Amazon.com
Jesse Liberty's Programming C# provides an adept and extremely well conceived guide to the C# language and is written for the developer with some previous C++, Java, and/or Visual Basic experience.
It's no secret that many computer books are pretty much devoid of an authorial personality. This title is a winning exception. The author is able to weave in clever examples (using such topics as his own long experience in computing, his dog, Star Trek, etc.) without being coy or getting in the way of presenting real technical information. Liberty's wide experience in computers and general writing skill shows, as he is able to draw on a wealth of examples to move his text forward.
These are a couple of goals at work in Programming C#. First, it's an excellent language tutorial, certainly one of the smartest and best available guides to C# as a language. Early chapters explore basic and obscure language options using inheritance, delegation, interface, and the conventions in C# used to implement these techniques. The middle part of the book turns toward the .NET Framework itself, with two useful (and somewhat introductory) chapters on both Windows Forms and Web Forms, for standalone and Web-based applications, respectively.
Later sections crank up the technical knowledge again with several advanced topics on understanding .NET assemblies and deployment in detail, as well as "reflection" APIs that allow .NET programs to essentially modify their code at run time. (One technique, reflection emit, which literally writes bytecodes, will definitely interest expert readers, though it's unlikely most programmers will need to do this.) Final sections look at the .NET stream classes (rivaled only by Java's for complexity). Liberty looks at basic file and network I/O as well as how objects get serialized and marshaled both for SOAP and Web services and "normal" .NET remoting.
The author's sure hand here in navigating the difficult waters of C# and .NET makes for a relatively concise text that is chock-full of useful information on C#. Filled with notably clever and inventive examples, this book is possibly this veteran computer author's best title to date, and it's sure to be a noteworthy resource as experienced developers tackle C# for the first time. --Richard Dragan
Topics covered:
- Introduction to C# and the .NET platform
- A "Hello World" example in C#
- Tutorial to C# as an object-oriented programming language (types and variables, operators, namespaces, and preprocessor directives)
- Defining classes in C# (including static members, finalizers, overloading, and read-only fields)
- Inheritance and polymorphism implemented in C#
- Operator overloading
- Structures in C#, interfaces, arrays, and indexers
- Built-in .NET collections, strings, and regular expression support
- Structured exception handling
- Delegate and events
- Introduction to programming with Windows Forms
- ADO.NET database APIs (including basic XML support)
- Quick introduction to Web Forms and ASP.NET used with C#
- Introduction to Web services (SOAP, WSDL, and Discover services described)
- In-depth guide to .NET assemblies (including metadata, versioning, private and shared assemblies)
- C# support for attributes and reflection (including reflection emit techniques)
- Marshaling and remoting (with and without SOAP)
- Threads and synchronization
- Tutorial to C#/.NET streams (including basic I/O techniques, Web streams, and serialization)
- COM and .NET interoperability
Book Description
The programming language C# was built with the future of application development in mind. Pursuing that vision, C#'s designers succeeded in creating a safe, simple, component-based, high-performance language that works effectively with Microsoft's .NET Framework. Now the favored language among those programming for the Microsoft platform, C# continues to grow in popularity as more developers discover its strength and flexibility. And, from the start, C# developers have relied on Programming C# both as an introduction to the language and a means of further building their skills.
The fourth edition of Programming C#--the top-selling C# book on the market--has been updated to the C# ISO standard as well as changes to Microsoft's implementation of the language. It also provides notes and warnings on C# 1.1 and C# 2.0.
Aimed at experienced programmers and web developers, Programming C#, 4th Edition, doesn't waste too much time on the basics. Rather, it focuses on the features and programming patterns unique to the C# language. New C# 2005 features covered in-depth include:
- Visual Studio 2005
- Generics
- Collection interfaces and iterators
- Anonymous methods
- New ADO.NET data controls
- Fundamentals of Object-Oriented Programming
Author Jesse Liberty, an acclaimed web programming expert and entrepreneur, teaches C# in a way that experienced programmers will appreciate by grounding its applications firmly in the context of Microsoft's .NET platform and the development of desktop and Internet applications.
Liberty also incorporates reader suggestions from previous editions to help create the most consumer-friendly guide possible.
Customer Reviews:
Disorganized and without focus.......2007-06-11
I wish I had purchased one of the other C# books. I am an experienced programmer and bought this book to learn C#. My main disappointment was that the first third of the book, which covers the language, is mostly made up of repeated large printouts of code. The author will explain a small change to the code, and then re-display the entire program - even if it takes up several pages. Instead of thorough explanations of the concepts you are left with reams of repeated code.
I also found the general language of the book to have a patronizing tone, have become frustrated with it and am shopping for a new one.
Excellent explanation of how C# programming works.......2007-05-13
I just finished this book and feel like the experience was a first class introduction. Liberty's style is to explain how things work and what they're intended for and how to think about them, and also provide some very clean examples, which is perfect for me. The extreme opposite style is to provide mostly step-by-step examples with little explanation, which I think gets you started quickly but leaves you not understanding what you're doing and unable to move beyond the examples. But giving some examples is a must. He handles this balance perfectly, I think.
The examples start to follow a pattern I liked - there'd be a class or several classes that exemplify whatever point he's focussed on, and then a "tester" class containing Main() that exercises them and displays results.
Liberty works through all the language basics and also spends the right small amounts of time discussing niche interests like the intermediate language, Web applications, using Visual Studio to manipulate forms, compiling from the command line. I feel well rounded after this intro. He works with Console applications while teaching the basic features of the language per se, then he first gets into Windows applications at the very middle of the book. Amusingly, for his first Windows application example the student adds the single statement "ApplicationExit();" to a button click event generated by VS, but for his second application the user's code is 9 printed pages in the book. I do think I followed this big leap, tho.
I wondered about getting his book Learning C# instead, and after browsing it I think it would have been somewhat easier for me, but I think I managed fine with this book and got further. For me, ideal might have been another 50 pages introducing things the way Learning C# did, added around the beginning of this book, but between the two choices I think this was probably the better.
I'm a scientist who also programs a bit. My programming experience is heavy on some very different languages like Forth and Assembly, and a couple tiny projects in Quick C for DOS, but no experience writing Windows applications or using OOP, no C++ or Java. This past week I wrote a Windows program with a simple interface and an object that does a useful technical task and "deployed" it to two engineers down the hall, who liked it. Reading this book and leafing around in a couple of others, and one conversation at a noisy toddler's birthday party about runtime object instantiation, were my only guides.
Very thorough and descriptive. For beginners as well as advanced readers........2007-05-12
Very easy to read, covers all the relevant topics. Advanced readers can skip the first half of the book.
Really good one!.......2007-04-15
I own may C# books but Jesse's book is the one that I use the most. I like the way he explains things and would recommend it to anyone who either new to the language or who wants to take a look at some concept or language feature from another angle.
Programming C#.......2007-02-27
When Microsoft announced the C# language and the .NET framework in 2000, the reception among programmers was uncertain. Now that the language has had a solid six years to develop itself, it has a solid user base and strong examples of applications. Whatever your opinion of the .NET framework is, there is no denying that C# is popular among Windows programmers, and continuous to grow in usage.
