Microsoft Silverlight Books

Great Reference book

I haven't made any comparisons to other books, but this one has proven sufficient to a new programmer.

J. Beasley
28 April, 2010

A must have for C# developers

C# 3.0 in a nutshell is a most excellent way to keep current in the language. It has quickly become my favorite reference as well as a great off hours read. The Albahari brothers know their stuff and are quite talented in communicating/imparting it to others. I believe they have upped my programming game with this book more that any other single book I have read. I am ordering the C# 4.0 version this week. Download the companion free software LinqPad (written by Joe Albarhari) as it allows you to effortlessly test modify and tweak the examples in the book. Linqpad is awesome in it's own right.

As an aside to show lack of bias, I have never met the Albahari brothers nor do I have any personal or professional relationship with them.

David G. Ogilvie
14 February, 2010

Good content, thoughtful explanations

First, don't be put off by the irony of an 800+ page nutshell book.

I like how the authors explain some advanced topics, such as delegates, events, lambda expressions, anonymous methods, and contravariance. They seem to do in one paragraph what eludes most other authors.

I've read several of the sections off and on, and I get the feeling that the authors are writing from experience and with a practical deliberation. This approach seems to fit well with the spirit of a nutshell book, where you are looking to cut to the chase.

This is not a beginner book, and a reader would benefit from some previous knowledge/experience with C#. However, it is also written well enough so that a beginner would not be completely lost.

G. Askew
23 January, 2010

Clear, concise, and thorough

C# 3.0 in a Nutshell is just about perfect. It describes the language and the relevant .NET libraries in a clear, concise way, with meaningful examples and a much appreciated lack of author interference. C# is the star of this show, and the authors stay out of its way. This book has one purpose - to document C# 3.0. No more, no less. So, don't come into this book looking for clever anecdotes or immature silliness that often pervades other titles.

The book can be read from chapter-to-chapter, or used as a desktop reference. It's the perfect supplement for those already learning other Microsoft technologies, such as ASP.NET. This book will fill in the gaps that resources on those other technologies neglect to explore.

Take note that this book is NOT meant for beginners. If you don't know what a variable is, or a control loop, then you should seek a more rudimentary text before diving into this. This book won't teach you how to program - instead it documents one of many available programming languages available for use. Keep those caveats in mind when deciding whether or not to make a purchase.

There's not much else to say. C# 3.0 is a text that has a specific job to do, and it does it well. It's a must have for anyone wanting to learn the language, those who need a language-specific supplement for their other related avenues of learning, or a trusty desktop reference for the language. Highly recommended.

Kevin D A Major
08 December, 2009

Helped me port code from C++ to C#

Very concise and easy to understand. I used this book as a reference while porting code from C++ to C#. First four chapters gave me a great overview of the language. The rest of the book handles the more specific mechanisms in C# and .NET

K. San Vicente
27 September, 2009

Nothing more I can really say...

That hasn't already been stated in other reviews.

Basically, if you have any experience with structured scripting languages whatsoever - even basic JavaScript - you can learn (or freshen up) C# with this book quite easily. It presents the information in a way that is easy for those who learn by definition: Telling you what each reference is and what it does, then showing you an example of how it's used and what the outcome will be.

My only real complaint, and it may not be a complaint for you, is that there doesn't seem to be a plan or methodology, no linearity, in the way the information is given. It jumps around in a way that is a bit difficult to follow; the content is easy to understand, but I was hoping for something that more closely emulates stepping through an actual script. Start with the 'using' reference, explain that, then go to some of the common entry points and explain those, etc. You don't learn about 'using' until like 50 pages into the book, even though that's 9 times out of 10 the first line in the code.

Small nitpick, but it did affect me a bit, so I felt it necessary to note here in case you feel the same.

I suggest if you can find this book at a Borders or Barnes and Noble and can flip through it before buying (and I would suggest buying it from Amazon to save $10 if you like it), please do so. Make sure the layout of the book works for you. The content is guaranteed to.

M.D.C.
25 September, 2009

Yes, a great reference

This is indeed a well written book that I rarely finds in the category of language references.
This book covers huge array of C# features without loss of technical depth. I'll keep it on my desk all the time.

Sang-min Park
02 August, 2009

Great Book

There are a lot of reviews with all of the details on why you should by this book. I agree, it's a great reference and learning aid, you need this book.

