Book Description
By using C# and the final beta of NET 2.0, this book covers Windows Forms and GDI+ namespaces thoroughly for the .NET programmer in 2005. Experienced author Matthew MacDonald achieves this by combining careful treatment of the API with detailed discussion of solid user-interface design principles. This is an update for .NET 2.0 of MacDonald’s previous edition (1590590457) which gained wide community recognition. Upon reading this edition, you will be equipped to design state-of-the-art Windows interfaces and program graphics, and know how to create your own controls.
As a developer, you must know more than simply adding a control to a window. You must be able to create an entire user interface framework that's scalable, flexible, and reusable. Although this book is not a reference manual, it contains detailed discussions about user interface elements you’ll use on a regular basis. You will learn to use .NET controls, as well as extend them with your own custom controls.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent read.......2007-09-11
I've read quite a few books on Windows Forms applications which include creating custom controls. There are some that are average and there are some that are very good. Usually the average books tend to touch on the simpler aspects of windows forms and forms controls and not go into much detail, which is OK for the novice programmer dabbling in .NET for the first time. However, the more experienced programmers among us want much more. In this respect the very good books tend to be a little over the top for the average user.
This book falls somewhere in the middle for novice and experienced programmers alike, whilst still being rather good. It offers a good discussion on what makes up the underlying architecture of Windows Forms applications which many books lack. The .NET IDE attempts to hide a lot of the nuts and bolts behind the outer layers and generally you shouldn't touch what's under the covers. But occasionally you need to, especially when using visual inheritance because that's when the IDE starts the go a little haywire. By understanding a little about what's happening underneath goes a long way in helping you get out of the mess when the IDE does screw up.
The book covers most of the interesting forms controls .NET 2.0 has to offer and describes them in better detail than what can be found in the relatively useless MSDN on-line help. The code examples given are excellent, concentrating on real-world scenarios. A good portion of the book illustrates how to extend these controls further using custom controls and GDI+ owner drawing to modify the look and feel of these controls.
The book also concentrates on developing 3-tier applications isolating the presentation layer from the business logic and data layers, which is a highly recommended practice for developing scalable applications.
The book doesn't include a CD but all the code examples can be downloaded from the publisher's web site.
Overall I give it 4 out of 5.
Master of Controls.......2007-04-17
Since the moment when I took this book in my hands and was able to make practice with the examples on this book, I was able to feel recognized the simplicity in the complexity of the controls.
The examples are clear and very well done, impeccables and flawless a good thing for the newbie and the old programmer.
I am enjoying the controls that allow me to click on them and assign my own properties.
Good WinForms and Custom Controls Book.......2007-04-02
This book gives a good overview of each control, but is really centered on teaching you how to develop custom user controls and how to get them to work well with the VS 2005 IDE (Tool panel and Properties window). It also covers owner drawn controls using GDI+. The downloadable code samples demonstrate everything in the book. However, it doesn't appear that the author actually tried to compile all of them, as there are many with fixible errors (mostly project setup ones), and one, that uses an xlst file to install a SQL database that does not have the required procedures. Thankfully, the author responded to me with questions I had and sent me a new database file. One major positive is that the book is not filled with code listings. The author only shows the specific code segments that he is talking about. I learned a lot from this book. It loses a star though for the sloppy C# program examples.
Awesome Information.......2006-11-10
This book was a great read and I found it extremely useful in learning many basic as well as many advanced topics that are essential in WinForms development.
Didática Perfeita.......2006-08-10
Esse livro contém todos os ingredientes necessários para você poder dar uma boa avançada em C#, explica muitas coisas a respeito do uso de técnicas envolvendo Windows Form e User Control e até classes.
Amazon.com
Suitable for most any programmer who wants to master ASP.NET with an eye toward real-world development, Programming ASP.NET is an excellent resource that mixes good coverage of APIs with actual programming techniques and advice using Visual Basic .NET and C#. The combination places it in the forefront of currently available titles on ASP.NET.
Written in part by veteran computer author Jesse Liberty, this book offers an excellent mix of coverage of important ASP.NET features that you will absolutely need to use for real-world programming. Readers with previous ASP experience will appreciate early sections that compare an older ASP sample with the new ASP.NET to highlight what's new and improved, with good explanation of the ASP.NET event model. The pace of this book is just excellent. The authors first move through the essentials, like basic ASP Web controls and data binding, before delving into data-driven applications using the (slightly complicated) ASP.NET database APIs. It also helps that the authors let you use Notepad (or another text editor) to create your ASP.NET programs first. (Later, they cover the details of Visual Studio .NET, pointing out how this tool can sometimes make it difficult to see where your code is generated.) There's also coverage of debugging and tracing techniques.
Standout sections on the calendar, Repeater, DataList, and DataGrid controls (all presented in good detail) will help you master these important controls. Coverage of techniques and support for validating user input in Web pages will also help you use these essential features.
The author's well-measured tutorial on Web services (much touted by Microsoft) is as good as any. Their demos (using a well-traveled example of a stock ticker server) will show you what all the fuss is about. They cut through the hype here and manage to show why Web services are a potentially better way toward distributed computing. Later sections look at deployment, configuration, and performance (as well as caching) options that you'll need to deploy and run your ASP.NET programs successfully. Coverage of security options in .NET rounds out the tour of what you'll need to create real applications.
