Product Description

C# in Depth is a completely new book designed to propel existing C# developers to a higher level of programming skill. One simple principle drives this book: explore a few things deeply rather than offer a shallow view of the whole C# landscape. If you often find yourself wanting just a little more at the end of a typical chapter, this is the book for you.

Expert author Jon Skeet dives into the C# language, plumbing new C# 2 and 3 features and probing the core C# language concepts that drive them. This unique book puts the new features into context of how C# has evolved without a lengthy rehearsal of the full C# language.

C# in Depth briefly examines the history of C# and the .NET framework and reviews a few often-misunderstood C# 1 concepts that are very important as the foundation for fully exploiting C# 2 and 3. Because the book addresses C# 1 with a light touch, existing C# developers don't need to pick through the book in order to find new material to enhance their skills.

This book focuses on the C# 2 and 3 versions of the language, but clearly explains where features are supported by changes in the runtime (CLR) or use new framework classes. Each feature gets a thorough explanation, along with a look on how you'd use it in real life applications.

C# in Depth is both a vehicle for learning C# 2 and 3 and a reference work. Although the coverage is in-depth, the text is always accessible: You'll explore pitfalls that can trip you up, but you'll skip over gnarly details best left to the language specification. The overall effect is that readers become not just proficient in C# 2 and 3, but comfortable that they truly understand the language.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #17636 in Books
• Published on: 2008-04-21
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 392 pages

About the Author
Jon Skeet has worked with C# since 2002, and has been a Microsoft C# MVP since October 2003. He has spent a great amount of time in the C# community answering questions in newsgroups as well as writing articles on the most misunderstood aspects of C# and .NET. After having read tens of thousands of questions over the years, Jon has developed a deep insight into the areas that developers have trouble with, as well as what they're trying to achieve. A keen reader of specifications, Jon aims to understand the language at the deepest level, which enables him to provide a detailed exposition of C#, including a few dark corners which can trip up the unwary developer.

Customer Reviews

Flawless
I've just counted, it's the fifth book I've read on C# this year (not to mention a dozen books on .NET) and this is by far the best. It's not just very good technically, useful and enjoyable to read, it's flawless. In fact, I didn't find as single typo, a single sentence that was slightly misleading or incomplete which, in my experience, is extremely rare for a first edition. On top of being a highly competent developer, Jon is clearly a gifted writer and a born teacher. Every term is always used appropriately and in the right context, every example is spot on and contains the least amount of code that shows the full extent of the feature... this is a rare treat.
So, forget about reading the C# Specification. If you want to know all the useful stuff without going through pages and pages of boring and tedious text, read `C# in depth' instead! (I've made the mistake of doing it the other way round).
To sum up, if you are a good C# developer and you want to become a very good C# developer, there are 3 books you can't afford not to read: Framework Design Guidelines by Cwalina/Abrams, CLR via C# by Jeff Richter and this one!

One of the few IT books to be allowed space on the living room bookcase.
Anyone that has ever Googled for anything threading related in C# will have come across the writing of Jon Skeet. Indeed, I have yet to meet a .Net developer that hasn't read and benefited from his writing on his "Yoda" blog. His writing has the very rare magic of being both concise and compelling.
Unlike most books within the current proliferation of .Net tomes, C# in Depth has a narrow focus. This allows the book to go into exquisite depth whilst maintaining a physical size that means it never leaves my backpack. I cannot stress enough that Jons expert writing means that although the subject matter is deep, you never feel "out of your depth". The chapter on Generics left me with the same feeling I got when I first read Don Boxes Essential .Net book. Excited. Stunned by what I thought I knew before but infact didnt. And most importantly, I actually felt more expert in my field.
Cant recommend this book enough.

Simply a must-have for C#
Most "C#" books are actually books about the .NET framework (and the various core classes) using C# as the language for examples. Not this book; instead, this is truly a book about C# itself, touching on the framework only where necessary to explain the language design.

There are a lot of language features introduced in C# 2 and C# 3, and the simple fact is that many of these generally aren't fully understood by most developers. This book could truly change that. I consider myself an experienced C# developer, yet C# in Depth showed me depths (*useful* depths) I simply didn't know - even in the C# 2 areas that I thought I understood well. It also covers a lot of the language specifics surrounding LINQ (that being the main goal of C# 3), which I would consider essential for anyone serious about .NET 3.5 / VS2008.

A deeper understanding of the language is incredibly useful; especially when trying to understand why something isn't behaving as you expected (a prime example being the subtleties of "captured variables"). But equally, knowing how to work *with* the language (rather than against it) is key to robust and reusable designs. For example, the ability to use a more functional programming style in C# 3 (and what that means...).

And yet somehow, Jon manages to cover this technical vista while keeping the tone easily approachable, engaging, and even entertaining. Not a small challenge.

All in all, highly recommended: it will make you a better C# developer.