Sams Teach Yourself C# 5.0 in 24 Hours

by Scott Dorman

Overview

In just 24 sessions of one hour or less, learn how to build great Windows Store apps, Windows desktop applications, and Web applications with C# 5.0. Using this tutorial’s straightforward, step-by-step approach, you’ll master everything from the absolute basics to the newest innovations, so you can solve real problems with C#. One step at a time, you’ll learn core techniques like flow control and error handling, construct complete solutions with Visual Studio, use advanced features like attributes and dynamic types, and even build engaging, immersive Windows Store apps. Each lesson builds on what you’ve already learned, giving you a strong real-world foundation for success, even if you’ve never programmed with C# 5.0 before!

Step-by-step instructions carefully walk you through the most common C# programming tasks.
Quizzes and exercises at the end of each chapter help you test your knowledge.
Notes and tips present interesting information related to the discussion.
Cautions alert you to possible problems and give you advice on how to avoid them.

Learn how to...

• Gain a holistic understanding of C# 5.0, .NET, and Visual Studio 2012
• Use classes and objects “the C# way”
• Master the C# type system, inheritance, interfaces, and abstract classes
• Define, initiate, respond to, and send data through events
• Work with loops, strings, regular expressions, and collections
• Ensure type safety and promote code reuse with generics and collections
• Work with data in all forms, from file systems and streams to XML and databases
• Use advanced features such as attributes, dynamic types, and anonymous functions
• Build and debug C# applications with Visual Studio 2012
• Create state-of-the-art Windows Store apps with the async pattern
• Improve performance and reliability by managing memory more effectively
• Build more responsive software with threads, concurrency, and parallelism

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780133256574
Publisher:	Pearson Education
Publication date:	11/20/2012
Series:	Sams Teach Yourself
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	544
File size:	35 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Scott J. Dorman is a Microsoft C# MVP, speaker, blogger, and the creator of the WP Requests and WinStore Requests websites. Scott has been involved with computers in one way or another for as long as he can remember, but started professionally in 1993 and has been working with .NET and C# since 2001. Currently, Scott’s primary focus is developing commercial software applications using Microsoft .NET technologies. Scott runs a software architecture-focused user group, speaks extensively (including at Microsoft TechEd and community-sponsored code camps), and contributes regularly to online communities such as The Code Project and StackOverflow. Scott also maintains a .NET Framework and C#-focused technology blog at http://geekswithblogs.com/sdorman.