Illustrated throughout with samples from VB .NET and C#, Programming ASP.NET is a worthy addition to the O'Reilly lineup and one of the best available titles for learning ASP.NET. The authors have achieved an excellent balance of practical, hands-on examples and essential programming techniques with the most important APIs and features, all without getting bogged down in the richness and complexity of .NET itself. --Richard Dragan
Topics covered: Introduction to the .NET platform and ASP.NET; basic programs in HTML; ASP and ASP.NET compared; events in ASP.NET (application, session, page, and control events); HTML and ASP controls compared; basic ASP controls APIs (including in-depth coverage of calendar support); code behind forms; using the Visual Studio .NET IDE; tracing, debugging, and error handling; validation controls in ASP.NET (including built-in and custom validators, plus regular expression support); basic data-binding techniques; list and DataGrid controls; ADO.NET tutorial (basic APIs and programming techniques); calling stored procedures; updating database records; Repeater and DataList controls used with ADO.NET; custom ASP.NET controls (including derived, composite, and full custom controls); overview of Web services (including SOAP, WSDL, and other standards); creating and consuming a sample Web service for a stock ticker; ASP.NET caching techniques explained (including fragment and object caching); security options in ASP.NET for authentication, authorization, and impersonation; configuration and deployment options in ASP.NET (including XCOPY deployment); and an appendix with a quick tutorial on database design.
Product Description
O'Reilly has once again updated its bestselling tutorial on ASP.NET, the world's leading web development tool from Microsoft. In Programming ASP.NET, Third Edition, authors Jesse Liberty and Dan Hurwitz give you the lowdown on the technology's latest version, ASP.NET 2.0, as well as Visual Studio 2005.
Among the most significant improvements to ASP.NET 2.0 are new server controls and services that make you dramatically more productive. In fact, when compared to its predecessor, ASP.NET 2.0 reduces the amount of code you have to write by about 75%. Creating interactive web applications has never been easier-but that still doesn't mean it's hassle-free! The difficulty in ASP.NET 2.0 is that it's so complete and flexible that there are many pieces that must be woven together to build a robust, scalable, and efficient application.
Fortunately, Programming ASP.NET, Third Edition is on the case, dispensing all the information you need to be effective with this dynamic tool. For starters, the book features a comprehensive tutorial on Web Forms, the user interface that gives web applications their look and feel. It then offers detailed explanations of all new controls, including web server controls, HTML controls, and custom controls. Used properly, these controls are able to take care of nearly all the foundation work-security, data access, layout, etc.-that you would normally have to write yourself. Free of these burdensome tasks, you can instead focus on your specific application.
Other new material found in this updated edition even shows you how to create ASP.NET 2.0 pages for mobile devices. With Programming ASP.NET, Third Edition at your side, there's virtually no end to the programming possibilities.
Customer Reviews:
Subpar Liberty book.......2007-06-09
I am a big fan of Jesse Liberty books and rate him as one of the best and more experienced tech writers around, but this book is definitely not up to his excellent standard. To be more precise, the book starts out very well, with and introduction to the basic control of ASP.NET illustrated by many clear examples, and the only complaint I have about the first part of the book is that I would have loved to see the two chapters that he devote to webapp structure and configuration right at the start of the book. I think it would have given a clear picture of what one is doing with all those pages and controls and why things are the way they are. The second part of the book is where I was expecting to find more complete and advanced examples on how to build and configure a "real - life " web application, but here is where the book fails miserably. The chapters on ADO can be defined as confusing at best, and the remaining chapters are either a sequence of instructions fitter more to a "build a website visually for dummies" title, or missing crucial information. I have been also very annoyed by the organization of the example code. Every, and I say every example is in the format of a single website, and to make things worse these websites are not organized by chapter number but just by name.
It really looks like the kind of book a smart and experienced tech author could write after studying the documentation throughly but having no real experience with the subject in practice. I think I understand why.. even I find myself more interested in the foundations of a technology on language structure and on general CS subjects than in the structure of the Nth API or Framwork, but still I don't go about writing books on them!
So, a somewhat decent book, especially considering the low general quality standard of ASP books, but nothing to be enthusiastic about.
Clearing up misconceptions.......2007-03-10
This book is a C# book. The reviews here, along with Amazon's own review, are referring to one of the previous editions where VB.NET code samples were included.
When deciding to buy this book, or not, be wary of the reviews that were posted before the publication date. I can see that this situation has already caused others some grief.
VB.NET code gone.......2007-02-07
[...]This edition has no VB.NET code and assumes knowledge of C#. All the examples are in that language.
I bought it because of positive reviews and publishers description that stated the book had all examples in both languages,[...].
It may be a fine book for those who know C#
Pretty darn good.......2006-11-04
A good book to use both as a learning guide, and as a reference. Though some of the code examples could have been tightened up a little bit, they do a nice job of starting at the very bottom/core of ASP and working their way up -- teaching you how to use ASP to create quality applications instead of glue and popsickle stick nightmares.
Programming ASP.NET (3rd edition).......2006-04-25
I was reading this book as a sequel to "Programming C#" by Jesse
Liberty. . I come from a Java/ColdFusion (mainly web applications)
background and wanted to venture out onto the .Net platform for web
application development.
The book is divided into 19 chapters (over 900 pages) of detailed
and valuable information on the ASP.Net 2.0, as described below;
01. ASP.NET 2.0 Overview
02. Visual Studio 2005 examination
03. Controls in ASP.NET
04. Basic Controls
05. Advanced Controls
06. Web Site Basics
07. Tracing, Debugging, Error Handling
08. Validation in ASP.NET
09. Data Access
10. ADO.NET
11. Forms-Based Security
12. Master Pages
13. Personalizing in ASP.NET
14. Custom & User Controls
15. Creating Web Services
16. Using Web Services
17. Caching & Performance
18. Application Configuration
19. Deploying your site
The chapters and content is laid out logically with plenty of
textual and graphical information (charts, screenshots, e.t.c.)
which makes it very easy to follow for a novice to intermediate
user. For a user who is already experienced in other languages or
even the C# language, I felt it a bit of an overkill to explain each
component in 2.0 frameworks in detail. Each control that a .Net
programmer has heard of (or not) is explained with relevant control
properties in a tabular format and a small example to back it up.