C# is an object-oriented language, and has a decided likeness to other high-level languages like C++ and Java although C# is noticeably simplified. There are only eighty keywords in the language, and twelve built-in datatypes. The language also shares attributes like interfaces and structs.
However, the C# language also sets itself apart from the more classic languages in a variety of ways. C# has built-in XML capabilities, which aid in the creation of documentation. It also supports a feature called delegates, which act as type-safe references. C# also provides for component-oriented programming, which stores information using metadata. This metadata can be read and used by another environment, independent of any other information available. Effectively, it is able to create a self-contained unit out of each class.
The material in the book is very well presented, and very well written. After the general introduction at the beginning of the book, there is almost not a single page that doesnt have code on it. While this might sound a little intimidating, it is a welcome relief from books that give no code examples whatsoever. All of the code is well presented, is easy to read, and commented. Also, and perhaps most importantly, the code is discussed and explained by the authors within each chapter. The authors have done a fantastic job of providing their readers with examples to learn from.
In fact, there is so much code and so much discussion, that the book can be hard to work through. Page after page is filled with solid blocks of text and code, with little relief. This can be done and be kept interesting if the writing includes little anecdotes, jokes, and so forth but otherwise, it becomes hard on the eyes and mundane. I would have liked to see some more images and diagrams used in the book, and perhaps a little more fun text. The entire book doesnt have to read like a textbook, afterall!
The topics in the book are well chosen and arranged. The first half of the book or so is on programming concepts, syntax, data structures, etc. The second half of the book is split between application examples of C# and working with windows applications (literally exe files, dll files, etc). I would have liked to see more example applications (perhaps even one on programming for mobile platforms like PocketPCs?), but the authors do a good job with the examples they provide. I also would have also liked to see more information on interfacing with other applications, like Outlook© or Office© - although the authors do leave the reader with enough knowledge to do the research and learn more about how to do something like this independent of the book.
There is clearly a lot of information to communicate, and this is where the authors seem to be a little confused. Personally, I cannot tell if the authors really wrote it so that novice programmers could understand it or not. The beginning of the book states that the book is suitable for anyone, both experienced and in-experienced programmers. However, I found that the material was somewhere in the middle. The authors move at a pace that is fast enough to lose new programmers, and yet approach many topics at a beginner depth that experienced programmers will find redundant. The effect is beneficial to neither party, and I suggest that the authors more decidedly define their audience in future editions to avoid the issue. The end result is that experienced programmers will have no trouble with this book at all, whereas the novice programmer may be a little confused and lost.
Overall, this is a solid text for learning the C# language. I would not personally suggest it as a first-language book, but anyone with some programming experience in another object-oriented language should have no problems whatsoever. The C# language has a lot to offer to anyone coding for a Windows© environment, and is increasingly becoming a necessity for programmers in that field. OReillys C# text is a great lesson in the language, and I recommend it to anyone looking to learn more about .NET coding.
Book Description
PowerShell replaces cobbled-together assemblies of third-party management tools with an elegant programming language and a powerful scripting shell for the Windows environment. In the tradition of Manning's ground breaking "In Action" series, this book comes from right from the source. Written by Bruce Payette, one of principal creators of PowerShell, Windows PowerShell in Action shows you how to build scripts and utilities to automate system tasks or create powerful system management tools to handle the day-to-day tasks that drive a Windows administrator's life. Because it's based on the .NET platform, PowerShell is also a powerful tool for developers and power users.
Windows PowerShell in Action was written by Bruce Payette, one of the founding members of the Windows PowerShell team, co-designer of the PowerShell language and the principal author of the PowerShell language implementation. The book enables you to get the most out of the PowerShell environment. Using many examples, both small and large, this book illustrates the features of the language and environment and shows how to compose those features into solutions, quickly and effectively.
This book is designed for anyone who wants to learn PowerShell and use it well. Rather than simply being a book of recipes to read and apply, this book gives you the deep knowledge about how PowerShell works and how to apply it.
Customer Reviews:
Geeked Out on Powershell.......2007-08-06
As a both a Windows and Linux system administrator, this book overall made me frustrated initially, as I really don't want to delve into the introspective nature of compiler design miracles, but rather have a practical book on applying PowerShell. Nevertheless, once I sat down and reviewed key chapters, I was able to learn how to better utilize Powershell and apply it to some chores relating to the nature of system administration.
One of the things I high agree with another reviewer is that the book does indeed delve too much into the "gears and cogs" of Powershell, and many times too much. Sometimes we delve into how behind the scenes, the language takes measures to behave like any other language or shell, and we're scratching our heads, why did I have to understand what I always knew to work and behave. Good example is page 62 on string expansion, where once something is assigned is doesn't changed when accessed. Like that's how everything is suppose to work. Though, then he mentions how to override the behavior, but never drops any code examples for that side note.
Though this book seems more oriented to software developers, rather than system administrators, I would still recommend this book, as you can become really well versed in the Powershell and understand its advantages as it relates to the .NET platform on the recent Windows OSes.
Clearly a Winner.......2007-08-06
Not only does this teach you powershell, it answers all kinds of questions about why Powershell is the way it is, and why certain decisions were made. Ever want to know why we use -eq instead of == ? The answer is in here. This books simply rocks. This book not only shows you how to use Powershell, it teaches you Powershell works, from the inside out. Completely worthwhile. I would highly suggest reading it multiple times, as you learn more and more each time through.
PAGE 205 ... PAGE 205.......2007-07-28
This book gives you the goods and helps you become very productive very fast. As a service ... I'm pointing out that PowerShell is installed in a somewhat crippled state which allows for interactive scripting only. You know, security, security, security.
Most of us, of course want to put the script into a file and execute it and this won't work until you set an 'execution policy'. This information can be found starting on page 205 and further directions on page 451.
Just thought you'd like to know.
Besides that a very good book that stands on it's own. If you've been around the programming track a couple of times you won't need the 'for the absolute beginner' book ... this one will do the trick!
I wish all technical books were written this well.
Don't Make This Your First Purchase.......2007-07-09
Consider this book the Definitive Reference for PowerShell. Written by one of the designers of the PowerShell environment, the author knows all the ins and outs, back-alleys, hidden rooms, and secret handshakes the language offers - and isn't afraid to grab you by the hand and drag you along (like it or not!) for the tour of your life.
Therein, however, is the reason I can't recommend this as your first PowerShell book. The book is very logically planned out, the information very well presented in relatively easy to understand language, there is an abundance of script snippets to demonstrate what is being talked about, and the writing style itself is entertaining to read. But the author knows too much on the subject, and like any proud parent, often "too much information" is given, delving too deep into the gears and cogs of PowerShell and the underlying .NET framework for the (often basic) building block component, which might overwhelm the new PowerShell user, especially if the user does not have programming, let alone scripting, experience.
So although I say don't make this your first purchase, make it your second - and probably your last. Start with an "Introduction" style book (like Microsoft Windows Powershell Programming for the Absolute Beginner) to get used to the complex environment (even if you've only had VBS/JS experience), get comfortable with the basics of the shell, then move up to this title. You'll soon find out that every aspect you thought you knew has much more to the story than you thought, and you'll walk away from this read able to do just about everything you want.