Side note, I would love to hear the story of why the authors of the 2nd edition are: Ben Albahari, Peter Drayton, Ted Neward and the current (3rd) edition are just: Joseph & Ben Albahari... what happened to Peter and Ted? Didn't they write anything the first time around? or did Joseph need a book on his resume? Lol, wonder which.

Toaster
09 July, 2009

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.


George
22 April, 2009

Good reference for more experienced develoopers

I purchased this book because I use LinqPad which was written by one of the authors and the LINQ Quick Reference which is bascially a rewrite of the LINQ-related chapters of this book.

For a reference for people familiar with C# fundamentals it's top notch. If you want to start from scratch on a topic, even ones new to C# 3.0 e.g. automatic properties, anonymous variables or even LINQ, you are better off purchasing a book that will walk you through it more. But like every O'Reilly "In A Nutshell" book I have owned, as one book to keep on your desk to look up the details of a feature or concept this is a compact and complete as it gets and includes much better examples than the MSDN docs. Just don't confuse it with a "Learn C#" book.

If you are looking for a book for learning LINQ, I heartily reccomend "Essential LINQ: by Charlie Calvert" as it covers LINQ and the new features in C# 3.0 that make LINQ possible. I have been previewing the prerelease version and it was the first LINQ book that was able to cram this through my thick skull.

Brent M. Hoover
16 March, 2009

Excellent Manual for the Experienced Developer

C# 3.0 in a Nutshell is an excellent manual and reference book if you are an experienced developer looking to learn the latest version of the C# language.
This book can be separated in three parts. The first part is the C# language syntax which is covered extensevily with a lot of short and medium sized examples you can write in 10-15 minutes to see and test all the important language concepts.
The second part is LINQ. The book will first introduce you to LINQ by using Extension methods on general collections, and then it will show you the syntax followed by an extensive reference to all possible LINQ statements.
The third part is reserved to common programming operations in the .NET framework (IO, Networking, Threading etc. )
In short , if you are an experienced programmer and this is not your first object oriented programming language this book will teach you everything you need to know to be a productive C# developer.
What it will not teach you is a specific .NET framework (Win.Forms, ASP.NET or WPF).

Nikola Stjelja
20 February, 2009

An "In a nutshell" book that explains topics better than other books

I bought both this book and the APress .NET 3.5 Framework book using C#. I found the O'Reilly book a breath of fresh air. The book is much lighter than my other C# books, they also take the time to explain concepts because their goal is to explain the language and none of the peripheries like WWF, WCF, WPF, ASP.NET, etc...so what you get is a compact book, that's chock full of information and examples. It gets straight to the point and its approach is methodical and detailed. I especially enjoyed Chapter 19 (Multi-threading) as most books cover threading but many approach the subject with the pre-supposition that the author is aware of developing threaded apps in C#. The authors pulled strings and suggested tips for building asynchronous and threaded applications with examples. This book sits around my desk or in my bag, it's a fantastic reference book - a must have if you're a serious C# developer.

Brian Maula
03 February, 2009

Good book for C#

Every programmer should always have a nutshell book in their programming language(s) on a bookshelf or at work. This is a necessity for C# programmers. The book goes through all the basics and deeper explanations on specific areas. This book is also known for its sections on LINQ. The author even has a small program on his site, called LINQPad, which is great tool for learning and everyday use.

William J. Andrus
21 January, 2009

Very Good Book

This is a very good book for someone who already has programming experience. I especially appreciated the chapter on asynchronous methods.

Paul Russell
15 January, 2009

More Than a Reference!

I have been building software professionally for about 20 years, and in that time have read a lot of books. While generally impressed with the O'Reilly series, this book exceeded my expectations.

I think C# 3.0 in a Nutshell is clear, very well written, concise (even at 700+ pages), thorough and practical. While not for the first-time programmer, this book is an excellent reference, guide and teacher for those familiar with .NET and C# concepts, and who wants to review the basics as well as learn about the new .NET 3.5 constructs, e.g., LINQ.

Of course, other books specifically dedicated to a given topic will go into more depth, but this is a great place to get a fairly deep overview accompanied by cogent explanations and examples.


This is a must-have on every .NET programmer's bookshelf.



John P. Puopolo
08 November, 2008

Very good, from a non-programmer

This book seems like a great reference so far. I had been hoping to learn C# with this book, but it's not really a learning book. it's definitely first and foremost a reference. Most of the wording is quite dense. I found myself reading the first few pages several times because they were so packed with information as they tried to explain the entire layout of C#. Later in the book I could pick out useful information with a fast read.