The authors also point out several differences between 1.1 and 2.0
versions of this framework along the way. As with most O'Reilly
books, this one is extremely informative and comprehensive. At
times, however, it does feel overly informative.
Once you get past chapter 05, the conceptual information about
state, error handling, directives is presented. The chapters on data
access present exhaustive information on grids, data lists, repeater
controls, etc while the one on ADO.Net provides information on
establishing database connections, creating data relations (foreign
and primary keys). The chapters 12 and 13 cover the new feature in
2.0 like the Master Pages, Personalization, Themes, Web-Parts, etc.
Though the domain of this book is extraordinarily large, I did not
find anything on email objects (System.mail). I have known some
people who complained about not being able to see any Visual Basic
code. For me, however, I have been working with coldfusion,
javascripts, java and action scripts 2.0, so the C# syntax looks
familiar and more understandable.
In conclusion, this book is an excellent reference to anyone
experienced with ASP.Net 1.1 and a great learning guide to someone
new to ASP.net 2.0. If the [experienced] reader gets past the first
five chapters, then he/she should have no problem in mastering the
latest and greatest of the Microsoft framework in a short time. I
have definitely learned an incredible amount from this book, and I
can say with confidence that I have added ASP.Net to my repertoire.
Customer Reviews:
Great Book.......2007-07-05
This book had exactly what I needed in it, how to create custom objects that are plugable into user interface controls (like data grids) and have all the event wiring etc. to make them look and act like the do with datasets. This includes sorting, etc. Excellent book from a great author.
Truly understanding the datagridview.......2007-05-13
Brian Noyes studied the grid thoroughly and has written a readable book which guide you in understanding the datagridview step by step. For me it is however pretty hard to understand the code Brian supplies in C#. In my opinion VB is better suited for learning purposes especially. Sometimes Brian uses tough coding which I can't grasp.
5 Stars from a DotNet Expert..........2007-03-06
.
Actually, I am only an expert at buying books about C# and DotNet, but an expert none-the-less.
After seeing the author's data-binding demo on dnrtv, I came here and read the reviews about this book - the reviews couldn't have been more accurate! With only two years of C# programming under my belt, I have found that chapters 7 (Understanding Data-Binding Interfaces) and 9 (Implementing Custom Data-Bound Business Objects and Collections) are alone worth the price of this book.
This book is extremely well written and easy to follow. Not really a "How To", but more of a "How To Understand How To" data-binding book IMHO.
Best book out on database use.......2007-02-13
I have looked long and hard for a database and windows design book that was really useful. This is it. Lots of reusable code. Working designs. Well written - easy to read and understand. I have placed more tabs for easy reference in this book than any book of recent years. Buy it now!!
The Best Book on Data Binding and .NET 2.0. A must read for windows forms developers........2007-01-20
This is a really great book. Like most technical books it covers a lot of ground:
1. Shows through example how data binding works in windows: how to use the Binding class to bind a property on a control to a property on an object; how the new .NET 2.0 BindingSource class is used and why it was created; and a clear explanation of the currency manager and how the BindingSource class replaces it. I didn't even know you could bind arbitrary properties on an object to a property on a control. This book showed me how to do it. Too Cool!
2. A detailed explanation of how to use and extend the DataGridView. It is the best one stop shopping treatment of the DataGridView I have seen anywhere.
3. How to implement custom data-bound controls in windows forms.
4. A detailed explanation of the Data-Binding interfaces, including how to bind the DataGridView to something other then a DataTable.
5. And so much more...
I consider this one of the few .NET books worth reading. One big plus about this book is after the first couple of chapters you can skip around and read what you need to get your job done.
Using the information from this book I was able to create an adapter to our custom business object and display the data in a data grid view. Using the data grid view the user can perform the standard CRUD (create, read, update, and delete operations) on the data. This provides a nice addition to our graphical rendering. Big thanks to the author. I couldn't of done it without this book.
Customer Reviews:
Terrific book which is still highly useful.......2007-04-27
Windows Presentation Foundation has been released and we will all immediately stop doing WinForms development and move to the latest and greatest technology. Right. WPF may take over the world -- but not right now. Plenty of folks will still be doing Windows Forms development for some time. Ergo, this book is a great resource to have on the shelf.
The writing style's clean, clear, and concise, and the examples all show the right level of detail. Graphics throughout the book are good, and there's even a full-color section in the middle of the book to show off how nice various WinForms displays can look. (Although I should note some of the figures there aren't particularly interesting.) A very handy "New" marker in the margins highlights features and functionality new to the .NET 2.0 framework -- a great benefit for folks experienced in 1.1 development who are looking for quick exposure to what's new in 2.0.
The book's content is terrific and extremely useful. There's a solid introduction which hits all the important fundamentals of WinForms development and also hits the right features you'll need in Visual Studio. There's awfully good coverage on basics such as form lifecycle, MDI basics, data validation, and why/how properties are important in WinForms development.
The authors do a very solid job laying out other important concepts like data binding and validation. There's also a great amount of background on localization through the entire book, and I found the chapter on resources particularly informative. The bits on components and custom controls were also a very good read.
Overall it's a solid book and very useful for folks still working in WinForms development.
An exceptional work.......2007-03-23
This book is great, exceptional, outstanding.
The authors take on a subject of mind-boggling complexity, and manage to structure their way into a readable, understandable explanation. It's not a reference book: you have to read your way through it from cover to cover, once, to gain an understanding of Froms 2.0. Yet such reading is probably the most efficient way for you to learn the subject. Thereafter, use it as a "how-to" reference for specific items and techniques.