Everything you ever wanted to know about PowerShell.......2007-05-12
I don't ever remember reading a computer book from cover to cover, but I got hooked on this book and "can't put it down"... Plus, who ever thought that the history of a program could be as interesting as this one is. After all, the book begins by asking "why another shell language?" By the time you are into a few chapters you realize the question should have been "what took you so long?"
The book is peppered with valuable code examples that show off everything from the basics to the most advanced concepts, and the examples are built incrementally so you can see how and why every character in a command line works. Since PowerShell is object oriented, you easily learn why this is important, and how to extract the power of an OO shell.
I've already put PowerShell to work at the office using it for WMI, Active Directory, and file management tasks and have incorporated it into my AutoIT scripts as well. This book was a great help in getting me up to speed as fast as I have.
Book Description
If you're a novice programmer and you want to learn C#, there aren't many books that will guide you. Most C# books are written for experienced C++ and Java programmers. That's why Jesse Liberty, author of the best-selling books Programming C# and Programming ASP.NET, has written an entry-level guide to C#.
Written in a warm and friendly manner, Learning C# assumes no prior programming experience, and provides a thorough introduction to Microsoft's premier .NET language. The book helps you build a solid foundation in .NET, and shows you how to apply your skills through the use of dozens of tested examples. You'll learn about the syntax and structure of the C# language, including operators, classes and interfaces, structs, arrays, and strings.
Better yet, this updated edition of Learning C# has been completely revised to include the latest additions to the C# language plus a variety of learning aids to help lock-in new knowledge and skills. Here's what's new:
- Extensive revisions to the text and examples to reflect C# 2005 and .NET 2.0 changes
- An introduction to Visual Studio 2005, the most popular tool for building Windows and web applications
- More than 200 questions and fully debugged programming exercises with solutions
- A greater emphasis on event handling
- New coverage of generics, generic collections, partial classes, anonymous methods and more.
By the time you've finished Learning C#, you'll be ready to move on to a more advanced programming guide that will help you create large-scale web and Windows applications.
Whether you have a little object-oriented programming experience or you are new to programming altogether, Learning C# will set you firmly on your way to mastering the essentials of the C# language.
Customer Reviews:
disappointing.......2007-08-08
I've been programming computers for 30+ years and have migrated across several languages and systems as times dictated. I have accumulated courses, degrees, jobs, projects, and rows of books along the way. My most recent focus has been Perl on FreeBSD and Apache/CGI/mod_perl. I now have the need to write Windows GUI applications. Unfortunately, Microsoft has not chosen to make Perl a first-class language on their platform, so I am left with few choices (I am most familiar with ActiveState Perl and Cygwin). Given the fact that Visual C# 2005 EE is a free download, I've decided to climb two more learning curves -- C# and .NET.
When learning Perl, I found O'Reilly's "Learning Perl" and "Programming Perl" books to be awesome. So, I bought the C# parallels, hoping for a similar experience. Unfortunately, this has not been the case.
The content of "Learning C#" is basically a subset of "Programming C#" by Jesse Liberty with advanced topics removed. Both are what I would call language survey/ "gee whiz" books -- they describe the "what" and/or "how", but often leave out the "why". I forced my way through both and may use "Programming C#" as a reference, but "Learning C#" will only collect dust.
This book also fails its presumed purpose -- teaching the reader how to write good programs in C# at a basic to intermediate level. Mr. Liberty is clearly an intelligent person and a capable programmer, but, unfortunately, he and/or Mr. MacDonald are not good teachers (or, at least not for how my brain is wired).
Both books suffer from a deeper criticism that seems to plague almost all Microsoft subject books. I cut my teeth on Kernighan, Richie, Pike, Rochkind, Plauger, Bach, McKusick, Wall, Schwarz, Christiansen, etc., and those are the standards by which I judge all others. The writing style and technical accuracy of those authors are levels above what I find from most Microsoft subject authors. My guess is that the C/Unix and Perl authors train to higher standards (e.g. Ph.D, post doctorate), their vocations require them to write to higher standards (e.g. academic and professional journals, peer review), and they have experience in education. In Mr. Liberty's defense, those authors are not subject to scope and speed of the Microsoft product treadmill.
Given the lack of a good technical bookstore in my area, I am relegated to reading reviews such as this on the Internet, ordering a book sight unseen, and hoping for the best. Please post your reviews so we can help each other. :-)
PERFECT C# 2005 Introduction for Novice OOPs.......2007-05-27
The author's approach to explaining the C# 2.0 .NET 2005 technology is so versatile that both experienced and novice programmers alike will almost certainly appreciate this definitive guide. Please note that this textbook DOES NOT focus on graphical user interfaces (GUIs), but rather on proper programming techniques, unique C# features, and patterns. To integrate the learning of C# with GUI based applications, you may want to consider a textbook from Addison-Wesley Professional's Microsoft .NET Development Series (i.e. Framework Design Guidelines). If you are completely new to C# you need to know that this language is specifically designed for the development of Internet based and .NET Framework based applications. Any programming project outside of this scope may be better solved by using either C/C++ or JAVA. For anyone only looking for just one textbook to learn both the C# language and GUI design may find one of my other faverate textbooks more appropriate: Apress' ASP.NET 2.0 in C# 2005 (beginner), Apress' Pro ASP.NET 2.0 in C# 2005 (advanced), Apress' Pro .NET 2.0 Windows Forms and Custom Controls in C# (advanced); Addison-Wesley Professional's Windows Forms Programming in C# (advanced); O'Reilly's Building .NET Applications with C# (intermediate).
Very Highly Recommended for Newbies to C# and OOP.......2007-03-10
I'm entirely new to object oriented programming; last time I programmed was in 1982 using the original C. The author does an excellent job in presenting this material to someone new to C# and object-oriented programming concepts. The challenge for authors is to balance how much material and detail to include; not enough and even a newbie will get bored; too much and you either loose the average reader or you force the determined reader to go back many, many times to try and parse out exactly the concept you are trying to teach. J. Liberty strikes an excellent balance in this book. At the end of each chapter are programming exercises to test the readers knowledge and all of the code used in the examples is on website.
I've already purchased a few of this authors other works on C# that cover various concepts in more detail and rigor.
An OOP C# primer.......2007-01-05
If you need to brush up on your Object-oriented programming skills in the context of learning C#, this is a great book. It doesn't go in-depth into data structures, but it will get you going right away, even if you've never had OOP experience.
Great Beginners Book.......2006-09-24
With only a few months of OO programming about 6 years ago, I needed a book to take me from the beginning again. This book delivered. I found I have needed to read some chapters several times to 'get it', particularly chapters 7 & 8. I like the way he writes an example and then steps you through it, breaking down the code into sections. It was easy to read and easy to refer back to. I still have a couple of chapters to review and I'll be looking for more of his books.
Amazon.com
The O'Reilly Cookbook series, with its to-the-point but illuminating coverage of programming subjects, meets the challenge of explaining how to write software as well as anything else on the market. When you're facing a coding problem--particularly in a language you're new to or haven't used in a while--and know there must be a proven way to solve it, the right Cookbook can often get you going in a hurry. C# Cookbook applies the formula to the language of Microsoft .NET, and is an addition to the line that more than a few programmers will appreciate.
