Learning C#



  • I was wondering if any of you had suggestions for tutorials or what not to learn C# with. Right now my main language of choice is Java, but I'm thinking of branching out. I would appreciate any ideas or help.



  • I haven't done so yet, but it seems like a good idea to read this.



  • I've been learning C# and my first recommendation is to stay away from MS Press Step by Step books, which are terrible. They discuss topics to advanced for beginners, but don't have enough detail for advanced users. They're basically step by step guides on how to use advanced features in Visual Studio. Instead jump right into the Core Reference. If you want to go MS side, the Wrox and MS press books are good (except for the Step by Step) and if you like Mono instead there is great documentation available for it free online. And there's always MSDN.



  • @malfist said:

    I was wondering if any of you had suggestions for tutorials or what not to learn C# with. Right now my main language of choice is Java, but I'm thinking of branching out. I would appreciate any ideas or help.

    http://www.ecma-international.org/publications/files/ECMA-ST/Ecma-334.pdf

    Use with extreme caution.



  • For me, doing a bunch of academic exercising demonstrating language features, reading language definitions, and hand coding Hello World is eventually useful, but until then, I'd recommend the fun and easy route:  Download Visual Studio Express Edition for C#, and go through the Windows Forms Walkthroughs.  Since you're already a Java guy, most of the stuff you'll do will probably center around hunting through the .net framework looking for the stuff that's like what you do in Java.

    When you're done with that, head over to Visual Web Developer and hit the asp.net walkthroughs.  All good stuff, and you get some working code out of the experience without spending any money.  Unless you don't have Windows, in which case I suppose you do.



  • I have windows and Visual Studio Pro (because I'm a student and through Kentucky Vertual ATC I get it free). So I'll look though that stuff.

     Thanks.



  • The hardest part of learning C# is learning the .NET framework, not the language itself.

    I suggest Jeffrey Richter's book "CLR through C#". It's pretty good. 



  • For someone with a lot of experience in Java, the hardest part of learning C# is learning not to write Java-like code in C#. ;-)



  • @ammoQ said:

    For someone with a lot of experience in Java, the hardest part of learning C# is learning not to write Java-like code in C#. ;-)

    The hardest part for me is learning. 



  • There's a book, I think published by Apress, called something like "C# for Java Programmers".  I don't know how good or bad it is, but it might be something you want to check out at amazon or browse at the local bookstore.  There's also "A programmer's introduction to C# 2.0" also by Apress, that's pretty good and doesn't really have too much hand-holding like a lot of beginner books.


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