in Web development and use of C#. That said, here is my very personal comment:

- The quality of this book is beyond my doubt. The book might have two errors that I think I saw when I read it the 2nd time, though I wasn't 100% sure. Other than that, I didn't find any errors/typos/mistakes in it. Many subtle issues are explained in the book in a way very easy to understand.

- looking back, I believe that if one wants to pass the exam with ease by using this book, one'd be much better off by doing and studying all the questions that come with the CD. I'm a bit regretful that I didn't finish up most of the electronic practice questions.

- I don't know any other book on the same subject. But looking back, I feel the book (including all the materials included with it) was perfect to help me pass the exam. I have no doubt that without the help of this book (or similar), I wouldn't have been able to pass the exam.


Overall: the paper book alone may or may not be enough for anyone to rely on for passing the cert exam, but if you have taken advantage of all the materials that come with the book and if you have *FULLY* understood what is covered in the book, you'll be almost quaranteed to pass the exam on your very first try. I may be wrong on this because different people have different backgrounds, but that's what I believe while looking back.

Editorial Review:

Build real-world programming skills - and prepare for MCP Exams 70-305 and 70-315 - with this official Microsoft study guide. Work at your own pace through the lessons and hands-on exercises to learn how to build Web applications using Visual Basic .NET a

Build Your Own ASP.NET 3.5 Website Using C# & VB

Cristian Darie, Wyatt Barnett

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 2.5 of 5

Nicely presented material and easy to understand... 4 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

I had a really good look at this alongside about 10 other books (in a book store for a few hours) and it was one of two that I finally selected. What I really like is the fact that the website screenshots looks like a decent professional website. So many of these ASP.Net books show screenshots of websites that look totally amateurish and unusable in the real World. I like to see programming books that show slick results and this book fixes that problem with some very cool screenshots.

It has decent technical coverage of the material and it's very nicely laid out and easy to digest.

It's a great beginner/intermediate level book if you're just starting out.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!

Editorial Review:

ASP.NET allows Web Developers to create dynamic, interactive Websites very efficiently thanks to multiple built-in controls and features built into the ASP.NET language.

ASP.NET 3.5 is a great leap forward since its first incarnation. In addition to a massively improved performance, it also provides much more to aid developers' productivity, including better AJAX integration and new ListView and DataPager controls. The third edition of this book reflects all these changes, as well as Visual Studio 2008.

Readers liked the original books for their comprehensive coverage, liberal code samples, and the practicality of developing an entire intranet application using freely available tools and software.

MCAD/MCSD Self-Paced Training Kit: Developing Windows®-Based Applications with Microsoft® Visual Basic® .NET and Microsoft Visual C#® .NET, Second Ed (Pro-Certification)

Matthew A. Stoecker, Microsoft Corporation

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 21 Average rating: 3.0 of 5

Should be enough for passing the exam 4 out of 5 stars.
8 of 8 people found this review helpful.

I'd just like to say something. I finished reading this book from the very beginning a week ago to the very end this morning, and passed the exam with a score of 940 this afternoon. I don't know any other exam prep book for the same exam.

- Admittedly, the book is pretty shallow: it even teaches you what class/construstor/destructor/inheritance/etc are. To an old day VB'er unfamiliar with .NET/OOP stuff, or to any .NET beginner, this might be nice. But to most, especially to those specilized in C# (very likely also in C++), or to whoever is about to take an exam towards a certified developer, this is not necessary at all. I wish the book had covered some really advanced topics and/or gone deeper on existing topics.

- As for the exam, my personal opinion is that this book should be enough, as long as you also get some hands-on experience by actually messing around with .NET desktop apps for a while. Deskop apps are not my strong area and I rarely develop apps using .NET Windows Forms. But the book helped me with all the questions on the actual exam about desktop apps so I could pass the exam with ease. Without the book I doubt I could get the passing score of 700. A similar book might also help me that much, but I only needed one and this one was what I used.

- I'm not giving the book 5-star because this is going to be a useless book once read or once you passed the exam. I'm also not giving the book 3-star or lower because this is a well-written book after all, and with some hands-on experience, you should have little trouble passing the exam if you fully understand what the book tries to tell you.

Editorial Review:

Get self-paced, from-the-source exam preparation and self-assessment for the skills measured by MCP Exams 70-306 and 70-316—core requirements for MCAD and MCSD certification. Features an enhanced testing tool, plus deeper coverage of Microsoft ADO.NET.

MCAD/MCSD Self-Paced Training Kit: Developing XML Web Services and Server Components with Microsoft® Visual Basic® .NET and Microsoft Visual C#(TM) .N

Microsoft Corporation

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 21 Average rating: 2.0 of 5

If you find this book useful, don't take the exam yet. 1 out of 5 stars.
2 of 4 people found this review helpful.

It is at a very basic level. It can be useful for starting in XML webservices, but not enough for the exam.
Some information is outdated.
It has errors. So does the practice test.
Doesn't cover at least one topic which is in the practice test.
The practice test doesn't tell you what is considered the correct answer.
If you find this book useful, you're not yet prepared for the exam.

Very Poorly Written 1 out of 5 stars.
2 of 5 people found this review helpful.

Judging by the positive reviews, this book must have some merit but it is certainly not in the quality of its writing or its accuracy. Perhaps the editor was reassigned to Longhorn duties. Here are some examples of what you can expect in the first two chapters:

"A COM+ component exists in three states: exists and activated, exists and not activated, and nonexistent."

"The pool objects are not destroyed even after their release from the client application. COM+ retains the destroyed object in the pool for recycling..."

" If the value of the CanStop property is set to False, the SCM does not pass the Stop command to the service application."

It's main value to me is as a syllabus. You can use it to direct your search for better explanations on MSDN and, of course, everyone should have Troelsen's "C# and the .NET Platform" which is the best textbook I have read. Ever.

Editorial Review:

MCAD MCSD SP TRNG KIT DEV XML WEB W VB V C#1 NET