Don't count on this book to solve big tasks for you. "I need some C# software that integrates with Avaya telephone switches and Siemens databases...:" No. Rather, this book shows you how to do the little jobs (converting an array to a delimited string, monitoring the event log, creating a bounded hashtable, and so on) that can stand in the way of prompt completion of a project. What's more, the coverage isn't limited to code samples. Stephen Teilhet and Jay Hilyard take advantage of the Cookbook series' Problem-Solution-Discussion format to teach you a thing or two about C#. You'll refer to this book often for quick answers and explanations. --David Wall
Topics covered: How to solve small but non-trivial problems in the C# programming language. Each of 17 chapters covers a major area of C# functionality--networking, regular expressions, filesystem, security, and so on--and contains a dozen or two entries on how best to solve programming problems.
Book Description
With C# Cookbook, 2nd Edition, you'll be able to learn and improve your mastery of both the C# language and the .NET platform. This updated bestseller has been completely revised to account for C# 2.0, the latest version of this popular object-oriented programming language. It also includes more than 100 new code solutions (over 300 overall) to common problems and tasks that you're sure to face as a C# programmer.
Nearly every solution, or "recipe," contains a complete, documented code sample showing you how to solve the specific problem, as well as a detailed discussion of how and why the underling technology works. This question-solution-discussion format is a proven teaching method, as any fan of O'Reilly's "Cookbook" series can attest to. In fact, no other source offers a learn-as-you-go format quite like this.
C# Cookbook, 2nd Edition is organized into 20 chapters, each of which focuses on a particular topic in creating C# solutions. Here are just some of what's covered:
- Numeric data types
- Strings and characters
- Classes and structures
- Generics
- Exception handling
- Delegates, events, and anonymous methods
- Filesystem interactions
- Web site access
- XML usage (including XPath and XSLT)
- Networking
- Threading
- Unsafe code
Best of all, you don't have to be an experienced C# or .NET developer to use C# Cookbook, 2nd Edition. You just have to be someone who wants to solve a problem now, without having to learn all the related theory first.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent!!!!.......2007-09-05
If you are just coming into C# or have been doing it for a while - it doesn't matter - BUY THIS BOOK!!! Oreilly as we all know, makes very good tech/programming books and this one is one of the best I've had so far. This will be a book that will spend much less time on my shelf and much more time next to me on my desk.
Good book.......2007-08-10
Being an advanced programmer I was looking for books to use as references or to further my skills. This book has proven a valuable asset.
Excellent C# 2.0 Resource.......2007-07-12
The C# Cookbook, Second Edition has been updated and revised for C# 2.0 and version 2.0 of the .NET framework, and despite the fact that version 3.5 of the .NET framework is imminent, it remains a must have book to have on hand. It is essentially a collection of examples showing how to solve specific programming problems (some of which you might not have even realised you have, such as boxing/unboxing and efficient string handling, to name just a few...)
The C# Cookbook has over 1100 pages and is arranged into 20 chapters, each of which focuses on a particular area in C#. Despite its size it is not daunting to read. Here are the topics covered:
1. Numbers and Enumerations
2. Strings and Characters
3. Classes & Structures
4. Generics
5. Collections
6. Iterators and Partial Types
7. Exception Handling
8. Diagnostics
9. Delegates, Events and Anonymous methods
10. Regular Expressions
11. Data Structures and Algorithms
12. Filesystem I/O
13. Reflection
14. Web
15. XML
16. Networking
17. Security
18. Threading and Synchronisation
19. Unsafe Code
20. Toolbox
This book is in O'Reilly's `cookbook' series Problem-Solution-Discussion format, and like other books in the series can either be read from cover to cover, or be used as a reference to shed light on a particular problem. Each `recipe' starts with a description of the problem, followed by a complete, documented code sample showing you how to solve it, along with a detailed discussion of how and why it works, and any drawbacks. This format can also serve as an excellent way of mastering aspects of C#.
Like the other O'Reilly cookbooks, this book manages to strike a perfect balance between reference and instruction on real problems developers encounter every day. Hats off to Jay and Stephen for creating such a useful resource.
If you are a developer who writes C# code for a living, I would be surprised if you do not find something useful the first time you pick this book up. If you are thinking of buying just one book on C# 2.0, make it this one. Highly recommended for beginners and experts alike.
[...]
Vital reference for solving problems and learning C#.......2007-04-14
Another book that's great as the occasional reference. This is another huge tome and it's chock full of topics from generics to security to XML.
Each topic is a recipe in a Problem/Solution/Discussion/See Also format. The solution is a snippet or set of snippets to solve the specific problem and the discussion is s walkthrough of the ins and outs of both the problem and how the solution fits the bill. Occasionally there's a good discussion of the pros and cons of solutions.
This isn't a book for reading cover to cover, but there's a lot to be learned browsing through the recipes, and you're sure to get answers on a wide range of topics including solid use of generics, exception handling, I/O, web bits, and networking. The chapters on security and reflection are particularly useful because they offer up good insights on approaching secure coding correctly and good techniques for dealing with reflection.
Highly Useful.......2007-02-19
This is exactly the sort of book one needs when beginning a new programming language, and still useful later. It is a large comprehensive set of examples.
Book Description
Microsoft Visual Studio 2005 Unleashed is a deep dive into the Visual Studio 2005 tool. Specifically, it will provide you with solid guidance and education that will allow you to squeeze the ultimate productivity and use out of the Visual Studio 2005 development environment. This book folds in real-world development experience with detailed information about the IDE to make you more productive and ease transition from other development environments (including prior versions of Visual Studio). This book will also help you increase team collaboration and project visibility with Visual Studio Team Systems and it will give you straight, to-the-point answers to common developer questions about the IDE.
Chapters include:
- Code Viewers, Explorers, and Browsers
- Refactoring Code 8
- Writing ASP .NET Applications
- Defining Standards and Practices
- Introduction to Visual Studio Team System
- Work Item Tracking
- Unit and Load Testing
Customer Reviews:
No codes samples available.......2007-03-07
An excellent book. Lots of examples. Unfortunately, you will have to type in all the code examples yourself as the Sams Publishing web page does not have any downloads even though the back covers says that they are available.
Great breakdown on the tool for novices and professionals alike!.......2007-02-21
This book did a great job of revealing the breadth of features available in the product. I think this book is quite useful to not only those that are just getting started but those that are seriously considering implementing VS/TFS in the organization. Even if you are an experienced user of Visual Studio you will certainly learn several new tricks. In fact, I reference this book with my clients who are interested in rolling out VS and TFS.
Microsoft Visual Studio Unleashed.......2007-01-10
The book has been a disappointment; it assumes that the reader knows almost everything there is to know about the Visual Studio 2005 program, and the explanations are vague, and far and few in between.
I just wasted valuable money buying this book. I should have checked its contents at the local bookstore first before purchaing it.
This book is poorly written.