I was annoyed that it advertises a free online edition, because that is not true. The online edition is free for only a short time, and after that the subscription is very expensive. It would be nice if there were a place online where you could download examples or notes. It's nice to have an online and print copy of the same book just for text searching.

Gene Leynes
01 November, 2008

Great C# reference

This is one of the few programming books I bought I actually keep nearby. Great reference for everyday C# coding needs - better organized and more clear than MSDN.

Alexey Kalinin
27 October, 2008

On my desk

This book is a huge step up from the first edition. It's totally rewritten. I bought it a couple of weeks ago and now it's between the keyboard and the screen. I am continually referring to it.
The chapters on assemblies and reflection are worth the price of the book alone.
I could not ask for more.
(update)
It's been a while since I started reading this book: it's still the only book on my desk and I take it home occasionally. I am still very impressed by the quality of the explanations.
It's not totally exhaustive, however, for example ObservableCollections are not mentionned, although they are quite useful, but this wont make me change how wonderful I think this book is.
An absolute must-have. Now if the authors could write more books I'd snap them up!



M. Henri De Feraudy
25 September, 2008

Excellent Reference on C#, .NET, and LINQ

This is an excellent reference on C#, the .NET framework, and LINQ. It's not just a rewrite of MSDN, but gives some great insight into how to use the core pieces of the .NET framework for practical applications.

The chapters on LINQ alone are worth the cost of the book. The authors dive deep into LINQ and really give you a good understanding of how it works.

I also like how the authors stay focused on the core pieces of .NET, and don't stray too deep into things like WCF and WPF. There are plenty of good books for that.

I highly recommend this for anyone desiring to learn more about C#, the .NET framework, and LINQ.


Lawrence Parker
04 September, 2008

A must have reference

This is a must have reference book. If you are new to C# maybe you should try first an introductory text (such as the "Visual C# 2008 step by step", or the "Head first C#") but keep in mind that introductory books usually have things spread around ... and as such this "nutshell" text is still essential (not only as a reference, but also for filling-in any gaps/details the introductory books might not mention).

Samsonid
22 July, 2008

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.

L. Gonzales Mariscal
17 July, 2008

Best C# book available in the market

great book, a must have! if you do not have this book you are not a C# developer! =)

A. Yayalar
05 July, 2008

Best C# Book Bar None

The "In a Nutshell" series has long been my favorite's. I am glad they did C# again with .NET 3.0. The format of the book changed quite a bit with a much better format and lenghthy explainations and demonstrations. I truly hope they redo ADO.NET in a nutshell as that was my favorite as well.

This book is all you really need on C# and .NET framework. [I have many others, but always find myself coming back to this, and for good reason]

John Grove
25 June, 2008

I love you, Joseph and Ben

Pure awesome - if you're a good programmer already and want the skinny on what's new (or even great explanations on what you already think you know), spend the $10-$15 and buy this book. I love it and I buy every version they put out. There just aren't enough people like Joseph and Ben writing tech books!

Scott D. Whigham
09 June, 2008

An excellent book to keep

For those who has experience with object-oriented programming, this is an excellent book both for learning C# and for being used as a reference book on the desk. The examples are carefully designed in general but can be made better in a couple of places.

Jingke
02 June, 2008

...good read

sits on my desk as a reference when I encounter something I cannot remember or just need to brush up on!

A. Christen
20 May, 2008

Well done...

I'm a professional developer but I have no experience using C#. My current project required learning C# at a highly accelerated pace and this book did it for me.

If you are an experienced developer needing to learn C# quickly and thoroughly without resorting to the "for Dummies" types of books this is an effective tool, use it.


Charles L. Nelson
02 May, 2008

Indispensible Reference

References to this book kept coming up at the top of internet search results while I was trying to figure out how to implement a QBE UI using LINQ.

I finally took the hint and bought the book.

Now that I have the book, after having sifted through it, I can attest that it explains C# clearly and thoroughly and is delightfully insightful. On par with the best O'Reilly nutshell references.

I believe it is currently the best C# 3.0 reference on the market.

