View Larger Image	Dan Solis Apress, Paperback, Published December 2006, 592 pages, ISBN 1590597230
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• Programming Languages : C#
• Programming : Object-Oriented
• Programming : Visual Studio 2005

• Apress

Illustrated C# 2005 doesn’t use the traditional dense prose format of most programming texts. Rather, it presents the C# programming language in a unique visual manner. The book uses three techniques to achieve this: concise text; tables that clarify and summarize language features; and frequent figures and diagrams. Each feature is also illustrated with concise, focused code samples.

The book starts with an overview of the .NET platform and the role played by C#, then quickly delves into the language. It covers the entire C# language, including new features added in C# 2.0 as well as the most complex topics. It’s an ideal read if you’re a migrating C++ or VB programmer who already knows how languages work.

Despite its title—which might give the impression that it’s a lightweight treatment of the language—this book is anything but. With its clean visual format, you’ll be able to learn the material more quickly and retain it better than you would with a typical C# 2005 book. Even experienced programmers may come away from it with a deeper understanding of the language.

About the Author

Dan Solis is a contract software engineer who has worked for a number of high-profile clients, including Microsoft Consulting Services, IBM, Lockheed Martin, and PeopleSoft. He has been programming and teaching object-oriented languages and development methods throughout the US and Europe since the early days of C++. It was while teaching numerous seminars on various programming languages that he realized the immense power of diagrams in explaining programming language concepts.

Jul 24, 2008     John from NJ
It's ok if you've already dabbled in c or c#; not for beginners
It's not for beginners. Some of the concepts already expect you to have a good background in visual programing. Jumps into Classes and Methods before explaining Statements and Operators, which should be considered basic building concepts. Too much jumping around. Should have been laid out better. The the illustrations, which includes sample code, help give a clearer understanding of topics covered.

Mar 31, 2007     Cameron from Phoenix, AZ
Learn by Seeing
I own a lot of .NET books, including about 10 C# texts. What sets Illustrated C# 2005 apart is that it reads as if I were watching a professor draw on the chalkboard in class. That is the best analogy I can think of. It is hard to find a page without some type of flow chart, code snippet or diagram on it. This is a very visual book. It is a fantastic text for anyone new to the C# language. If you like to learn by seeing then Illustrated C# 2005 is probably the book for you.

This book is geared toward C# beginners or those who prefer a more "visual" approach to learning. However, with that said, this book is a handy reference in any C# library because of the thoroughness in which it covers its topics. For example the subject of Classes spans four chapters. It does a better job of explaining objects than my first semester C# college textbook. And there is no filler on these pages. The diagrams are very compact. I love it when publishers print an honest page worth. Nice!

A few advanced topics such as threading are not covered. That is probably a good thing as cramming every bit of C# knowledge into this book would be overloading the user. Not pun intended :)

Several parts of this book really stand out. It has a great explanation of a computer systems stack and heap. A lot of us know what these are or have read something about them. For me, the diagrams really helped to clarify how a program uses the stack and heap while running. And that section has a nice segue into value types and reference types.

Another chapter I like is the one on Generics. Generics are a way to apply a class' actions to any "type". They allow you to add an additional layer of abstraction so that you can more easily reuse the code you have written. The Generics chapters is very well written with several nice visual examples. The chapter on Arrays is yet another great example. Most of us who have learned (or tried to learn) arrays know that it is easier to grasp a multidimensional concept when you can see it! There are lots of illustrations in the Arrays chapter.

The last chapter "Other Topics" contains discussion of the StringBuilder class, parsing strings to data values, nullable types, method Main, code domination and nested types. I have noted each chapters approximate page count in parenthesis.

CHAPTERS

C# and the .NET Framework (13)

Overview of C# Programming (14)

Types, Storage and Variables (13)

Classes: The Basics (15)

Methods (32)

More About Classes (40)

Classes and Inheritance (30)

Expressions and Operators (35)

Statements (30)

Namespaces and Assemblies (25)

Exceptions (15)

Structs (8)

Enumerations (10)

Arrays (25)

Delegates (15)

Events (15)

Interfaces (22)

Conversions (30)

Generics (25)

Enumerations and Iterators (22)

Attributes (18)

Processor Directives (10)

Other Topics (25)

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