Benjamin Perkins - Beginning C# 7 Programming with Visual Studio 2017

1. Chapter 3
2. Chapter 4
3. Chapter 5
4. Chapter 9
5. Chapter 12
6. Chapter 14
7. Chapter 15
8. Chapter 18
9. Chapter 19
10. Chapter 20
11. Chapter 21
12. Chapter 22
13. Chapter 24

1. Chapter 1
2. Chapter 2
3. Chapter 3
4. Chapter 4
5. Chapter 5
6. Chapter 6
7. Chapter 7
8. Chapter 8
9. Chapter 9
10. Chapter 10
11. Chapter 11
12. Chapter 12
13. Chapter 13
14. Chapter 14
15. Chapter 15
16. Chapter 16
17. Chapter 17
18. Chapter 18
19. Chapter 19
20. Chapter 20
21. Chapter 21
22. Chapter 23
23. Chapter 24
24. Chapter 25

Benjamin Perkins
Jacob Vibe Hammer
Jon D. Reid

THE C# LANGUAGE WAS UNVEILED TO THE WORLD when Microsoft announced the first version of its .NET Framework in July 2000. Since then its popularity has rocketed, and it has arguably become the language of choice for desktop, web, cloud, and crossplatform developers who use the .NET Framework. Part of the appeal of C# comes from its clear syntax, which derives from C/C++ but simplifies some things that have previously discouraged some programmers. Despite this simplification, C# has retained the power of C++, and there is now no reason not to move into C#. The language is not difficult and it's a great one to learn elementary programming techniques with. This ease of learning, combined with the capabilities of the .NET Framework, make C# an excellent way to start your programming career.

The latest release of C# is C# 7 (included with version 4.7 of the .NET Framework), which builds on the existing successes and adds even more attractive features. The latest release of Visual Studio (Visual Studio 2017) and the Visual Studio Code 2017 line of development tools also bring many tweaks and improvements to make your life easier and to dramatically increase your productivity.

This book is intended to teach you about all aspects of C# programming, including the language itself, desktop, cloud, and crossplatform programming, making use of data sources, and some new and advanced techniques. You'll also learn about the capabilities of Visual Studio 2017 and all the ways that this product can aid your application development.

The book is written in a friendly, mentorstyle fashion, with each chapter building on previous ones, and every effort is made to ease you into advanced techniques painlessly. At no point will technical terms appear from nowhere to discourage you from continuing; every concept is introduced and discussed as required. Technical jargon is kept to a minimum, but where it is necessary, it, too, is properly defined and laid out in context.

The authors of this book are all experts in their field and are all enthusiastic in their passion for both the C# language and the .NET Framework. Nowhere will you find a group of people better qualified to take you under their collective wing and nurture your understanding of C# from first principles to advanced techniques. Along with the fundamental knowledge it provides, this book is packed full of helpful hints, tips, exercises, and fullfledged example code (available for download on this book's web page at www.wrox.com and at https://github.com/benperk/BeginningCSharp7 ) that you will find yourself returning to repeatedly as your career progresses.

We pass this knowledge on without begrudging it and hope that you will be able to use it to become the best programmer you can be. Good luck, and all the best!

This book is for everyone who wants to learn how to program in C# using the .NET Framework. It is for absolute beginners who want to give programming a try by learning a clean, modern, elegant programming language. But it is also for people familiar with other programming languages who want to explore the .NET platform, as well as for existing .NET developers who want to give Microsoft's .NET flagship language a try.

The early chapters cover the language itself, assuming no prior programming experience. If you have programmed in other languages before, much of the material in these chapters will be familiar. Many aspects of C# syntax are shared with other languages, and many structures are common to practically all programming languages (such as looping and branching structures). However, even if you are an experienced programmer, you will benefit from looking through these chapters to learn the specifics of how these techniques apply to C#.

If you are new to programming, you should start from the beginning, where you will learn basic programming concepts and become acquainted with both C# and the .NET platform that underpins it. If you are new to the .NET Framework but know how to program, you should read onward.

Alternatively, if you already know the C# language, you might want to concentrate on the chapters dealing with the most recent .NET Framework and C# language developments, specifically the chapters on collections, generics, and C# language enhancements ( ).

The chapters in this book have been written with a dual purpose in mind: They can be read sequentially to provide a complete tutorial in the C# language, and they can be dipped into as required reference material.

In addition to the core material, starting with .

This book also gives plenty of love and attention to coincide with the release of C# 7 and .NET 4.7. Every chapter received an overhaul, with less relevant material removed, and new material added. All of the code has been tested against the latest version of the development tools used, and all of the screenshots have been retaken in Windows 10 to provide the most current windows and dialog boxes. New highlights of this edition include the following:

• Additional and improved code examples for you to try out
• Coverage of everything that's new in C# 7 and .NET 4.7
• Examples of programming .NET Core and ASP.NET Core for running crossplatform
• Examples of programming cloud applications and using Azure SDK to create and access cloud resources

This book is divided into six sections:

• Introduction Purpose and general outline of the book's contents
• The C# Language Covers all aspects of the C# language, from the fundamentals to objectoriented techniques
• Windows Programming How to write and deploy desktop applications with the Windows Presentation Foundation library (WPF)
• Cloud and CrossPlatform Programming Cloud and crossplatform application development and deployment, including the creation and consumption of a Web API
• Data Access How to use data in your applications, including data stored in files on your hard disk, data stored in XML format, and data in databases
• Additional Techniques An examination of some extra ways to use C# and the .NET Framework, including Windows Communication Foundation (WCF) and Universal Windows Applications

The following sections describe the chapters in the five major parts of this book.

introduces you to C# and how it fits into the .NET landscape. You'll learn the fundamentals of programming in this environment and how Visual Studio 2017 (VS) fits in.