J. Leonard
09 April, 2008

Excellent Reference

A Quick Way To look up anything that deals with C#
Terms, Keywords, implementation etc...
great for both a beginners referanece and a seasoned professional

Kurt Heitmeyer
08 April, 2008

The best book on C# in the market

This book is a hands down winner among the C# books currently in market. Written in a clear and precise manner, it is both a tutorial and a reference. You can get a taste of the book from the authors' website where they have posted tutorials (check out the tutorial on Threading in C#).
I came to know about this book from a link on Chris Sells' blog where he is all praise for the book.
Highly recommended.

PC
31 March, 2008

Highly recommended

Bought this to learn LINQ. Found that it has an excellent treatment of all topics and lots of sample code. Very clear and concise explanations. This is a good technical book I have read in a long time.

S. Subramanian
28 March, 2008

The Best C# book hands down

This book is a pleasure to read. It has everything you could want out of a core language book. All the basics are covered as well as all the advanced topics. It gives you a brake down of what feature is in what version of the .NET Framework as well a clean code examples for everything. Very good coverage on the core .NET Framework class libraries. The past versions of C# in a Nutshell where not very good being that it was created using Refection and NDoc, or what I would call cheating. But they fixed all that in this edition. The authors have out done themselves with this MASTER WORK!

Note: this book is not for beginners, please understand that. The authors are dealing with complex and in depth language features that the beginner may not understand. O'Reilly puts out two great beginning C# books; Programming C# and Learning C# both written by Jessie Liberty and since I have bought every version of the Programming C# since the first edition I cannot recommend it enough to the beginner. Programming C# is a close second to this book so you can't go wrong.

Dean P. Gjedde
11 March, 2008

Right on the money

I love this book! If you're self-taught when it comes to C#, as I am, having picked it up from MSDN and various tutorials on the web, then you will really appreciate having such a comprehensive guide to the language handy. I was disappointed on this front: I had expected from other reviews that it would cover Windows Forms programming, but that and ASP.NET are outside its "nutshell". However, given how comprehensive the treatment is, I can understand why. It would have necessitated a much shallower approach if it had attempted to tackle those two huge areas. This is about the nuts and bolts of C#, including the core components of the .NET CLR. It's a reference book, not a tutorial, but if you are familiar with programming concepts, you can certainly work through it chapter by chapter. The language is clear and the examples error-free. You feel you are in good hands, and you can't ask for more than that from a programming text.

Pierz Newton-John
09 March, 2008

Best Nutshell book yet

I've owned quite of few of the O'Reilly Nutshell books over the years, and I have to say this is the best one. Not because of the topic, i.e. C#, but because of how well written and organized it is. It manages to cover the most important topics a C# programmer needs to be familiar with in a concise, but not needlessly abbreviated manner. You usually won't need to go off searching somewhere else because the topic wasn't covered in depth enough. Almost everytime I need to look something up, it's there and very well explained. You can also just read it chapter by chapter, and you'll learn quite a bit you didn't know before. My hats off to the authors for an extremely well written book. I wish more computer books were this good.

Randy Giedrycz
26 February, 2008

Excellent desktop reference.

Every thing in C# is included with examples. From novice to professional I believe this book would be useful.

Safe Hot
13 February, 2008

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.

Mo' Data
09 February, 2008

C# in a Huge Nutshell

This is a great reference book. It's very clear about the details of C# and its various nuisances. The only complaint is that there is a lot of excess material which is C# related, but not directly C#. The first 150 pages or so are the meat, and the last 550 are all potatoes i.e., filler. If you're interested in JUST C#, this is overkill. If you're interested in C#, Linq, and .NET, then this is just right.

C. Felish
18 January, 2008

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.

Scott Guthrie
20 December, 2007

Good book to upgrade your knowledge from C# 2.0 to C# 3.0

If you already know C# but want to upgrade to C# 3.0, this might be all you need.

Alfred Broderick
23 November, 2007

Comprehensive overview

It's a thick book that encompasses almost every facet of C#. If you're looking for a book that is both broad and deep (well, as deep as an "in a nutshell" book can be), then I highly recommend this book. It'll be on my bookshelf for a long time.

Chyld Medford
21 November, 2007

Great reference book

I bought this book to see what LING is all about, and after reading it I understand the Net framework a lot more. It's a good reference book to have.

T. Trinh
16 November, 2007

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. Asynchronous Methods
Chapter 21. Application Domains
Chapter 22. Integrating with Native DLLs
Chapter 23. Diagnostics
Chapter 24. Regular Expressions
Appendix A. C# Keywords
Appendix B. Namespace-to-Assembly Reference

calvinnme
17 October, 2007