Full of insightful information.......2006-12-18
I was very impressed with the content found in this book, there was wide coverage of not only the in's and out's of using the IDE, which is an excellent introduction to any beginner, but also great coverage of Visual Studio Team System and the automation model found within Visual Studio allowing anyone to extend the IDE, which is more in line with an intermediate developer. This book is well suited for the beginning to intermediate developer looking to get up to speed with Visual Studio 2005. Great job Lars and Mike.
Nice information, puts it all in context..........2006-10-08
OK... I can see why Microsoft Visual Studio has been such a popular IDE for developers. Microsoft Visual Studio 2005 Unleashed from Lars Powers and Mike Snell does a nice job in explaining the value of the latest version of this classic, as well as being an in-depth guide to the feature set...
Contents:
Part 1 - An Introduction to Visual Studio 2005/.NET: A Quick Tour of Visual Studio 2005; A Quick Tour of the IDE; .NET Framework and Language Enhancements in 2005
Part 2 - The Visual Studio 2005 Environment - In-depth: Solutions and Projects; Browsers and Explorers; Introducing the Editors and Designers; Working with Visual Studio's Productivity Aids; Refactoring Code; Debugging with Visual Studio 2005; The Visual Studio Automation Object Model; Writing Macros, Add-ins, and Wizards; The .NET Community - Consuming and Creating Shared Code
Part 3 - Visual Studio 2005 at Work: Creating ASP.NET User Interfaces; Building Windows Forms; Working with Databases; Web Services and Visual Studio
Part 4 - Visual Studio Team System: Team Collaboration and Visual Studio Team System; Managing and Working with Team Projects; Source Control; Work Item Tracking; Modeling; Testing; Team Foundation Build; Index
For someone like me who isn't a .NET developer, I found Part 1 very useful. The intro and tour gave me a great overview of what the IDE offers, and I could easily relate the different parts to the environment (Eclipse) I'm already familiar with. With that background, I could have easily taken Parts 2 and 3 and become productive in relatively short order. The authors maintain a good blend of text to screenshots to code, so I felt like I was getting a combination of reference and tutorial information in one volume. The argument could be made that all this information can be found in the help files, as is the case with most applications. But it's a lot easier to learn a tool like this (at least for me) when there's a structured guide that puts all the information in context. The Unleashed titles do just that, and this one is no exception...
Book Description
- Taking a unique IDE-centric approach, well-respected authors examine the IDE capabilities readers will need to perform specific tasks, demonstrated in the context of building XML Web services
- The only book on the topic that introduces each characteristic of the IDE followed by an example of the context in which that feature is used
- Covers creating custom templates and wizards, reusing code and lightweight code generators, dynamically generating forms through reflections, managing data in the IDE, using the SQL designer to write stored procedures, debugging ASP.NET Web forms, and much more
Customer Reviews:
Money Better Spent.......2007-03-28
Try as hard as I can, I cannot find a purpose in this book other than for the authors to make some money. It barely touches on the options in VS2005 without any concrete direction or in-depth description of why to use the features. I have found that the VB2005 book I purchased at the same time as this ("Visual Basic 2005 : The Language") provided much better coverage than this book
I would NOT reccommend this book to anyone. You would find a much more effective use of your money by buying the above book or a book on the targer language in VS2005 you are using
A very solid intro - even with all the errors.......2007-03-12
Yes this book is riddled with typos and coding errors, but it's still a very well written and informative introduction to VB 2005.
The chapters are really easy to read (not like normal textbooks), with solid examples and small end-of-chapter exercises to reinforce ideas.
If it had been properly proofed, it would easily get 5 stars.
A Huge computer Book, Just on the IDE Itself.......2007-03-11
Microsoft's Visual Studio 2005 is an enormous product. It is Microsoft's standard and proposed developmental platform for virtually all programmers. It's basically an IDE (Integrated Development Environment) on steroids. That means it starts as a text editor so that you can type in the programs you are writing. Added to this is a series of help menus, debugging aids, and other things to assist you in writing programs. After you get your program written, then there are additional tools that will assist you in running the program, tracing the flow control, putting in breakpoints, etc.
Being Microsoft, the main emphasis in Visual Studio is Visual Basic and Microsoft's C# while other languages are covered to a somewhat lessor extent. This book does not cover the languages themselves. It's a full size, thick book just on the IDE itself.
But on the IDE it has everything there is to know about using the IDE. Especially helpful are the authors comments on various third party add ins you can get off the web, often at no cost.
The last chapter in the book is on the Visual Studio Team System which talks about using Visual Studio to manage geographically distributed software projects that may be in development all over the world at once. While this chapter will give you the fundamentals, there is another whole book on using Team System. You'll just get an introduction from this book.
Excellent overview of features, but focuses mostly on VB and C#.......2007-01-23
Professional Visual Studio 2005 fills an important niche: it is for experienced developers who are new to Visual Studio and need an explanation of the environment and all of its features. The book fulfills that need reasonably well, but it is important to understand what you will and will not get from it.
What it does well is to explain the environment and the general approach to development that underlies all of the key aspects of Visual Studio. This begins with the structure of the IDE and its options, then proceeds through a vast tour of Visual Studio concepts, .NET framework fundamentals, various parts of the development architecture (such as security and database connections), an introduction to other features such as developing for devices and team services, and moderately in-depth explorations of important topics such as debugging and deployment. As such, it serves as a combination of a general overview and a concise manual.
Of particular value is that it describes and exposes many features that one might otherwise overlook. Visual Studio 2005 is a huge, complex piece of software, and there are capabilities and options (for everything from IDE options to XML to automation) that are not apparent at first.
What it does not do is to address the aspects of Visual Studio that are specific to individual languages. As is appropriate for a book for experienced developers, it does not present much code or "how to" examples. However, it would be helpful if it discussed more of the differences that affect development in languages besides C# and VB. There is a consistent emphasis on those languages and the [...]
It also presents only minimal tutorial aspects. Although the general steps are described, there are not detailed walkthroughs of such steps as how to compile, build, and debug programs in a given language. It would be nice to have a few chapters on such topics as "porting Unix C code to Visual Studio", or "Moving from Borland C++ Builder to Visual Studio". Those are not critical omissions, but would be nice for some readers. Finally, the book is primarily about the usage of VS from the point of view of individual developers; it focuses mostly on the "professional" version, not on the specific enterprise/team capabilities (which are briefly covered in one chapter).
In short, this book is a good, comprehensive conceptual "manual" for Visual Studio 2005, especially for VB and C# developers. However, there is still an unfilled niche for a book on "Visual Studio 2005 for C++ Developers".
A great book, despite unwarranted bad review.......2006-10-06
Professional Visual Studio 2005 is an exceptional book. It is not often that you encounter a book of this kind written with this kind of clarity and thought.
To the previous reviewer, I would suggest that you read the book before reviewing it, rather than just looking at the pictures. If this is how you judge all of the technical books that you look at, then it is little wonder that most if not all of your book reviews consist entirely of scathing remarks.
