Programming languages have strengths in different areas. Some languages are very powerful but can be bug-prone and difficult to work with, while others are simpler but can be limiting in terms of functionality or performance. C# (c-sharp) is a new language from Microsoft designed to provide an optimum blend of simplicity, expressiveness, and performance.

Designed to familiarize experienced programmers with the language and .NET framework, C# Essentials delivers a concise summary of the Microsoft C# programming language and the Microsoft .NET base framework classes that support it. It's divided into six parts:

• Introduction
• C# Language Reference
• Programming with the .NET Framework
• Base Class Library Overview
• Essential .NET Tools
• Appendixes

The contents serve as both a complement and a roadmap to the Microsoft on-line documentation. C# Essentials is not a language tutorial, but rather a guide to what's needed to get up to speed with C#. This book is also not a .NET framework tutorial, though it explains the key libraries programmers need to understand in order to use the .NET Framework.

Contents

Preface

1: Introduction

C# Language

Common Language Runtime

Base Class Libraries

A Minimal C# Program

2: C# Language Reference

Identifiers

Types

Variables

Expressions and Operators

Statements

Organizing Types

Inheritance

Access Modifiers

Classes and Structs

Interfaces

Arrays

Enums

Delegates

Events

try Statements and Exceptions

Attributes

Unsafe Code and Pointers

Preprocessor Directives

XML Documentation

3: Programming the .NET Framework

Common Types

Math

Strings

Collections

Regular Expressions

Input/Output

Networking

Threading

Assemblies

Reflection

Custom Attributes

Automatic Memory Management

Interop with Native DLLs

Interop with COM

4: Base Class Library Overview

Core Types

Text

Collections

Streams and I/O

Networking

Threading

Security

Reflection

Serialization

Remoting

Web Services

Data Access

XML

Graphics

Rich Client Applications

Web-Based Applications

Globalization

Configuration

Advanced Component Services

Assemblies

Diagnostics and Debugging

Interoperating with Unmanaged Code

Component and Tool Support

Runtime Facilities

Native OS Facilities

5: Essential .NET Tools

A: C# Keywords

B: Regular Expressions

C: Format Specifiers

D: Data Marshaling

E: Working with Assemblies

F: Namespaces and Assemblies

Index