- Animation
- Application design
- ASP.NET
- C#, .NET 3.5
- Controls
- Data access
- Effects
- Expression Blend
- Expression Design
- Game development
- Graphics
- Javascript and AJAX
- Math and Physics
- Media streaming
- Multimedia
- Security
- Silverlight
- Styling
- UI Design
- VB.NET
- Video
- Visual Studio
- WCF
- WPF
- XAML
BlueForest Networks
Head First C#
Publisher: O'Reilly Media, Inc. - November 26, 2007 ISBN-10: 0596514824, ISBN-13: 9780596514822
Author: Andrew Stellman
Jennifer Greene
778 pages
Head First C# - book reviews: 87
Unlike other C# books, which just show you examples and expect you to just memorize them and move on, Head First C# gets you writing code from the beginning. You're given the tools you need, and then you're guided through fun and engaging programming projects. You'll build programs to play a card game, explore a house, and help lazy programmers manage their sick day excuses. But it's not all fun and games: you'll build business applications too, like a contact database and a program to help a party planner estimate her dinner parties. You'll build a dungeon role-playing game and a fully animated, colorful simulation of a beehive. And by the end of the book, you'll build a fast-paced, full-featured retro Invaders arcade game.
Make no mistake: by the time you're done with Head First C#, you'll be able to build full-scale, complex, and highly visual programs. And you'll have all of the C# tools you need to tackle almost any programming problem that comes your way.
Head First C# is built for your brain, using the revolutionary approach that was pioneered by the highly acclaimed and popular Head First series. You'll never get that bored, "eyes glazed over" feeling from Head First C#, because it guides you through one challenging project after another until, by the end of the book, you're a C# rock star!
Here's what you'll learn:
- Core C# programming concepts
- How to use the Visual Studio 2008 IDE to build, debug and run your programs
- Important .NET 3.5 features, including generic collections, Windows forms, GDI+ graphics, streams, serialization and more
- Using object oriented programming concepts to help you build well-designed programs
- How to build robust applications with good error handling
- The latest C# 3.0 features, including LINQ, object and collection initializers, automatic properties, extension methods and more
Throughout the book, you'll confront and conquer advanced C# concepts. Some of the most mysterious ideas are demystified and explained with clear examples: how Unicode works, events and delegates, references versus value types, the stack versus the heap, what's really going on with garbage collection, and more.
Thousands of readers have learned C# using this innovative book, including:
- Beginning programmers who want to learn programming from the ground up
- More advanced programmers who are proficient in another language (like Visual Basic, Java, SQL, FoxPro) and want to add C# to their toolbox
- Programmers who understand basic C# syntax, but are still looking to get a handle on how objects work
- Anyone who's tried to learn C#, but had to deal with books full of dull examples and nothing but boring console applications
- Lots of people who just want to learn how to build cool games!
Head First C# is built to work with any version of Visual Studio 2008, including the free express edition. (It can also can be used with any version of Visual Studio 2005.)
Make sure you get copy printed on September and on since it has all the "Errata corrected"
Get a copy that was printed after September 2008 since it has all the "Errata corrected" (I checked publisher site before buying) I didn't buy it at Amazon because I wanted to make sure I got the latest printed copy with all the corrections. To my surprise I found printed copy with the date July 2009. This book is amazing. Programming is a huge pain to learn with books. But this is totally a fun experience.
Jacob Gonzalez
14 August, 2009
Good Read (so far)
What stands out most for me with this book is the relaxed style most computing books don't have.
OOP is very new to me, the last programming I did was over 15 years ago at University so I really do need a softly softly approach to get me back in to the swing and this book appears to be doing it's job quite nicely!
I've only had time to go through the first project and so far the book has made the experience an easier one!
Darren Finch
29 June, 2009
This book delivers what it promises
There are several reviews for this book that cite the poor editing of the first edition of this book. As I have found that the confirmed errata on the O'Reilly web site seems to be fixed in my copy, I can only assume I have the second edition.
This book isn't perfect; there are still some errors, BUT if you are really trying to learn C# and you've paid attention to what you've read in the book, the errors are not serious and you should be able to tell what was intended.
I suppose I should say that this book is just over 700 pages and I am currently on page 348. That means two things. First, I can't claim that there won't be problems with the text later in the book (but I doubt there will be), and two...
When I say I'm on page 348, I mean I've read every page preceding, followed every exercise and finished the first lab without 'cheating'. I haven't done that with a 'computer book' since Datamost published a guide to Applesoft Basic back in the early 1980's.
What do I really like about this book? Two main things. First, everything is explained, then repeated several times in plain language. If at first I don't understand, I only need to keep reading to have the explanation come at me again from a slightly different angle, and usually with a new code example or exercise. Second, I love (LOVE!) the labs. After learning and reinforcing several key bits of C#, you'll eventually reach a lab wher you are given the specs for a program. There are usually some details on what sort of approach you might take but otherwise you are on your own to use what you've learned to build the application. If you are serious about learning anything (including C#), nothing beats practice, practice, practice.
The forum for this book on the O'Reilly site is populated by helpful people who seem to be good at sharing information and helping clarify if and when you get stuck on something.
I would totally recommend this book, especially if you are a beginner.
John Sheppard
10 June, 2009
This was the best book on C#
This was the best book on C# that I have got. It is really a practical step by step learning. So I give the highest rate to this book.
[...]
Ali
03 June, 2009
C# educational books
A book Head first is a great book for beginners in C# programming. It shows you on a simple way how to start coding. I was really surprised how easy is to learn some basics. But still, it is only for the beginning - for something more the additional books are needs AND most of all, a lot of time invested into practising.
But still, great book, as I said it is a great book got getting basic knowledge.
Mitja Bonca
17 May, 2009