However, it does sound as if you have done an exhaustive study on Australian developers to determine that they are all sub-standard programmers. I guess it must be hard for us, when we all live in tin sheds in the outback, coding on our primitive workstations made out of kangaroo skins and old Fosters cans. I would say that your "experience" with Australian developers is more of a reflection on your company's hiring policy or the standard of whatever technical forums you frequent, rather than a reflection of the technical experience of an entire country.
In short, this book is a great book for anybody wanting to know about Visual Studio 2005, and the previous review should be ignored.
Book Description
This book will help you solve more than 300 of the most common and not-so-common tasks that working Visual Basic 2005 programmers face every day. If you're a seasoned .NET developer, beginning Visual Basic programmer, or a developer seeking a simple and clear migration path from VB6 to Visual Basic 2005, the Visual Basic 2005 Cookbook delivers a practical collection of problem-solving recipes for a broad range of Visual Basic programming tasks.
The concise solutions and examples in the Visual Basic 2005 Cookbook range from simple tasks to the more complex, organized by the types of problems you need to solve. Nearly every recipe contains a complete, documented code sample showing you how to solve the specific problem, as well as a discussion of how the underlying technology works and that outlines alternatives, limitations, and other considerations. As with all O'Reilly Cookbooks, each recipe helps you quickly understand a problem, learn how to solve it, and anticipate potential tradeoffs or ramifications.
Useful features of the book include:
- Over 300 recipes written in the familiar O'Reilly Problem-Solution-Discussion format
- Hundreds of code snippets, examples, and complete solutions available for download
- VB6 updates to alert VB6 programmers to code-breaking changes in Visual Basic 2005
- Recipes that target Visual Basic 2005 features not included in previous releases
- Code examples covering everyday data manipulation techniques and language fundamentals
- Advanced projects focusing on multimedia and mathematical transformations using linear algebraic methods
- Specialized topics covering files and file systems, printing, and databases
In addition, you'll find chapters on cryptography and compression, graphics, and special programming techniques. Whether you're a beginner or an expert, the Visual Basic 2005 Cookbook is sure to save you time, serving up the code you need, when you need it.
Customer Reviews:
Useful, but also contains filler.......2007-07-09
There are various sections in this book that are pretty basic and unnecessary to even an amateur programmer but there are also lots of other sections that are just chock full of great stuff and even advanced programmers would benefit from them. It also suffers from the common tendency to say very simple things using a lot of words in order to take up a lot of space. I think I even found a tip or two which show up twice in different sections. That being said, there's still a whole lot of worthwhile material in this book.
Perfect For VB 2005 Developers!!.......2007-04-06
'Visual Basic 2005 Cookbook: Solutions for VB 2005 Programmers' by Tim Patrick is a perfect reference and solution manual for any and all Visual Basic 2005 developers. Written in typical great O'Reilly cookbook fashion, this book is chock full of nuts with 700+ pages of goodness.
Chapter Overview
01. VB Basics
02. Development Environment
03. Application Organization
04. Forms, Controls, Other Objects
05. Strings
06. Numbers And Math
07. Dates & Times
08. Arrays & Collections
09. Graphics
10. Multimedia
11. Printing
12. Files & File Systems
13. Databases
14. Programming Techniques
15. Exceptions
16. Cryptography & Compression
17. Web Development
This is simply a fabulous book that any and all VB programmers of today need to pick up. Not only will you save time, you'll enjoy doing it while reading this wonderful guide!!
***** HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
Outstanding Reference for the "Rest" Of Us.......2007-04-04
If you're new to programming in Visual Basic .NET, but have programmed in some other langauge before, there is always this barrier that one faces when they know, to a certain degree, the task they want to accomplish, but often fall short trying to figure out the syntax or method to implement it here. That is what this book does. It's an essential cookbook, in the language of choice, that bridges that barrier.
It's also a great side-companion for beginners, mainly because the intro books do a fair job of getting people started, but they also need to figure out specific tasks or methods of doing things that tutorial books won't cover. It does not overstate the obvious, and it serves up pretty clear impressions and explanations on what it delivers.
Great ideas for the newbie.......2007-03-17
Very helpful for a casual programmer like myself. Just remember to download the "recipies" to avoid retyping.
Very useful VB 2005 reference.......2007-03-09
I've found this book quite useful. There are lots of practical tips, tricks and techniques for VB 2005. I've gleaned a multitude of ideas for use in an intermediate VB class that I teach.
Book Description
Programming C# with Visual Studio .NET 2005 is a practical guide to writing software using the latest version of the C# language. After covering the fundamentals of the language, the book moves into more advanced topics, such as Windows Programming, Threads, Database Programming with ADO.NET, XML, and Network programming.
Customer Reviews:
Clearly written - C# finally clicked!.......2007-09-02
Coming from a strong classic VBScript background I've struggled with C# and the .NET platform. After reading through Jeffery's book, everything finally 'clicked' for me. I'd rate this book more for the beginner than anything else; if you're looking for advanced topics, look elsewhere.
The first half of the book has several walk-through's of basic C# syntax and moves into more intermediate walk-through's of working with Classes and an introduction into OO methodology. The second half of the book is focused on working within the Visual Studio IDE.
Overall the book has very clear examples; well written (so what if there are a few typos); and with a writing style that is easy to understand.
Definitely recommended if you are learning C#.
Don't waste your money.......2007-07-25
I don't say "don't waste your time" as I'm sure you won't spend too much of it on this book. I was foolish enough to read almost all of it, all the way hoping it would start getting serious.
Very poorly written. Lots of typos, the kind resulting in valid English words, just not the right words for the context. So, the text was definitely run through a spell-checker but I doubt any human professional editor was involved. A friend trying to tell you the plot of a play or a movie he liked, may get excited and wordy about some moments but half-forget or completely forget some others. This is what the book's style and structure remind.
And one more thing: it's rather difficult to read the code listings with their non-quite-black forecolor against medium-gray background.
Excelent C# Intro book.......2007-03-17
If your like me you need to know what "tools" a language has to offer, and the syntax of usage. This book teaches the basics very well, while providing examples that will be seen often in programming. It provides enough information on ASP, XML, etc to give you an understanding of how building for these services works, and I picked up the rest from helpfiles/playing around.
Only for an entry level programmer........2007-01-09
This book 'may' be good for a beginner. I found it useless, but I was looking for a more advanced book.
Excellent Book!.......2006-12-16
Jeffrey Suddeth did an awsome job on this book. Having programmed in C many years ago then moved on to VBA in MS Access, VB and VB.NET, this book was an excellent refresher to the C syntax which C# came from. Of course C# has all the object oriented features which make it even better. I would rate this book with the Kernigan & Ritchie book on C, which anyone who was learning C in the mid to late 80's used the K & R book as their "bible". Later on in the book Jeffrey gives some specifics of working with Visual Studio, Windows Forms, working with data, etc. An excellent book to learn C# by.