Also, it assumes familiarity with both the c# language and the casual use of VS05. Having first done some elementary c# programming on VS05, read the book and it'll be an eye-opener.
Outstanding.......2007-02-19
The writing style is easy to follow, the coverage is comprehensive, and there are details and tips throughout the book that distinguish it from other books on the subject.
The authors clearly leverage their knowledge and experience. Sample code is clear and concise. There are many things in Windows Forms that you simply should or should not do; the authors convey these best practices in an expedient fashion.
The book is relatively new, and there is not an errata page on the AW website, however I noticed only a very small number of errors.
Incomplete title.......2007-02-12
OK, I'm a little ticked off because I have just wasted some money. If you're a VB developer like I am, this book is not for you. If you're a C# developer, then maybe it is; maybe it isn't. I don't know. All the coding examples are in C#, although the title of the book doesn't say it's exclusively C#. I gave it four stars (since that's the current overall rating) just so I wouldn't be responsible for changing the overall rating. And considering I'm really ticked off at the moment, I'd say that's pretty good of me.
Now for my rant:
I just don't understand why in the year 2007 these authors and publishers can't properly identify whether their books are for VB or C# developers if they're going to make all of their coding examples in one or the other language. While most do, many still don't, like these authors. If you're not going to indicate which language, then include examples in both. If you're only going to show all the coding examples in just one language, THEN INDICATE THIS IN THE TITLE!!!
Is this done to purposely trick people in to buying a book they can't use just to increase sales?
Excellent reference for Winforms 2.0.......2007-01-26
This may be the best Winforms 2.0 book out there. It serves as an excellent reference, given the breadth of information that it covers. It also is a great way to learn Winforms from scratch. Sells does a wonderful job of explaining how things work and has very clear and understandable examples.
Amazon.com
Everything changes in the Microsoft .NET Framework and the C# language, including the creation of graphical user interfaces (GUIs). Windows Forms Programming in C# explains the Windows Forms (WinForms) environment to programmers who have some experience with .NET programming, and in the process (thanks to a clear and deliberate expository style) reveals a lot about .NET to less experienced developers. The overall effect is that almost every reader comes away with better knowledge of .NET, not just its user-interface libraries and behaviors.
Author Chris Sells takes care to balance code samples with explanatory text, meaning that most chapters take on a characteristic "code, explanation, effect" style (in which "effect" is usually documented with a screen shot). This approach is effective, and serves both to answer "How do I..." questions and inspire "I should give that a try!" exploration. Once in a while, callouts will link two or more screen shots with a sample of code, graphically illustrating how code affects the appearance of a form and how it's represented in the Visual Studio development environment. On top of his clear teaching style, Sells calls attention to workarounds for shortcomings in the .NET environment (particularly where similar limitations don't exist in Microsoft Foundation Classes), helping to improve programmer productivity in the growing .NET environment. --David Wall
Topics covered: How to use the WinForms environment within the Microsoft .NET Framework. Dialog boxes, drawing, printing, and controls all are covered by means of explanations and lots of illustrative examples, and there's good coverage of the WinForms event model, too. An appendix compares MFC and the .NET Framework.
Customer Reviews:
Wasn't helpful for me - nothing about design and weak coverage of components........2006-03-21
I'm a Java programmer who finished reading O'Reilly's "Programming C#" (very good book), and wanted to get started in Windows Forms programming. Chapters 1 and 2 were decent and Appendix B was an excellent introduction to Delegates and Events.
The rest of the book, however, was very weak. All it did was give a brief summary of some of the windows forms components (and the coverage was very weak). If you want to learn about a component you are going to have to look it up it on MSDN.
I was hoping the book would give me something other than what I can get by looking at an API. I was really hoping there would at least be a few chapters on how to design Windows Forms applications - there was nothing. The easy part is learning how to use a component. The difficult part is learning best practices about design an application - something this book didn't touch.
Also, I'm not sure how the rest of the books in the "Microsoft .NET Development Series" are, but I think it's very cheap and dishonest to make a book 'appear' weighty. The book is 680 pages, but the margins, line spacing, and text are all very large. This book easily could have been half its size.
The second edition is out the covers Windows forms V2, you may want to buy it instead. .......2006-03-16
The second edition is out that covers Windows forms V2, you may want to buy it instead.
Very readable coverage of very relevant material.......2006-01-10
I got this book after having already done quite a bit of WinForms programming and found it a compelling read. I'd have read after a platform/language primer but before doing any actual WinForms work, had I had it in my possession at that time.
Its the first programming book in some time that I read as a 'page turner' - it's that well-written (in prose terms).
It's also very well copy-edited, which shows that a lot of effort went into getting the book just right, which can't be said for all books (I guess the gap between release of .NET 1.0&1.1 and this book allowed for that more than in other books).
As for the relevance of the information, I believe it to be very relevant to a wide variety of application types, regardless of that being the main criticism I see in other reviews here. I guess that comes from the fact that you can't please all the people all the time. Still, I'd venture it comes as close as any other book is going to come.
For me it's very near the top of the must-have books if you're going to be writing non-trivial production WinForms apps.
One thing to be aware of is that the .NET 2.0 version is on the way in the coming months, making it Essential unless you're not in a position to use 2.0 stuff.
Would have written my own review, but..........2006-01-03
"...I had hoped it would be a convenient and quick reference to such questions as "how do I use FolderBrowserDialog and/or OpenFileDialog to open a file in my C# program?" but although these standard components are indexed in the book the discussion of them in the book is shorter than this review I am writing. What I would want is some kind of sample code, maybe a step-by-step description of how to add the components to my program..."
