C# book for someone with limited programming experience

[th0r0n]

Hey guys,

I want to learn C#, I have VS Express at home, and I have a project in mind to start working on (A utility to backup save games from my PC to Transfer to another PC, seems like a good idea as it would be very scalable so I could make it better as I learn more!)

I have some experience with VBA, VB, PHP, etc but nothing amazing, so I need a book that's going to be useful to me as a newbie!

Could you recommend some to me, and I'll get them bought.

Thanks!

[chadders]

Wrox: Beginning Visual C# 2008 was good for me, you already know a little bit and it starts from the basics, can be used with the Express edition - easy to put down and come back to a few days later.

£16.79 on amazon.

I'm sure others will have their own recommendation - go have a look on the Wrox website, I think you can read some sample pages.

Other than that, also have a butchers on Amazon, read the reviews...

[th0r0n]

Thanks, I like the Wrox stuff!

Is it a good idea to have a project in mind whilst learning?

Thanks again

[chadders]

You'll be too busy working through the book and the examples, and probably come up with a completely different idea later on anyway (due to learning new stuff)!

But yeah, it's always nice to have an idea for a project lurking in the back of your head - by the time you've finished you'll be able to evolve it from say simple file/copy, throw in a database (compact edition i think of sql express) so you could log syncing info, then perhaps throw in ftp backup?

The main thing is, it doesn't matter if your project is earth shattering or not - it'll motivate you to learn and apply it.

You can then move on to the Professional books, or to other areas as required within the Wrox range (or other publishers).

I think for sub-£20, based on what you've said that book will be paced about right - don't expect amazing projects to start off with, it's all initially geared around understanding the language (hence all 'console' based coding) and the concepts (including learning the IDE/c# express,professional).

Good luck!

[TheAnimus]

There are some very good training screencasts and such on how to get started with C#.

The language is really easy to get to grips with, if your going to be doing it at all professionally thou, express edition dosen't cut the mustard (awful debugging of multithreading, no reSharper support).

Oh yes, and get a copy of ReSharper, it will nag and nag until you learn how you *should* be programming the language.

[th0r0n]

Will do, thanks

[TheAnimus]

I would go as far to say as you shouldn't really need a book to begin with.

Its just so damn easy to get to grips with the simple stuff. However, things like WPF (the all new wizzy WIMP stuff) WCF (the all new wizzy communication stuff) are a bit harder, and a good book is worthwhile.

Same goes with the real under the covers stuff CLR via C# is an excellent bible that every good C# dev should have access too.

But for just starting out, its really not needed.

Once you've got the basics of hello world done then look at:
Anonymous Methods and delegates
Lambdas
LINQ

You should be able to really master all thouse without needing to get a book, because they are so easy to get to grips with.

[th0r0n]

Even for someone that is pretty new to programming?

I've ordered that book anyway

As a sidenote, don't suppose you used to play a HalfLife mod called Natural Selection?

[TheAnimus]

why yes, yes i did

[th0r0n]

Haha, I've seen you posting on here before and I swore I recognised your name, didn't know whether it was a popular moniker or not though

Was it nb.uk you were in?!

[TheAnimus]

yup, can't remember who u where with thou?

[th0r0n]

..:d

[TheAnimus]

i think it was SCF now....

small world on the internet, so why you taking up programming?

[th0r0n]

Been dabbling with it for ages, want to get my teeth into it properly

[toolsong]

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Head-First-C...4875760&sr=8-1