C#

The Bonus Site for C# 2008 For Dummies
csharp102.info

About csharp102.info, C# 2008 For Dummies, C# 2010 All-In-One For Dummies, and the Authors

The book

Stephen Randy Davis wrote the first edition of the book, called C# For Dummies, in 2002. When he was unavailable to do a second edition, Chuck Sphar got the job for C# 2005 For Dummies. After the 2008 edition (Chuck again), Bill Sempf took over to write C# 2010 All-In-One For Dummies.

And for the C# 2008 For Dummies and the C# 2010 All-In-One For Dummies editions, we've not only covered the hot new features relating to Language Integrated Query (LINQ) [described on the Home Page] and the new dynamic keyword, but also revised the book in many other ways:

  • Better organization
  • More code examples
  • New coverage of C#'s collection classes (2008)
  • Expanded coverage of C# interfaces (2008)
  • All new material on C# delegates and events (2008)
  • More on namespaces and class libraries (bonus chapter for 2008, in-book chapter for 2010)
  • Much better coverage of C#'s error handling mechanism: exceptions (2008)
  • Added coverage of working with files and directories (bonus chapter for 2008, in-book chapter for 2010)
  • New material on C# structs and enums (bonus chapter 2008 & 2010)
  • Extended coverage of using Visual Studio 2008 (2008, better coverage for 2010)
  • Improved coverage of C# generics (bonus chapter for 2008, in-book chapter for 2010)
  • More on C# iterators (bonus chapter for 2008, in-book chapter for 2010)
  • Writing more secure code (2010)
  • Accessing data in databases (2010)
  • Accessing the Internet from your programs (2010)
  • Creating images (2010)
  • Touring and customizing Visual Studio (bonus chapter for 2008, in-book chapters for 2010)
  • Writing visual applications with either Windows Forms or Windows Presentation Foundation (both 2010)
  • Developing Web sites with ASP.NET (2010)
  • Working with Web Services (2010)
  • Using the new dynamic keyword introduced in C# 2010
  • Using named and optional parameters (2010)
  • Networking with COM objects, including Microsoft Office files, using COM Interoperability (COM Interop) improvements in C# 2010

What items in the previous edition are gone in the new 2008 edition?

A few things fell by the wayside:

  • A Part-of-Tens chapter comparing C# to other programming languages. I'll get that kind of material onto this site soon.
  • The book's CD-ROM disc, which contained example code, bonus chapters, and several you-try-it utility programs. The items that used to be on the CD are now on this site.
  • The book's Appendix. Since it was all about using the CD, we axed it.
  • The old Bonus Chapter 5, "C# on the Cheap," which discussed programming C# at the Windows command line, with SharpDevelop, and so forth. I'll put parts of that material on this site when I get a chance.
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The Web site

This Web site is all new:

  • Coverage of both C# 3.0 (2008) and C# 4.0 (2010)
  • New design
  • New content
  • More bonus material
  • More C# code
  • The book's Table of Contents
  • A Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page
  • Contact information in case you have a question or find an error

We won't be updating the site daily, or even weekly, but we will update it frequently, so come back from time to time to see what's new.

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The Authors

Stephen R. Davis, who goes by the name of Randy, lives with his wife and son near Dallas, Texas. He and his family have written numerous books, including C++ For Dummies and C++ Weekend Crash Course. Stephen works for L-3 Communications.

Chuck Sphar escaped Microsoft's C++ documentation camps in 1997, after six years' hard labor as a senior technical writer. He's perpetrated three previous tomes, one on object-oriented programming for the Mac, one on Microsoft's MFC class library, and C# 2005 For Dummies, a revision of Randy's original edition. Chuck is currently finishing a novel about ancient Rome and gobbling great mouthfuls of .NET programming. Chuck can be reached for praise and minor nits via this site's Contact page.

Bill Sempf (author of C# 2010 All-In-One For Dummies) has a company called Products of Innovative New Technology (usually called POINT). Bill has over 17 years of experience in the computer/software industry in all sorts of capacities (see his author introduction in the 2010 book) and is widely known as the author of several Visual Basic books, including the popular Visual Basic for Dummies. Bill can be reached at bill@pointweb.net. You can find additional information about C# 2010 All-In-One For Dummies at csharpfordummies.com.

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