Ridiculously simple question from a SQL Developer

[Eric B]

Hi All,

I'm a SQL Server 2000/2005 developer and I want to teach myself C#. I
just ordered a book, "A Programmer's Introduction to C# 2.0, Third
Edition" by Eric Gunnerson, because I saw a lot of recommendations on
the web.

Now I'm wondering if I ordered the wrong book because it was published
in 2005. Here's my question: Is this book outdated? Is C# 2.0 the
current version?

Follow-up question: If C# 2.0 is not the current version, is this
book still worth the $25 it costs to be delivered to my door? I
currently know nothing about C#, so as long 75% of the content is
still current, I'm sure it's worth it. THAT IS, of course, unless
somebody out there can suggest another, more current, book.

Thanks, and I regret to inform you all that you'll probably be seeing
a lot more of me here. )

Eric B

 

[Michael B. Trausch]

I'm a SQL Server 2000/2005 developer and I want to teach myself C#. I
just ordered a book, "A Programmer's Introduction to C# 2.0, Third
Edition" by Eric Gunnerson, because I saw a lot of recommendations on
the web.

Now I'm wondering if I ordered the wrong book because it was published
in 2005. Here's my question: Is this book outdated? Is C# 2.0 the
current version?

The current version of C# is 3.0, IIANM. However, you can easily learn
the differences between the two as you go.

Follow-up question: If C# 2.0 is not the current version, is this
book still worth the $25 it costs to be delivered to my door?

I'd say so.

I currently know nothing about C#, so as long 75% of the content is
still current, I'm sure it's worth it. THAT IS, of course, unless
somebody out there can suggest another, more current, book.

Even older books still have things that can be learned from them. I'd
recommend also getting CLR via C#, 2nd. ed. from Microsoft Press; it
covers .NET 2.0 (and much of the .NET framework is exactly the same as
it was then; .NET 3.5 still uses the .NET 2.0 runtime, for example, but
has things added to it). After you get through the intro book, CLR via
C# will take you through and introduce you to a lot of the concepts
that underlie the framework. It's a very good read.

--- Mike

 

[Eric B]

Thanks for your time, Mike. I'm going to take your advice because I'm
halfway through another book and I've gained very little from it. All
examples are written in C#, and it assumes you know something about
CLR. I do not.

 

[Ignacio Machin ( .NET/ C# MVP )]

Hi All,

I'm a SQL Server 2000/2005 developer and I want to teach myself C#. I
just ordered a book, "A Programmer's Introduction to C# 2.0, Third
Edition" by Eric Gunnerson, because I saw a lot of recommendations on
the web.

Now I'm wondering if I ordered the wrong book because it was published
in 2005. Here's my question: Is this book outdated? Is C# 2.0 the
current version?

IMHO it's a good book to start, it might not cover LINQ or any of the
other features introduced in 3.5 but it will serve the purpose

Follow-up question: If C# 2.0 is not the current version, is this
book still worth the $25 it costs to be delivered to my door? I
currently know nothing about C#, so as long 75% of the content is
still current, I'm sure it's worth it. THAT IS, of course, unless
somebody out there can suggest another, more current, book.

25 is not the most expensive book or something like that. I think it's
not a bad deal (if the book is ok of course)

 

[Jeroen Mostert]

I'm a SQL Server 2000/2005 developer and I want to teach myself C#. I
just ordered a book, "A Programmer's Introduction to C# 2.0, Third
Edition" by Eric Gunnerson, because I saw a lot of recommendations on
the web.

Now I'm wondering if I ordered the wrong book because it was published
in 2005. Here's my question: Is this book outdated? Is C# 2.0 the
current version?

Yes and no. Yes, the book is outdated, because C# 3.0 is the current
version. No, this book is not outdated, because learning C# 2.0 before you
tackle the new concepts in C# 3.0 is a perfectly valid learning strategy.
Trying to take in all of C# 3.0 from scratch would be a bit daunting, I think.

Follow-up question: If C# 2.0 is not the current version, is this
book still worth the $25 it costs to be delivered to my door? I
currently know nothing about C#, so as long 75% of the content is
still current, I'm sure it's worth it.

C# 3.0's main selling point is LINQ. Almost all new language features were
introduced to support it. LINQ should be dear to your heart, because it
basically implements SQL's query functionality -- in a much more general way.

If you know nothing of C#, going with a good book on C# 2.0 is a much better
idea than hunting high and low for a book that tries to cover everything in
C# 3.0 (and/or .NET 3.5 for good measure).

THAT IS, of course, unless somebody out there can suggest another, more
current, book.

Can't help you there. I'm a freak, I read language specifications and API
documentation. Books only if they're either 1200-page completist bibles (so
I have a general idea of everything) or condensed, specialized goodness from
undisputed experts (so I can avoid the obvious and get the interesting bits).

 

[Jeroen Mostert]

I'd recommend also getting CLR via C#, 2nd. ed. from Microsoft Press; it
covers .NET 2.0 (and much of the .NET framework is exactly the same as it
was then; .NET 3.5 still uses the .NET 2.0 runtime, for example, but has
things added to it). After you get through the intro book, CLR via C#
will take you through and introduce you to a lot of the concepts that
underlie the framework. It's a very good read.

It is, but I'd only recommend it if you're one of those people who like
getting to the foundations. Richter goes into much juicy detail that the
average .NET developer will never need, except when the abstractions start
to leak. It's really a no-nonsense "we're all experienced programmers here"
book, which is of course great if you are one.