Table of Contents

Introduction     1
Part I: C# Fundamentals
HOUR 1: The .NET Framework and C#     5
The .NET Framework     5
The C# Language     13
Summary     20
Q&A     21
Workshop     21
Exercises     23
HOUR 2: Introducing Visual Studio     25
Introducing the Visual Studio Editions     26
Writing Your First Program     28
Debugging in Visual Studio     32
Visualizing Data     43
Commenting Your Code     44
Summary     46
Q&A     46
Workshop     47
Exercises      47
HOUR 3: Understanding C# Types     49
An Overview of Types     49
The C# Predefined Types      51
Other Commonly Used Types     55
Working with Operators     60
Default Values     66
Null and Nullable Types     67
Casting and Conversion     69
Summary     72
Q&A     73
Workshop     74
Exercises     75
HOUR 4: Understanding Classes and Objects the C# Way     77
Object-Oriented Programming     78
Component-Oriented Programming     79
Classes in C#     79
Scope and Declaration Space     79
Nested Classes     101
Partial Classes     101
Static Classes     102
Object Initializers     104
Summary     104
Q&A      105
Workshop     105
Exercises     107
HOUR 5: Inheritance, Interfaces, and Abstract Classes     109
Inheritance and Polymorphism     109
Abstract Classes and Members     120
Working with Interfaces     122
Summary     126
Q&A     126
Workshop     127
Exercises     128
HOUR 6: Creating Enumerated Types and Structures     129
Enumerated Types     129
Working with Structures     135
Summary     143
Q&A     143
Workshop     144
Exercises     144
HOUR 7: Events and Event Handling     147
Understanding Events     147
Subscribing and Unsubscribing      148
Publishing an Event     152
Raising an Event     154
Summary     157
Q&A     157
Workshop     158
Exercises     158
PART II: PROGRAMMING IN C#
HOUR 8: Controlling Program Flow     159
Understanding the Selection Statements     159
Iteration Statements     165
Jump Statements     171
Summary     175
Q&A     175
Workshop     176
Exercises     177
HOUR 9: Using Strings and Regular Expressions     179
Strings     180
Mutable Strings Using StringBuilder     189
Type Formatting     191
Regular Expressions     199
Summary     201
Q&A     202
Workshop     202
Exercises     204
HOUR 10: Working with Arrays and Collections     205
Single and Multidimensional Arrays     205
Indexers     211
Generic Collections     213
Collection Initializers     227
Collection Interfaces     229
Enumerable Objects and Iterators     230
Summary     233
Q&A     233
Workshop     234
Exercises     235
HOUR 11: Handling Errors Using Exceptions     237
Understanding Exceptions     238
System.Exception     238
Throwing Exceptions     240
Handling Exceptions     241
Rethrowing Caught Exceptions     250
Overflow and Integer Arithmetic     252
Exceptions, Code Contracts, and Parameter Validation     253
Summary     258
Q&A      258
Workshop     259
Exercises     260
HOUR 12: Understanding Generics     261
Why You Should Use Generics     261
Using Generic Methods     269
Creating Generic Classes     271
Combining Generics and Arrays     273
Variance in Generic Interfaces     274
Working with Tuples     278
Summary     279
Q&A     280
Workshop     280
Exercises     281
HOUR 13: Understanding Query Expressions     283
Introducing LINQ     283
Using LINQ to Manipulate Data     284
Standard Query Operator Methods     296
Deferred Execution     300
Summary     301
Q&A     302
Workshop     302
Exercises     302
PART III: WORKING WITH DATA
HOUR 14: Using Files and Streams     303
Files and Directories     303
Reading and Writing Data     314
Summary     322
Q&A     322
Workshop     323
Exercises     323
HOUR 15: Working with XML     325
Understanding the XML DOM     326
Using LINQ to XML     327
Selecting and Querying XML     334
Modifying XML     338
Summary     341
Q&A     341
Workshop     342
Exercises     342
HOUR 16: Working with Databases     343
Prerequisites     343
Understanding ADO.NET     346
Understanding LINQ to ADO.NET     351
Summary     361
Q&A     362
Workshop     363
Exercises     363
PART IV: BUILDING AN APPLICATION USING VISUAL STUDIO
HOUR 17: Building a Windows Application     365
Understanding WPF     365
Creating a WPF Application     372
Styling the Layout     381
Summary     383
Q&A     383
Workshop     384
Exercises     384
HOUR 18: Using Data Binding and Validation     385
Understanding Data Binding     385
Converting Data     392
Validating Data     396
Working with Data Templates     399
Summary     400
Q&A     400
Workshop     401
Exercises     401
HOUR 19: Building Windows Store Apps     403
Understanding the Windows Runtime     404
What’s a Windows Store App?      405
Working Asynchronously     408
Building an App     412
Summary     417
Q&A     417
Workshop     417
Exercises     417
HOUR 20: Building a Web Application     419
Understanding Web Application Architecture     419
Working with ASP.NET     420
Creating a Web Application     423
Understanding Data Validation     432
Summary     435
Q&A     435
Workshop     436
Exercises     436
PART V: DIVING DEEPER
HOUR 21: Programming with Attributes     437
Understanding Attributes     437
Using the Caller Info Attributes     440
Working with the Common Attributes     442
Using Custom Attributes     446
Accessing Attributes at Runtime     447
Summary     448
Q&A     449
Workshop     449
Exercises     449
HOUR 22: Dynamic Types and Language Interoperability     451
Using Dynamic Types     451
Understanding the DLR     456
Interoperating with COM     459
Reflection Interoperability     461
Summary     462
Q&A     462
Workshop     463
Exercises     463
HOUR 23: Memory Organization and Garbage Collection     465
Memory Organization     465
Garbage Collection     466
Understanding the IDisposable Interface     467
Using the Dispose Pattern     469
Declaring and Using Finalizers     470
Summary     472
Q&A     472
Workshop     473
Exercises     474
HOUR 24: Understanding Threads, Concurrency, and Parallelism     475
Understanding Threads and Threading     475
Concurrency and Synchronization     476
Understanding the Task Parallel Library     481
Working with Parallel LINQ (PLINQ)      487
Potential Pitfalls     488
Summary     489
Q&A     490
Workshop     491
Exercises     492
Index     493