Similarly, the authors discuss VB.NET and C++ along with the byte code they compile to--Intermediate Language--backward compatibility with COM and comparisons with other languages including Java (not all entirely accurate).

In Professional C# you start at the beginning with types, variables, casting (boxing), scope and other basics followed by flow control: if, switch, while and foreach (from VB). Just about every feature of C# is then discussed and demonstrated along with all the things you might want to do with it in a Windows environment, ending with a long chapter on .NET security. There follows sections for other language programmers moving to C#. It's all rather thorough.

High points include the section on Visual.NET studio, XML, Active Directory and ASP.NET--largely for the way they demonstrate how hard Microsoft has worked to integrate .NET features (of which C# is one). The discussions associated with the practical code samples are also excellent, for example, the one on programming graphics with GDI+ (following the section on forms) which introduces some interesting gotchas.

While completeness is to be applauded Professional C# suffers from dry wordiness and poor subbing common to many multi-authored Wrox programming titles. Despite constantly wishing the text were as tightly written as the code Professional C# is an accessible reference to the language suitable for anyone with an interest in C#. --Steve Patient

Book Description
If we were to describe the C# language and its associated environment, the .NET Framework, as the most important new technology for developers for many years, we would not be exaggerating. .NET is designed to provide a new environment within which you can develop almost any application to run on Windows, while C# is a new programming language that has been designed specifically to work with .NET.

In this book, we introduce all the key concepts of the C# language and the .NET Framework. As well as full coverage of C# syntax, there are examples of building all types of applications using C# - Windows applications and Windows services, web applications and web services with ASP.NET, and Windows and web controls. There is also full discussion of the most common .NET class libraries, such as data access using ADO.NET, and accessing Active Directory using the DirectoryServices classes.

This book covers:

All the features of the C# language
Object-oriented programming in C#
Windows applications and Windows services
Writing web pages and web services with ASP.NET
.NET Assemblies
Accessing your data with ADO.NET
Distributed applications with .NET Remoting
Integration with COM, COM+, and Active Directory


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