Microsoft Visual C# .NET Deluxe Learning Edition

Rating:
Summary: Some examples won't work with the included software!
Review: I certainly expected the software to be a reduced feature version of the Visual Studio IDE. However, Microsoft crippled it so much that even some very basic functionality has been removed. In fact, some of the code in the INCLUDED book won't work! For example, you can't even create .DLL files with the included version of the IDE.

Rating:
Summary: Of course this book doesnt teach C++!
Review: I recently read another review for this book on this page and the author of the review complained how the book does not teach C++. Well I would like him to know that of course it doesnt... the title of the book is Microsoft Visual C# .NET Deluxe Learning Edition, therefore it teaches C#!

Rating:
Summary: Excellent Value for little $$$
Review: I've been programming for 20+ years and am just now starting to learn C#. I bought this brand new from one of the Used & New links, "books-and-books" for $12.99 including shipping. I didn't have VS (I was using SharpDevelop but wanted debugging). The software was well worth the price. The book is okay, but there are typos in the code samples. I didn't use any of the book's CD content so can't comment on it. I also bought Mastering Visual C# .Net (through Amazon for ~ $35) which I found to be a great book for me. I like the author's style and found the content to be great. Very little explanation of beginner concepts (what's a while loop for, etc.), which I hate to see repeated in advanced level books.

My complaint about the limited functionality also extends to the MSDE install. There's not much info about it in the book. The server does NOT show up in the server explorer. But, those issues are more related to MSDE/SQL server itself, and not C#. BTW, I purchased SQL Server 2000 Developer Edition from Amazon for under $50, which will give me a UI for assigning permissions, etc. All in all, for about $100 I got VS.NET, MS SQL Server, and a great learning book (and an okay book - the Step by Step book).

Rating:
Summary: Excellent Value for little $$$
Review: I've been programming for 20+ years and am just now starting to learn C#. I bought this brand new from one of the Used & New links, "books-and-books" for $12.99 including shipping. I didn't have VS (I was using SharpDevelop but wanted debugging). The software was well worth the price. The book is okay, but there are typos in the code samples. I didn't use any of the book's CD content so can't comment on it. I also bought Mastering Visual C# .Net (through Amazon for ~ $35) which I found to be a great book for me. I like the author's style and found the content to be great. Very little explanation of beginner concepts (what's a while loop for, etc.), which I hate to see repeated in advanced level books.

My complaint about the limited functionality also extends to the MSDE install. There's not much info about it in the book. The server does NOT show up in the server explorer. But, those issues are more related to MSDE/SQL server itself, and not C#. BTW, I purchased SQL Server 2000 Developer Edition from Amazon for under $50, which will give me a UI for assigning permissions, etc. All in all, for about $100 I got VS.NET, MS SQL Server, and a great learning book (and an okay book - the Step by Step book).

Rating:
Summary: The standard version is too crippled, but here's how to fix:
Review: The version of Visual C# that's included with this software/book combo is so crippled that you can't actually do many of the examples in the book! This is pretty aggregious in my mind, but I've found a way around it:

After installing the Visual C# Learning Edition software, get a copy of Microsoft's Visual Studio Professional Demonstration DVD. Microsoft hands these things out like cookies at events, so you shouldn't have any problem finding one (I've got four at this point). Replace the VC# folder on your hard drive with the one from the DVD (they are both down a few folders). Turn off the Read-Only property of all the newly copied files and you now have a much fuller version of C#, including all the Project Wizards you'd get in the Professional version. These are neccesary for completing many of the examples in the included book, so don't feel too guilty.

The legality of this solution beyond the 60 days you are legally allowed to license the Demo software is a bit hazy, obviously, so you're on your own after that. However, this solution will at least allow you to actually USE the book Microsoft sold you.

By way of a review (other than the above problem): the book is actually pretty good for beginners, and is a nice way to ease into the world of managed code. And even with the omissions discussed above, the software is quite good considering the price paid. The Visual Studio .NET environment is by far the nicest IDE I"ve ever used. I only give this product three stars because I think it's pretty reasonable to assume that the bundled software will be compatible with the book, and it was very frustrating that such wasn't the case (at least until I discovered the fix above).

Rating:
Summary: THIS IS HIGHWAY ROBBERY, DON'T BUY THE BOOK !
Review: This obsolete edition of the Step by step book isn't worth what u might pay for it... The package contains the step-by-step book, Examples (included with the step-by-step book also) and Visual C# .Net standard edition. If u already have got Visual C# or Visual Studio .Net then DON'T BUY THAT BOOK .... U can get the book and the examples CD ... from Amazon ... Don't waste ur money on a bunch of useless CDs.