There's no way I could have said it better. The book seems to want to cover "everything" but actually manages to say "nothing".
The only part in which I would have to disagree with the previous reviewer is his rating. He gave it three stars. I think it deserves one.
Excellent Book.......2005-11-12
Very good book! Windows Programmer must have.
Easy to follow.
Book Description
Windows Forms can streamline the development of a variety of applications—but many Windows-related programming books skip over the details that allow developers to take full advantage of Windows Forms capabilities. In addition, Version 2.0 of the Microsoft .NET Framework introduces new capabilities that even those familiar with early versions of Windows Forms will want to learn to use. Written by Charles Petzold—one of the premier authors in the developer community—this book offers a concise, focused tutorial suitable for new and experienced Windows Forms developers who want to expedite their productivity with Microsoft Visual Studio® 2005 and .NET Framework 2.0. The book features insightful code samples in Microsoft Visual C#® 2005.
Customer Reviews:
Updated to 2.0!.......2007-05-12
This book is a good updated to his first book on programming forms in C# 1.1. There have been alot of useful changes from C# 1.1 to 2.0. I just wish he would rewrite the first book with the 2.0 updates instead.
Not for RAD programmers........2007-03-13
This book is, as the author explains, done in Petzold style. Meaning it is shown with the code behind the GUI tools instead of being done with the tools. Unfortunately any forms which are built with code cannot then be manipulated with the GUI tools which defeats the intention of the makers of Visual Studio as a Rapid Application Developement (RAD) tool.
If all you have however is the compiler and a text editor then this book is for you but since Visual C# is freely available you can write some nifty applications without needing to know how to invoke the compiler from the command line.
Still, there are some things in this book which are helpful to know and the GUI tools, on occasion, don't exactly fit the bill. So it's nice to know what the code behind the GUI is doing but you'll soon be forgetting most of what you learn because you'll be using the GUI tools.
I would much rather have had a book which shows how to use the GUI tools more effectively than what the code does.
Edwin E. Smith
Freehold Consulting
Coffeyville, KS
nice book to start c# and writing code for forms.......2006-08-06
I wanted to do some windows programming in C#, bougt a lot of books but found this the only one that really helped.
The BEST Introduction to C#, WinForms. and .net 2.0.......2006-01-30
This is hands down the most clearly-written explanation of programing windows forms using C# that I have read or seen on the market. Petzold has an easy and engaging writing style. He takes the time to explain the WHAT and the WHY of what you are doing. This is a great book for someone just sitting down to Visual Studio 2005 to begin learning C# programming. His examples and walkthroughs produce useful and functioning examples of the most common aspects of Win Form programming. My only complaint is that he can only dedicate a chapter to some pretty key concepts, like data-binding. My interest is piqued, and then the chapter ends and we move on to new concepts. This is a small complaint because what he does provide is complete and enlightening. It provides a solid foundation to build off of create your own experiments.
I have worked through many programming books over the years (or should I say attempted to). The Step-by-Step guides always leave me wanting more answers about how things work, in addition to how to make it work, and seem to be pretty superficial. This book has left me anxious to read more of Petzold's work. He has skillfully broken through my thick head and can do the same for you.
Uses the New .NET 2.0 Enhancements for a Quick Start.......2005-12-02
The Microsoft .NET program continues to expand with each release of Windows. In the .NET Framework 2.0, introduced in the fall of 2005 significant enhancements were made. These enable the programmer to implement Windows applications that are both powerful and sharp looking with considerably less effort than before. This book is somewhat of a quick introduction to writing such applications taking advantage of the new features.
The author's previous book 'Programming Microsoft Windows with C#' is about three times as long as this one and is basically written using a somewhat lower level of coding as was required before the new enhancements. It may well be that you want to purchase that book as a second volume to this one.
This book uses Microsoft's C# programming language for its demonstrations. A brief introduction to the C# language is included in the book, enough that C++ and Java programmers should have no problems in following the examples. There is no CD published with the book, instead a web site is maintained with code samples, updates, and a list of known errors.
This book is a rather 'quick and dirty' introduction to Windows Forms, it is an excellent introduction to getting something going. By the time the reader gets through the two real applications in the back of the book he should be ready to tackle the kinds of things for which Windows Forms was created.
Book Description
Pro .NET 2.0 Windows Forms and Custom Controls in VB 2005 is the VB 2005 version of the author's best-selling and highly-reviewed Pro .NET 2.0 Windows Forms and Custom Controls in C#. Renowned author Matthew MacDonald shows you VB 2005 programmers how to design flexible, user-friendly Windows interfaces. And you'll learn the best practices and design tips for coding these user interfaces.
Although this book is not a reference manual, it contains detailed discussions about user interface elements that you will use on a regular basis. You will learn to use .NET controls as well as to extend those .NET controls with your own custom controls.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent Resource!.......2006-11-10
This book is full of simple tidbits for binding controls to data objects and custom objects. The examples are short and easy to follow so you don't get lost in the code. Matthew does not spend a lot of time explaining background code (specifically, using ADO) because this is not the forum for those topics. What you get is 1000+ pages of explanations and examples focused on the task at hand: binding data. He does spend a few chapters introducing you to the various objects, covering many not-so-common functions. I found myself thinking "Wow!! That's cool!" several times. I highly recommend this book!!
Book Description
“ClickOnce demos may look simple, but those techniques only work for simple applications. Brian Noyes gives us the information we need to use ClickOnce in the real world, and he does it with a comprehensive and organized presentation. If you expect your smart client application to move very far beyond ‘Hello,World,’ you’ll want this book to help you deploy it.”
