C# 3.0 in a Nutshell: A Desktop Quick Reference

by Ben Albahari and Joseph Albahari

This is a concise yet thorough reference to C# 3.0 programming as implemented in Microsoft's Visual Studio 2008. C# 3.0 in a Nutshell gets right to the point, covering the essentials of language... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0596527578
• ISBN13: 9780596527570
• Release Date: October 2007
• Publisher: O'Reilly Media
• Length: 838 Pages
• Weight: 2.30 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.6" x 6.1" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

Solid C# Reference Book

Own both this book and C# 3.0 Pocket Reference by the same authors. Pocket Reference is a great little book, it is short on detail and in depth information on the subject. In the Pocket Reference that is fine, but for more detail and in depth information C# 3.0 in a Nutshell is a good quality book. It is not one of the books that I have read cover to cover, but C# in a Nutshell is one of the first books I pull off the book shelf when I need to look up a concept. As stated in the title, it is a reference book and does that job very well. If the reader has a background in programming and just needs a reference book on C# concepts this is a solid book. As one reviewer stated the book does have excess material which is not directly related to C#. That doesn't mean the information isn't important or valuable to anyone writing C# code. If you want a quick overview of a concept and a peak at a code example, the Pocket Reference will do. If on the other hand you want a better understanding of the concept, choose C# In a Nutshell.

Excellent Tutorial and Reference Book

This book is a really great combination between a tutorial and a reference book. What I like the most about it is that it not only explains you how to use the different elements of the C# language and the .NET Framework core namespaces, but it also explains to you how they work in the inside. This gives you a notable insight when you try to understand a strange side-effect in your code. All explanations are made very clearly and it is very easy to read. The different chapters of the book are arranged by topic, so it is easy to use it as a reference when you can't exactly remember something. It can also be read from cover to cover. It is, however, not recommended for beginners (as it is stated in the introduction); if you are looking for a programming tutorial this book is not a very good idea.

Very good nutshell book

I recommend it for people who have already been programming in C# for a while and finally want to get all their facts straight. Also highly recommended for beginners to C#. This is however, not a programming tutorial.

Excellent Reference

I bought a copy of this book earlier in the week, and have been extremely impressed with it. It is one of the few books I keep on my desk as a quick reference. What I like about the book is that it packs a lot of content, yet is structured in a way that is easy to read and lookup. Previous Nutshell series books I've used were more of an API reference (and contributed little over what you can lookup online in MSDN). This book doesn't focus on API listings (although it does include some tables of them), instead it quickly explains the relevant concepts in each chapter and provides real world code snippets showing how to use them. Although called C# 3.0 in a Nutshell, the book covers much more than just C# as a language. The last 600 pages covers much of the core .NET Framework Base Class library - and has good chapters and samples on LINQ, XML, Streams, Regular Expressions, Threading, Collections, Serialization, etc. There is enough on each subject to be useful, while still being a quick read and easy to quickly look things up. All in all, a book I recommend.

Good tutorial and a great reference

This book is for those who may have no prior knowledge of C#, but some general programming experience is necessary. If you're already familiar with C# 2.0, you'll find more than a hundred pages dedicated to LINQ and other new C# 3.0 features. In addition, many other chapters are designed to add to your existing knowledge of C# and the core Framework. If you're looking for a book that skims every NET Framework technology, this is not for you. The first three chapters after the introduction are solely about C#. This section starts with syntax, types, and variables. It concludes with advanced topics such as unsafe code and preprocessor directives. Sections that apply only to C# 3.0 are clearly marked as such. If you're new to the language, you should read these chapters sequentially, with the exception of Chapter 4, whose sections can be read in any order. The remaining chapters cover the core NET Framework, which includes such topics as collections, LINQ, XML, streams, networking, reflection, security, threading, application domains, working with native DLLs, and diagnostics. You can read most of these chapters randomly, except for Chapter 6, Chapter 7, and Chapter 13, which lay a foundation for subsequent topics. The three chapters on LINQ are also best read in sequence. The examples in this book require a C# 3.0 (or 2.0) compiler in conjunction with the Microsoft NET Framework 3.5 (or 3.0/2.0). You will also require Microsoft's NET documentation. The easiest way to get all three along with an integrated development environment is to install Microsoft Visual Studio. Any edition is suitable for what's taught in this book, including Visual Studio Express, which is currently a free download. Visual Studio also includes an express edition of SQL Server, required to run the LINQ to SQL examples, and IntelliSense, which pops up type member listings as you type. Another option, if you don't mind using a plain-text editor and building at the command line, is to download the NET Framework SDK. This includes the compiler, NET documentation, and additional command-line tools. The lightest option is to download and install just the Microsoft NET Framework Runtime. This includes the command-line compiler; however, it doesn't include other command-line tools or any documentation. The table of contents, not currently shown as part of the product description, is shown next. Chapter 1. Introducing C# and the NET Framework Chapter 2. C# Language Basics Chapter 3. Creating Types in C# Chapter 4. Advanced C# Chapter 5. Framework Overview Chapter 6. Framework Fundamentals Chapter 7. Collections Chapter 8. LINQ Queries Chapter 9. LINQ Operators Chapter 10. LINQ to XML Chapter 11. Other XML Technologies Chapter 12. Disposal and Garbage Collection Chapter 13. Streams and I/O Chapter 14. Networking Chapter 15. Serialization Chapter 16. Assemblies Chapter 17. Reflection and Metadata Chapter 18. Security Chapter 19. Threading Chapter 20. Asynchron