Book Description
Not a reference book, and not a tutorial either, the new second edition of the highly regarded Access Cookbook is an uncommonly useful collection of solutions to problems that Access users and developers are likely to face as they attempt to build increasingly complex applications. Although using any single "recipe" in the book will more than pay back the cost of the book in terms of both hours saved and frustration thwarted, Access Cookbook, Second Edition is much more than a handy assortment of cut-and-paste code. Each of the "recipes" examine a particular problem--problems that commonly occur when you push the upper limits of Access, or ones that are likely to trip up a developer attempting to design a more elegant Access application--even some things you never knew Access could do. The authors then, in a clear, accessible, step-by-step style, present the problems' solution. Following each "recipe" are insights on how Access works, potential pitfalls, interesting programming techniques that are used in the solution, and how and why the solution works, so you can adapt the problem-solving techniques to other similar situations. Fully updated for Access 2003, Access Cookbook, Second Edition is also one of the first books to thoroughly explore new support for .NET managed code and XML. All of the practical, real-world examples have been tested for compatibility with Access 2003, Windows XP, and Windows Server 2003. This updated new edition also covers Access and SharePoint, Access and SmartTags, Access and .NET; and Access and XML. Access power users and programmers at all levels, from the relatively inexperienced to the most sophisticated, will rely on the Access Cookbook for quick solutions to gnarly problems. With a dog-eared copy of Access Cookbook at your side, you can spend your time and energy where it matters most: working on the interesting facets of your Access application, not just the time-consuming ones.
Customer Reviews:
One of the most invaluable references I have in my library.......2006-10-13
I'll keep this brief, as my title says it all. I have been developing access applications on a professional level for many years. Have several applications that large companies use to run there business. This cookbook has helped me in more ways then I can count. I wish I could find more like it. I use it just as a cookbook. Look thru to find a similiar situation that I am trying to solve. The examples are written very well. The code is very exact and on the money. While most of the examples listed are not always exactly like what I'm trying to solve, it definitely gets the creative juices flowing on how to solve my problem.
The other good things, there are several useful "tips" that you can use to implement in many of your applications that will help the users have a better experience.
Definitely a must have if you wish to write serious applications.
Recipes for Access Developer Success.......2005-05-21
The Access Developer's Handbook Set (search ISBN: 0782140114) and in particular, Volume 1: Desktop Edition (search ISBN: 0782123708) is my definitive resource to approximately 4 years of Access development. I've got more stickies and highlights in this set than all other Access books combined. So when I came across the Access cookbook and realized that the same two indispensible authors (Getz & Litwin) put together a resource of Access developer solutions, I had to have it.
This book has not let me down. It is certainly geared towards the intermediate to advanced Access professional developers who already understand the basics of Access and more importantly, who also understand the shortcomings of Access and the benefits of getting around those shortcomings. There are about 170 solutions in this book that are segmented into 18 chapters of high-level topics such as Queries, Forms, XML, UI, VBA, Windows APIs, even Smart Tags. I would be really surprised to find someone who picked up this text, thumbed through the solutions, and found that there was nothing they could get out of this book.
I would say that if you are developing a professional Access front-end and/or database, you owe it to yourself to buy this book and review each solution before you release or ship your product. I did, and found either new answers and existing improvements to many of the things I was struggling with during my development cycles.
Access Developers.. this is a must have!.......2005-01-20
When I started my job, my first assignment was develop several Access databases. What they wanted was beyond what I knew of Access. After buying this book and Access Database Programming and Design, I was well on my way to develop a quite advanced Access database application. I would ask myself, "I wonder if I can..." After consulting this book for the anwser, BAM! I found it there. This book covers everything from simple VBA to advanced techniques such as incorporating a email system into a database, linked dropdown combo boxes using SQL, and creating VB Form control that tells you who all is currently in a database using ADO and VBA! I would say anyone wanting to cook a mean Access database should definitely pick this one up. It is an invaluable reference if you want to develop professional Access databases with incredible functionality!
I'm a ColdFusion guy, so read this review with that in mind:.......2004-11-12
This book I would recommend for people who use Access as their back end, and need to add some automation to their back end. It deals mostly with using VBA to solve problems, like:
* How to create an input box where you can get some better info than the standard VBA one
* Call Excel functions, and apply them to Access data
* Figure out which users have a shared database open, if you're
doing a blended Access/CF solution
* Managing report printing (see next set of bullets)
I recommend checking out this book under the following circumstances:
* You have internal and external clients hitting your database. In a situation like that, you can have your internal users access the database using a well-designed Access application, which this book will give you some tricks on how to create.
* In the alternative, you want to manage and analyze your data, and create print reports. That's where Access just as a stand-alone application gives a substantial advantage over any Web technology.
For a ColdFusion developer, there are some topics in this book that probably wouldn't do much good:
* Adding Smart Tags functionality to a database - if you're expanding beyond the reach of Microsoft Office, Smart Tags prove to be a nifty proprietary parlor trick
* Using Access' security management tools to manage user rights to database objects. If I run a Windows server, I would use Challenge and Response to create NTFS based permissions on my pages in my application that manage data. Otherwise, I'll use application-based usernames and passwords, same net result.
* Exporting Access data as XML using pre-defined schemas. Not bad, but ColdFusion has far better technology.
Don't get me wrong - those last three bullets are not any disrespect to this well-written, well-organized guide. I'm just looking at, "What topics would interest you if you're a ColdFusion developer?"
If you do want to learn more about Access database development as an art unto itself, this is not the place to begin. This is the place to arrive at.
Unique resource for experienced access users.......2004-07-29
Those familiar with Access may not be familiar with O'Reilly's Cookbook series. The Cookbook series takes common tough problems and provides simple recipes, often with multiple alternative takes, to solve the problem. The value is not only in reference, it also shows you new techniques for using Access or VB is new ways that you may not have thought of.
I highly recommend this book for any experienced Access user, or anyone looking to become an Access expert. This book will stretch your skills and make it easier to nod your head yes when your boss asks you to solve some tricky problem.
Average customer rating:
- Overcomplicated
- Best reference for the core language with plenty of examples
- Great reference book
- Excellent reference
- excellent
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ASIN: 059600298X |
Book Description
To-the-point, authoritative, no-nonsense solutions have always been a trademark of O'Reilly books. The In a Nutshell books have earned a solid reputation in the field as the well-thumbed references that sit beside the knowledgeable developer's keyboard. C++ in a Nutshell lives up to the In a Nutshell promise. C++ in a Nutshell is a lean, focused reference that offers practical examples for the most important, most often used, aspects of C++. C++ in a Nutshell packs an enormous amount of information on C++ (and the many libraries used with it) in an indispensable quick reference for those who live in a deadline-driven world and need the facts but not the frills. The book's language reference is organized first by topic, followed by an alphabetical reference to the language's keywords, complete with syntax summaries and pointers to the topic references. The library reference is organized by header file, and each library chapter and class declaration presents the classes and types in alphabetical order, for easy lookup. Cross-references link related methods, classes, and other key features. This is an ideal resource for students as well as professional programmers. When you're programming, you need answers to questions about language syntax or parameters required by library routines quickly. What, for example, is the C++ syntax to define an alias for a namespace? Just how do you create and use an iterator to work with the contents of a standard library container? C++ in a Nutshell is a concise desktop reference that answers these questions, putting the full power of this flexible, adaptable (but somewhat difficult to master) language at every C++ programmer's fingertips.
Customer Reviews:
Overcomplicated .......2007-07-11
Hi,
I'm a recent graduate B.Sc CS and used this book extensively for a month+ as to prepare for a c++ job interviews.