—
Billy Hollis, president/owner, Elysian Consulting, Microsoft Regional Director
“Once again Brian has outdone himself. As a writer, I tend to be very critical of all technical publications, including my own . . . and it is such a pleasure to read anything Brian writes because he studies his topics well, resulting in an accurate, thorough, yet concise piece of work. ClickOnce being a new technology that deals with the pains we all have with application deployment, versioning, and security, it is important to have a text that will guide you through the learning process, give you sound advice for adopting the technology, and explain why you should even care. Brian gives his readers all of that.”
—
Michele Leroux Bustamante, chief architect, IDesign, Microsoft Regional Director
“ClickOnce is the key to Windows and smart client deployment. Brian’s book is the key to successfully using ClickOnce. This book walks you through using ClickOnce, from the basics to advanced scenarios. It is an excellent resource.”
—
Rockford Lhotka, principal technology evangelist, Magenic Technologies, Microsoft Regional Director
“Brian covers ClickOnce with a view to real-world deployment issues, which isobviously based on real-world experience. In and of itself, that is enough forme to buy the book. However, it is an even better investment by virtue of thefact that ClickOnce is a core part of the .NET Framework for Windows Forms2.0 now, and Windows Presentation Foundation in the future.”
—
Michael Weinhardt, SDK programmer/writer, Application Model,Windows Presentation Foundation, Microsoft
“This book covers the most important ingredient needed for the success of asmart client application—deployment. The author’s unassuming writing style,combined with his in-depth coverage of the topic, makes this book an invaluableresource for all serious smart client developers.”
—
Vishwas Lele, principal architect, Applied Information Sciences,Microsoft Regional Director
Microsoft’s new ClickOnce auto-updating technology can radically simplify application deployment. Using it, .NET developers and architects can deliver a powerful, smart client experience along with the easy maintenance of today’s best Web applications.
Microsoft Regional Director and MVP Brian Noyes has unsurpassed experience previewing and teaching ClickOnce to professional developers. In
Smart Client Deployment with ClickOnce, Noyes demonstrates exactly how to make the most of ClickOnce in your real-world enterprise applications. Noyes covers ClickOnce design, architecture, security, installation, updates, and Bootstrapping—each with a full case study and detailed sample code.
This focused, concise book explains how to
- Design client applications for efficient deployment and auto-updating
- Perform application deployments and automatic updates quickly and easily
- Deliver “on-demand” client application updates
- Deploy prerequisites with the Visual Studio 2005 Bootstrapper
- Take full control of ClickOnce’s powerful publishing, update, and security options
- Leverage the Visual Studio 2005 and .NET 2.0 platform features that make ClickOnce possible
- Understand how your application will behave in the ClickOnce runtime environment
The book’s sample code is available for download at www.softinsight.com/clickoncebook.
Customer Reviews:
Informative, Light Reading.......2007-09-02
I just finished Noyes' book on Microsoft's .NET ClickOnce API and found it to be helpful in understanding most aspects of ClickOnce. It provides illustrations of the user's experience when installing an application through the API, and the book is helpful by providing information for making proactive choices when designing the architecture of your application (such as the security consequences of utilizing 3rd party controls).
Thorough coverage of an interesting technology..........2007-02-09
One of the reasons I chose to review Smart Client Deployment with ClickOnce: Deploying Windows Forms Applications with ClickOnce by Brian Noyes is that I had never heard of the ClickOnce technology. After going through this book, I'm now aware of what ClickOnce is and what it does. Noyes does a good job in covering a piece of software that can greatly simplify the life of a .NET developer...
Contents: Introduction to ClickOnce; Initial Deployment with ClickOnce; Automatic Application Updates; On-Demand Updates; Application and Data File Management; ClickOnce Security; Prerequisite Deployment with the Bootstrapper; Advanced ClickOnce Topics; ClickOnce Deployment of WPF Applications; Index
The "thick client" application is starting to make a resurgence on the desktop, but with it comes the problem of keeping the application up-to-date on possibly thousands of computers. ClickOnce is Microsoft's answer to that. As part of Visual Studio, ClickOnce packages an application for download and installation from the network. Then as new versions of the software become available, the application will check the home directory to see if there's an update. If so, the user has a choice (unless the developer mandates the update) to install the updates or wait until later. Bottom line is that you get the increased functionality and features of a non-browser-based application without the deployment nightmares of large software suites (like Office). Noyes starts off with an explanation of how ClickOnce works and what problems it solves, and then he dives into all the details of the software; how it works and how it can be configured to meet your particular requirements. Because the book is more tool-focused than language-focused, it really doesn't matter whether you're using Visual Basic or C#. Either type of application can use the ClickOnce technology. I was impressed at the integration with Visual Studio, and he definitely sold me on the necessity of utilizing software such as this. This was also good background material for me, as the software platform I work on will be going to this type of deployment scenario soon. I'll have a much better idea of how it all should function after reading this book...
Practical.Compact.Easy-to-Read.Up-to-Date.......2007-01-15
This book is a 5-stars book carrying completed information about ClickOnce from the beginning to the finish deployment of your project.
It is practical, compact, easy-to-read, and up-to-date. You will enjoy reading it and finish it in few days.
For .NET developer, it is a must-have book, and worth for your money. Interestingly, it shows how-to-use "ClickOnce" for both Windows and Web applications. This completed information is hardly found in other books.
I am a .NET developer who has experienced for several projects. I recommend this book with Deploying .NET Applications from APress. If you can afford two books, get them both. If you can get only one of them, get this one because in my opinion, it carried deeper, wider, updated information.
Enjoy ClickOnce!!!
Very Thorough.......2007-01-14
I gave this book 5 stars because it is very thorough. It covers everything there is to know about ClickOnce deployment. The author didn't miss any topic and covers the topics very thoroughly.
It wasn't what I had hoped for because I already own 'Deploying NET Applications Learning MSBuild and ClickOnce'. I was hoping for more detail on securing the files downloaded to the Client, and some better advice one securing running ClickOnce with parameters. The was no new info.
Both books offered the same information, and depth on the topics. So if you own 'Deploying NET Applications Learning MSBuild and ClickOnce' I would not buy this book.
If you don't own a book on ClickOnce, and you want to learn all the details about it, this is an excellent book.
Average customer rating:
- True to it's purpose
- .NET Framework Essentials (3rd ED)
- To Software Developers: Don't Bother
- Excellent
- OK but others are better
|
.NET Framework Essentials
Thuan Thai , and
Hoang Lam
Manufacturer: O'Reilly Media, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 Software Development
| Software Design, Testing & Engineering
| Programming
| Computers & Internet
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Programming
| Computers & Internet
| Subjects
| Books
C#
| Languages & Tools
| Programming
| Computers & Internet
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Languages & Tools
| Programming
| Computers & Internet
| Subjects
| Books
Windows - General
| Operating Systems
| Microsoft
| Computers & Internet
| Subjects
| Books
.Net
| Visual Basic
| Development
| Microsoft
| Computers & Internet
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Computers & Internet
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Software
| Computers & Internet
| Subjects
| Books
Web Services
| Web Development
| Computers & Internet
| Subjects
| Books
Web Programming
| Programming
| O'Reilly
| By Publisher
| Books
Windows
| Programming
| O'Reilly
| By Publisher
| Books
General
| Programming
| O'Reilly
| By Publisher
| Books
Similar Items:
-
Programming C#: Building .NET Applications with C#
-
Introducing Microsoft .Net, Third Edition
-
Programming ASP.NET, 3rd Edition (Programming)
-
C# Essentials (2nd Edition)
-
Mastering Visual Studio .NET
ASIN: 0596005059 |
Book Description
Fully updated for version 1.1 of the .NET Framework, .NET Framework Essentials, 3rd Edition is an objective, concise, no-nonsense overview of the Microsoft .NET Framework for developing web applications and services. Written for intermediate to advanced VB, C/C++, Java, and Delphi developers, .NET Framework Essentials, 3rd Edition is also useful to system architects and leaders who are assessing tools for future projects. .NET Framework Essentials touches all the bases--from the Common Language Run-Time (CLR) and key class libraries to the specialized packages for ASP.NET, Windows Forms, XML Web Services, and data access (ADO.NET). The authors survey each major .NET language, including VB.NET, C#, J#, and Managed C++, as well as MSIL, clearing away the noise and hype, and presenting a clear, practical look at the underlying technologies. .NET Framework Essentials also provides a handy reference to the most commonly used features of .NET Framework. Written by two veteran web applications developers, .NET Framework Essentials, 3rd Edition is one of the most complete, concise, and ultimately useful books to describe the breadth of technology represented by .NET. Compact and free of fluff or proprietary hype, .NET Framework Essentials is an outstanding value for experienced programmers and architects who need to get up to speed quickly.
Customer Reviews:
True to it's purpose.......2006-05-17
I went to my local bookstore to get a functional understanding of ".NET". My previous readings had been hit and miss and provided little understanding of the new platform.
This book provided that understanding. The writeups on the CLR, assemblies, garbage collection, net components, web services, etc. were skeletal but quite good. I came away with some understanding of what .NET is, why it was developed and why I believe it should leapfrog Java in the web development world.
It wasn't an easy read since it provided good understanding with little detail, and takes some thought; but again, it serves it's purpose well.
.NET Framework Essentials (3rd ED).......2005-12-20
As the title says, this book gives the essentials of the .NET framework. It is not an exhaustive treatment, rather, it touches on the main features of .NET. The book assumes that the reader is fluent in object-oriented and component-based programming. Overall, the book was fairly well written with the main features of the .NET framework being clearly explained. The book has no distractive "fluff" in it, so one can easily dive into learning about .NET. The authors give an overview of .NET, and then present a description of the common language runtime (CLR). The common programming model and working with .NET components follow. XML data and web services are clearly explained with a lot of code snippets being given. The book concludes with chapters on ASP, Windows Forms, and mobile devices. The appendices are useful, as sometime acronyms aren't defined in the main text, but are explained in the appendix.
Overall, I found the book well written. The coverage of topics is actually fairly decent. The authors have done a good job of focusing on the essential aspects of .NET. If you're looking for a book that gives gives an overview of the heart of .NET, this is a good book. If you're looking for an exhaustive reference, than you'll probably want something else.
To Software Developers: Don't Bother.......2004-04-20
IMHO, OReilly tends to have the best technology books (I own many) but this book isn't one of them. This book is lightweight even as an introduction. This book is certainly fine for managers, senior architects, and business types, but if you plan to design and write software I recommend Jeff Prosise's "Programming Microsoft .NET" and Jeffrey Richter's "Applied Microsoft .NET Framework Programming", though a bit dated, both cover the .NET framework essentials and then some.
Excellent.......2003-11-06
Very well written primer on the .Net framework, internal workings of the CLR and language fundamentals. Great book.
OK but others are better.......2003-08-26
It is a fairly shallow overview of the .NET framework. The author tries to cover a lot of ground but that means each topic worth a chapter in another topical book gets a few pages here at most.
The book could come in handy if you just want a quick refresher before you go out for a .NET-related job interview .. ;) but not for serious learning.