Unfortunately I can't say I loved this book. I found the examples to be overcomplicated by irrelevant information and language to be ambiguous at the times.
As an example, from page 160 (classes/ covariant return types):
"In a derived class, a covariant return type is a pointer or reference to a class type that derives from the return type used in the base class" ?!
Code examples are contaminated by the irrelevant programming techniques and irrelevant code. Page 158, "declaring and using virtual functions", the code example extends over two pages. In it, author uses concepts of templates, complicated operators overloading, constructor and destructor, pure virtual functions (its different topic in the book, much later) as well as a very complicated programming code. And all of this extra information used to explain a rather simple virtual functions.
If the reader is not very familiar with some concepts of programming language, reader might face a difficulty to understand the topic illustrated, as it would be polluted with much unrelated code technique.
I wouldn't recommend this book for the beginners, and would proceed with caution if you are an intermediate programmer. This is a great start but author need to maintain focus on the particular topic and not to make it more complicated then it's already is. After all it's a reference book and not the collection of the brain teasers.
Best reference for the core language with plenty of examples.......2007-06-23
Many implementations of C++ extend the language and standard library. Except for brief mentions of language and library extensions in the appendixes, this book covers only the standard. The standard library is large, but it omits much that is common in computing today such as concurrency, network protocols, database access, graphics, and windowing. However, Appendix B contains some information about nonstandard libraries that provide additional functionality.
This book is a reference, not a tutorial, thus those unfamiliar with C++ might find portions of this book difficult to understand. Although each portion of the book contains some advice on idioms and the proper use of certain language constructs, the main focus is on the reference material. This book is divided into two interleaved sections that cover the language and the library, and a couple of appendixes. Roughly speaking, the language is the part of C++ that does not require any additional #include headers or files. The library is the part of C++ that is declared in the standard headers.
Chapter 1 through Chapter 7, Chapter 11, and Chapter 12 cover the language itself. The first seven chapters form the main language reference, organized by topic. It is customary for a programming reference to contain a formal grammar, and this book does so in Chapter 12, which is organized alphabetically by keyword with some additional entries for major syntactic categories, such as expressions. Chapter 11 is a reference for the preprocessor. Chapter 13 is the library reference, organized alphabetically by header. Chapters 8 through 10 present an overview of the library and introduce the topics that span individual headers. A detailed accounting of each chapter follows:
Chapter 1. Language Basics - describes the basic rules for the C++ language.
1.1. Compilation Steps
1.2. Tokens
1.3. Comments
1.4. Character Sets
1.5. Alternative Tokens
1.6. Trigraphs
Chapter 2. Declarations - describes how objects, types, and namespaces are declared and how names are looked up.
2.1. Declarations and Definitions
2.2. Scope
2.3. Name Lookup
2.4. Linkage
2.5. Type Declarations
2.6. Object Declarations
2.7. Namespaces
Chapter 3. Expressions - describes operators, precedence, and type casts.
3.1. Lvalues and Rvalues
3.2. Type Conversions
3.3. Constant Expressions
3.4. Expression Evaluation
3.5. Expression Rules
Chapter 4. Statements - describes all the C++ statements.
4.1. Expression Statements
4.2. Declarations
4.3. Compound Statements
4.4. Selections
4.5. Loops
4.6. Control Statements
4.7. Handling Exceptions
Chapter 5. Functions - describes function declarations and definitions, overload resolution, argument passing, and related topics.
5.1. Function Declarations
5.2. Function Definitions
5.3. Function Overloading
5.4. Operator Overloading
5.5. The main Function
Chapter 6. Classes - describes classes, unions, structures, members, virtual functions, inheritance, accessibility, and multiple inheritance.
6.1. Class Definitions
6.2. Data Members
6.3. Member Functions
6.4. Inheritance
6.5. Access Specifiers
6.6. Friends
6.7. Nested Types
Chapter 7. Templates - describes class and function template declarations, definitions, instantiations, specializations, and how templates are used.
7.1. Overview of Templates
7.2. Template Declarations
7.3. Function Templates
7.4. Class Templates
7.5. Specialization
7.6. Partial Specialization
7.7. Instantiation
7.8. Name Lookup
7.9. Tricks with Templates
7.10. Compiling Templates
Chapter 8. Standard Library - introduces the standard library and discusses some overarching topics, such as traits and allocators.
8.1. Overview of the Standard Library
8.2. C Library Wrappers
8.3. Wide and Multibyte Characters
8.4. Traits and Policies
8.5. Allocators
8.6. Numerics
Chapter 9. Input and Output - introduces the I/O portion of the standard library. Topics include formatted and unformatted I/O, stream buffers, and manipulators.
9.1. Introduction to I/O Streams
9.2. Text I/O
9.3. Binary I/O
9.4. Stream Buffers
9.5. Manipulators
9.6. Errors and Exceptions
Chapter 10. Containers, Iterators, and Algorithms - introduces the suite of container class templates, their iterators, and generic algorithms. This is the portion of the library that has traditionally been called the Standard Template Library (STL).
10.1. Containers
10.2. Iterators
10.3. Algorithms
Chapter 11. Preprocessor Reference - an alphabetical reference for the preprocessor, which is part of the language, but with a distinct set of syntactic and semantic rules.
Chapter 12. Language Reference - an alphabetical reference for the language and grammar. Backus-Naur Form (BNF) syntax descriptions are given for each keyword and other language elements, with pointers to the first seven chapters for the main reference material.
Chapter 13. Library Reference - a reference for the entire standard library, organized alphabetically by header, and alphabetically by name within each header section.
Appendix A. Compiler Extension - describes ways that some compilers extend the language: to satisfy customer need, to meet platform-specific requirements, and so on.
Appendix B. Projects - describes a few interesting, open source C++ projects. You can find information about additional projects on the book's web site.
The book illustrates the descriptions and definitions it covers with plenty of examples - some quite short, and then some longer ones as you get further into the book. If you need a good desk reference on C++, this is definitely the one to buy and keep by your side.
Great reference book.......2007-01-10
This is a great reference book. You definitely need to know something about c++ to get the full benefit of it. I would recommend it.
Excellent reference.......2006-03-19
I always like O'Reilly books and are usually what I purchase. The "In A Nutshell" may be misleading to some. Just think of it as "C++ A Language & Library Reference." If you are a beginner looking for a how to, this isn't the one for you. "Thinking in C++" by Bruce Eckel (great book), or "Practical C++ Programming" would be the one a beginner would want. However, when you are ready to explore the inter-details about what C++ classes provides, this would be a good one to add to your collection. The first half describes C++ in general, while the last half details the language reference. I like how the reference is structured, grouped by the easy to find header declaration at the bottom of the page. Quickly finding what you need is a great feature here. You can only do so much "std::cout
<
< "hi"
<
< std::endl; without a reference and this one covers the missing details. Not for beginners, but an excellent reference.
excellent.......2006-01-14
I found this book is excellent. It concisely covers many finer
points of c++ language, which are not fully explained
in many other similar books. Of course, your understanding of
this book will be greater if you have already studied c++ for
a while.
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