Book Description
For those of you who develop standalone Windows applications for PCs and other devices, Microsoft's .NET Windows Forms provide a much better way to get it done. This new technology gives you more power and flexibility for a fraction of the effort compared to classic Win32 development, with a streamlined programming model that deals automatically with many tedious details that once plagued developers. As with most things .NET, the only hitch is the learning curve. But that's where acclaimed author Jesse Liberty makes the difference with Programming .NET Windows Applications. With this tutorial, you will explore all aspects of using .NET Windows Forms class libraries and the associated programming tools in Visual Studio .NET, enabling you to build applications for the Windows 9x, Windows 2000 and Windows XP desktop platforms. Step-by-step, you'll learn ways to design applications that either function alone on a PC, or work in combination with your web-based application server to take advantage of the richer interface and higher level of security. The book also explains how your new Windows applications can sidestep problems that used to arise from the use of DLLs (known collectively as "DLL hell"), and how .NET Windows Forms can be used as an alternative to ASP.NET and browser-based approaches for building web application clients. Jesse Liberty definitely knows his stuff when it comes to the .NET platform. As the author of O'Reilly's Programming C# and Learning Visual Basic .NET, he's well-known for his clear and concise style that prompted one reviewer to say, "It's as if he knows exactly what questions I'm going to ask ahead of time." Jesse also co-authored Programming ASP.NET with contract programmer Dan Hurwitz, and now the two have teamed up again to bring you this comprehensive tutorial--without a doubt, the best source available for learning how to program with .NET Windows Forms.
Customer Reviews:
Very Little Practical Information.......2005-04-03
Over 70 Percent of this book is code listings (much of it auto generated) that is available in the sample code. Why generate your own database when pubs and northwind provide adequate examples. If you want to learn how to design a database there are ample books out there that are quite good. Most of the examples have very little real world application. As an example of practical concise real world examples look at "Building Web Solutions" by Esposito. He provides four times the useful information in 350 pages that this book provides in 1200. Look elswhere if you want good insight and practical information.
Complete! Well Documented! Superb!.......2004-07-04
I found myself searching for a book that covered the TreeView control and others in great detail. I needed a book that would give detailed examples of how to use the advanced features of Windows Forms Controls and this was it. I use C# but appreciate the fact that both the VB.Net and C# codes is included as I never know if I will be asked to work on a VB.Net project. I have several other C# books that documented the basics of how to program C#, but this is the first that really showed me how to use the power of Win Forms to build a user friendly UI.
Correcting previous review.......2004-05-22
I almost never respond to negative reviews (not everyone will like every book) but the previous review by Mr. Qiu is simply incorrect.
I provide unprecedented support for my books, including a FAQ, errata, complete source code and a private free support discussion forum through my web site: http://www.LibertyAssociates.com. In addition, more information is available thorugh my blog and articles I write for O'Reilly.com.
All the code in this book is complete, and all the code is available for download.
Thank you.
-j
DON'T BUY THIS BOOK!.......2004-03-10
This book doesn't provide supports if you have any questions about this book, and don't have full codes in some chapters!
Extremely well-written guide.......2004-03-10
Programming .NET Windows Applications is not only a useful reference (the important enumerations and events are listed alongside descriptions of the various controls, for example), but it is a great introduction to the somewhat under-documented subject of creating fat clients using the latest tools. As a VB programmer converting to C#, I particularly appreciate the side-by-side code examples. But as an author of computer books myself, I am always on the lookout for books like this in which the authors do more than just parrot the official documentation. This book is full of helpful asides, tips, and warnings, and the text is authoritative. I will look for other books by these authors (and of course O'Reilly books are almost always excellent).
Nearly 2.5 inches thick, this is not an In-A-Nutshell book. It covers Windows Forms controls in great detail. (It assumes knowledge of VB or C# and basic .NET, and it naturally doesn't describe ASP.NET.) The chapter on creating custom controls has been particularly useful to me, and the GDI+ chapter includes source for a complex analog clock application. And for some reason, I haven't seen TreeView and ListView documented as well in other books. If you are writing Windows Applications using .NET, this is the one book to have at your side.
Books:
- Professional SQL Server 2000 Programming
- Programming in Objective-C
- Programming Microsoft Visual Basic 2005: The Language (Pro Developer)
- Programming Microsoft Visual Basic 2005: The Language (Pro Developer)
- Programming Perl (3rd Edition)
- Programming PHP
- Programming WCF Services (Programming)
- Public Relations Practices: Managerial Case Studies and Problems (6th Edition)
- Python in a Nutshell (In a Nutshell (O'Reilly))
- Sams Teach Yourself Unix in 24 Hours (4th Edition) (Teach Yourself -- Hours)
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- Becoming a Police Officer: An Insider's Guide to a Career in Law Enforcement
- They Poured Fire on Us from the Sky: The True Story of Three Lost Boys from Sudan
- Mcgraw-hill's Homework Manager User's Guide And Access Code
- The Blair Witch Project: A Dossier
- Regression Methods in Biostatistics: Linear, Logistic, Survival, and Repeated Measures Models
- The Sackett Companion
- The Science Fiction Hall of Fame, Volume I: The Greatest Science Fiction Stories of All Time, Chosen
- Using Ten-Key Electronic Desktop Calculators
- Six Sigma: Continual Improvement for Businesses
- The Description Of A New World Called The Blazing World
Data Binding with Windows Forms 2.0: Programming Smart Client Data Applications with .NET (Microsoft .NET Development Series)
Windows Forms 2.0 Programming (2nd Edition) (Microsoft .NET Development Series)
Pro ASP.NET 2.0 in C# 2005
CLR via C#, Second Edition (Pro Developer)
Pro ADO.NET 2.0
Workflow in the 2007 Microsoft Office System
Pro C# with .NET 3.0, Special Edition (Pro)
Microsoft SharePoint: Building Office 2007 Solutions in C# 2005 (Expert's Voice in Sharepoint)
